Powdered Dextrose help

[JustSmoke2]

Been looking around to see if there is a substitute that can be used for powdered dextrose?

[Kingudaroad]

Use half as much sugar. Whatcha makin?

[JustSmoke2]

King thanks for the quick reply.
I have read that powdered sugar will work also but it didn't say what ratio to use.
I am looking at doing some bockwurst and knockwurst. I did some polish over the last couple weeks adding some cayenne and chedder high temp cheese that turn out excellent.
I am doing up sausage package for a friend who just found out he has cancer. Seeing how I got him into smoking I want him to still get his smoked goodies being hard for him now to do it. So when I pulled out rytek book I didn't have the powdered dextrose after I just ordered some pepper jack cheese a sheep casings.
Better stop here or I'll keep on blubbering. Once again thanks for bailing me out.

[Kingudaroad]

King thanks for the quick reply.
I have read that powdered sugar will work also but it didn't say what ratio to use.
I am looking at doing some bockwurst and knockwurst. I did some polish over the last couple weeks adding some cayenne and chedder high temp cheese that turn out excellent.
I am doing up sausage package for a friend who just found out he has cancer. Seeing how I got him into smoking I want him to still get his smoked goodies being hard for him now to do it. So when I pulled out rytek book I didn't have the powdered dextrose after I just ordered some pepper jack cheese a sheep casings.
Better stop here or I'll keep on blubbering. Once again thanks for bailing me out.

Just regular old white sugar oughta work. It's a lot sweeter than dextrose which is the reason to cut it in half.
Sorry to hear about your friend. I bet he's glad he has a friend like you.

[Squirrel]

I wanted to bring this back up. Anybody have experience with powdered dextrose? I'm researching hotdog ingredients and this came up. I googled it, and as a matter of fact, this thread was on the first page. Thoughts?

[Gunslinger]

I wanted to bring this back up. Anybody have experience with powdered dextrose? I'm researching hotdog ingredients and this came up. I googled it, and as a matter of fact, this thread was on the first page. Thoughts?

I use it all the time. If you have a hard time finding it, check your local home brew supply. They'll carry it and many other ingredients we use for sausage.

[gwapogorilla]

Yep. Just substitute 1/2 as much if using white sugar,70% if you substitute brown sugar. Also, sorry to hear about your buddy too.

[Gunslinger]

Yep. Just substitute 1/2 as much if using white sugar,70% if you substitute brown sugar. Also, sorry to hear about your buddy too.

Not to make waves here, but it's not added to sausage for the same reason as just sugar. It has others purposes besides just sweetening.
It's about 70% as sweet as cane sugar and quite a bit heavier which helps it to mix better. Helps reduce nitrate to nitrite as meats are cured. Used to counteract salt in brines. Dextrose assists fermentation, which gives us the desired tang of flavor.

From the Sausage Maker website:

Used in processing semi-dry cured and dry-cured sausages. A sweetener only 70% as sweet as regular sugar. A nutrient for lactic acid organisms that help in fermentation, giving the tangy flavor. Dextrose is heavier than meat and forces itself into the cells of the meat

Folks, if the recipe calls for it, there's a reason. Some of this isn't about just flavor, it's about chemistry. It's not like adding spices and herbs, which we substitute, disregard, add more, etc, at will.

Not a big deal for fresh sausage, but when you decide to jump into curing, it becomes more important. Cane or beet sugars are easier to obtain than dextrose. If there was no other reason for it than just to sweeten, the recipe would call for cane sugar.

[ALX]

Not to make waves here, but it's not added to sausage for the same reason as just sugar. It has others purposes besides just sweetening.
It's about 70% as sweet as cane sugar and quite a bit heavier which helps it to mix better. Helps reduce nitrate to nitrite as meats are cured. Used to counteract salt in brines. Dextrose assists fermentation, which gives us the desired tang of flavor.

From the Sausage Maker website:


Folks, if the recipe calls for it, there's a reason. Some of this isn't about just flavor, it's about chemistry. It's not like adding spices and herbs, which we substitute, disregard, add more, etc, at will.

Not a big deal for fresh sausage, but when you decide to jump into curing, it becomes more important. Cane or beet sugars are easier to obtain than dextrose. If there was no other reason for it than just to sweeten, the recipe would call for cane sugar.

[Gunslinger]

[gwapogorilla]

Not a big deal for fresh sausage, but when you decide to jump into curing, it becomes more important. Cane or beet sugars are easier to obtain than dextrose. If there was no other reason for it than just to sweeten, the recipe would call for cane sugar.

Your absolutely right. But, most people that do their own sausages are working with fresh or semi-dry types...dextrose not needed. I have used dextrose for summer sausages and salami, and I have also substituted sugars in the same recipes. No difference visually or in taste. But, dextrose was a lot more expensive to use, as recipes I have seen still use cups of it, and the cheapest I have found it was $2 lb. plus shipping.

In my finding, sweeteners haven't "sour flavored"(tang) my meats...age and other ingrediants have though. There are ingredients to help "sour" the meat flavor... Encapsulated Citric Acid gives sausage an "aged" flavor. I use this stuff myself in certain sausages. I found horseradish used in conjunction with ECA helps give a pleasant flavor. Horseradish use to be used in "pickle making" before alum came around, to help preserve crispness in the vegetables.

Most people that cure hams and bacon do "fresh cure" as "dry cure" just takes to long. And, sugars are used in those recipes.

That leaves dry curing, for which I have no experience, simply due to the temperature and humidity controlled environment it requires.

[Gunslinger]

But, dextrose was a lot more expensive to use, as recipes I have seen still use cups of it, and the cheapest I have found it was $2 lb. plus shipping.

Your local home brewery supply store will have dextrose for a lot less than ordering it.

In my finding, sweeteners haven't "sour flavored"(tang) my meats...age and other ingrediants have though. There are ingredients to help "sour" the meat flavor... Encapsulated Citric Acid gives sausage an "aged" flavor.

I use encapsulated citric acid. It does better with dextrose.

I use this stuff myself in certain sausages. I found horseradish used in conjunction with ECA helps give a pleasant flavor.

I love horseradish and will definitely try this on my next batch of SS.

[gwapogorilla]

Your local home brewery supply store will have dextrose for a lot less than ordering it.



I use encapsulated citric acid. It does better with dextrose.



I love horseradish and will definitely try this on my next batch of SS.

I live in small town Iowa, there isn't a "home brew" shop for miles (unless you want meth...seems to be one on every corner)

I like ECA too...once I figured out how much to use to please my own tastes. Personally, I use brown sugar the most as far as sweeteners go...second to honey...third sugar. But, that is my taste and my wallet, everyone has their own.
Try Horseradish with ECA..they really do compliment each other.

[Squirrel]

Lots of great info you guys! Thanks!

[ALX]

Lots of great info you guys! Thanks!

X2....ive seen lotta horseradish deals from old days etc....