5 replies to this topic

[LadyKate]

I have access, through health food chains, to really cheap maltodextrin. I've tried using it for binder and have had some luck. Has anyone else used maltodextrin and is it a good replacement binder for dextrin - meaning, does it do essentially the same thing? I realize the two are not the same chemical.

Edited by LadyKate, 01 August 2005 - 04:01 PM.

[BurlHorse]

I have access, through health food chains, to really cheap maltodextrin. I've tried using it for binder and have had some luck. Has anyone else used maltodextrin and is it a good replacement binder for dextrin - meaning, does it do essentially the same thing? I realize the two are not the same chemical.

Hello Lady Kate......

maltodextrins are easily digestible carbohydrates made from natural corn starch. The starch is cooked, and then acid and/or enzymes are used to break the starch into smaller polymers (a process similar to that used by the body to digest carbohydrate.

maltodextrins are polymers of dextrose (sometimes labeled "glucose polymers") (Possibly Added Benefit as an accesory fuel?)



dextrin
An intermediate product formed during the hydrolysis of starch to sugars. There are three classes of dextrin: 1) amylodextrin, which gives a blue color with iodine and is soluble in 25% alcohol; 2) erythrodextrin, which gives a red color with iodine and is soluble in 55% alcohol; and 3) achrodextrin, which gives no color with iodine and is soluble in 70% alcohol.
All are soluble in water but are precipitated by strong alcohol. They are used as adhesives in the manufacture of gummed tapes and paper.


Since Maltodextrin is used in the brewing of beer, as a source of sugar, fermentables, I think the process has for maltodextrin may be more of a simple sugar/carb, thereby probably more useful as a fuel than a binder, though it may have some binding quality.......Experiment with 50/50 dextrin/Maltodextrin, does it slow up the burn or speed it up?

Also, I don't know how you can get dextrin cheaper than malto dextrin, a box of corn starch spread thin on a cookie sheet (flip flop, stir on the half hour, 400 degree oven and 2 to 4 hours later when its a light to golden brown color, There you have dextrin. 2 Pounds of Maltodextrin at the brewshop supply is 12.00......Just a thought, and certainly not trying to be condescending as you made me think about it as an accesory fuel thats cheaper than Lactose, so thank you.

Best Regards,

Stay Green,

Bear

[LadyKate]

Hello Lady Kate......

Also, I don't know how you can get dextrin cheaper than malto dextrin, a box of corn starch spread thin on a cookie sheet (flip flop, stir on the half hour, 400 degree oven and 2 to 4 hours later when its a light to golden brown color,  There you have dextrin.  2 Pounds of Maltodextrin at the brewshop supply is 12.00......Just a thought, and certainly not trying to be condescending as you made me think about it as an accesory fuel thats cheaper than Lactose, so thank you.

Best Regards,

Stay Green,

Bear

As I said, I was aware that they were different chemicals - I was just wondering if anyone else had tried using maltodextrin as a binder. It acts like a tough glue (binder) when wetted and it is easily cleaned up.

I bought 10 pounds for $5.00. So, yep, it is cheaper and much less hassle than buying or making your own. Don't go to a brew shop - they really rip you off - try a wholesale health foods outlet. I learned that when I went to a brew shop and they said they were out - I asked where they got their supply and they told me. BTW, I bought it to make homemade Gu - which is a carb rich energy food for climbers, runners, and bicycle geeks (me).

I have tried it in some stars and it does work but I was curious if others had tried it. I do think it might be a fuel but at less than 4% in a star mix, it is hard to tell if it is affecting the combustion.

One problem I noticed was that it is almost too tough when wetted - it 'drives in' very easily. Add a bit too much to the mix and it takes the stars forever to dry on the inside.

[LadyKate]

As I said, I was aware that they were different chemicals - I was just wondering if anyone else had tried using maltodextrin as a binder. It acts like a tough glue (binder) when wetted and it is easily cleaned up.

I've been testing different mixtures of BP by sending film cans up from a mortar and timing their flight with a digital video camera. I did a speed test using two identical BP mixtures except one had +10 malto-dextrin and the other had +10 yellow dextrin. The malto-dextrin mixture was considerably slower. The times were:

Malto-dextrin (+10): 3.604 seconds
Yellow-dextrin (+10): 5.872 seconds
No dextrin: 7.040 seconds

[JamesH]

Take a look at alany's website:-
http://www.vk2zay.net/
He uses maltodextrin in a fuse composition.

Regards,
James

[alany]

That composition is very old and I consider it deprecated, that is why it is not listed in the composition database. It does work quite well but vanilla BP is better IMO. One day when I get a chance that whole page will be rewritten from scratch and that kind of fuse removed.