Lacustral wrote:
> yes, I have many food intolerances (celiac and that causes other food
> intolerances); including corn. So that's why I'm asking about how to
> make glucose syrup from, say, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch.

Of course it can be done, its really a matter of how to do it with
simple equipment, and how difficult the process is.

The other question is - do you need glucose syrup, would sucrose from
sugar cane or sugar beet do?
>
> I read on the net that acid hydrolysis of starch isn't done much any more
> because the enzyme hydrolysis is more complete - results in more glucose.
>
My understanding is the reverse to what you say, but I have not looked
into it very deeply.

> I'm asking in beer brewing newsgroups because added amylases are used to
> hydrolyse starch sometimes in brewing. The local brewing company sells
> amylase enzyme. I don't know what exact situation you would use it in.
>
The thing here is that you need a mixture of enzmymes, each enzyme does
a quite specific job (breaking a certain bond), so to break all the
starch done to monosaccharides you will need a mixture of at least three
enzymes.

> For example - how would you keep a solution at 150 F at home, which is the
> right temperature for the enzymes to work? I figured home brewers might
> do such things?

The other thing is that each enzyme has a temperature at which it works
best, so holding it at just one temperature is probably not the best way
to do it.
>
> Somebody said something about hydrolysis producing fructose and fructans
> as well. I'm pretty sure it doesn't, from what I've read, starch is a
> *glucose* polymer - and when you hydrolyse starch you get glucose,
> maltose, dextrins.

No, I said that mashing (as in brewing) will produce a mixture of
sugars. Also starch you can buy is not pure starch, it contains starch,
cell walls, gums, and some protein. Complete hydrolysis will produce
mainly glucose, but also some other sugars, amino acids, and protein
fragments. Which is why some coeliacs do not tolerate glucose syrup
derived from wheat starch because some protein fragments are still present.

And of course why you want to avoid glucose syrup made from corn.

Robert