muckanic wrote:A couple of remarks:
1. In the beer world, I have proved to myself that inverting sugar doesn't achieve much, as fructose is responsible for the cidery flavours. Even if this was not the case, the question arises why yeast would have more trouble splitting sucrose than maltose, and AFAIAA no-one has ever addressed that issue. Folks also differ over the ease with which this inversion (which is really just hydrolysis) is supposed to occur. One school of thought suggests substantial inversion occurs in a normal brew boil anyway because hydrolysis is normally a thermodynamically favourable process. Others claim for some reason that it won't work at all without aggressive mineral acids.
2. Beware of the salt content in breakfast spreads, although I guess the amount needed to get some Vit B may not be a problem in practice.
3. Beware of urea-based fertilizers and nutrients due to the possibility of ethyl carbamate formation. This stuff is sufficiently volatile to be a concern.
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/Foodb ... 119802.pdf" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" rel="nofollow is a must read here.
I will quote an applicable passage from the document.
This quote would indicate that DAP is the only fertilizer that can or should be used.
Just a note Ethyl Carbamate is Urethane or Varnish.
• To avoid sluggish or stuck fermentations, it is permitted by BATF to add up to 8 lbs of
diammonium phosphate (DAP) per 1,000 gal (960 mg/L) to a nitrogen deficient must, which
translates into ca. 200 mg of nitrogen/L. However, excessive levels of nitrogen may contribute to
urea formation and excretion by yeast. Although some nutrients are required to accomplish an
optional malolactic fermentation, high nutrient levels at the end of fermentation can contribute to
microbial instability of a wine (see lactic acid bacteria).
• Yeast food preparations may add an unidentified level of yeast available nitrogen to a juice. It is
recommend that winemakers request the supplier to specify the different nitrogen sources.
• The use of urea as a fermentation supplement is prohibited. BATF has found that the use of urea is
not considered acceptable in good commercial practice among wine producers and has rescinded the
listing of urea as an authorized treatment (Federal Register, Vol. 55, No. 118, 24974-24982,
06/19/90).
