31 replies to this topic

[pyrodude]

Please can someone tell me where i can get dextrin from in the uk as i cannot find anywhere in the uk that sells it. I have searched for this but i cannot find it anywhere so can someone please help me.

Edited by pyrodude, 12 January 2004 - 10:20 PM.

[The_Djinn]

Pyrodude, search the forum and visit a few of the forum members web sites you will find what you are looking for. Dextrin is not bought but made and the ingrediant is very available world wide and likely to be sitting in your kitchen already.

Mark

[nickpatts]

Can be bought at most home brew shop.

http://www.the-home-...uk/itm01233.htm

[phildunford]

Never quite sure if malto dextrin is the same as dextrin - sounds (at the risk of being obvious) like it contains malt.
Does anyone know for sure?

make my own from cornflour - one of the easier pyro chems to make!!

[alany]

Nope, maltodextrin and dextrin are different things.

I have a bag of both, and they work very differently in compositions. Maltodextrin can bind stuff, but it dries pretty sticky. Maltodextrin also seems much more reactive as a fuel.

The light yellow dextrin powder from skylighter is a superiour binder.

[tajmiester]

When making your dextrin (I use cornflour) what temperature do you do it at? I make mine at 200C but it seems to cook too quickly, occasionally melting and turning dark brown in places. It works well as a binder but it only takes around an hour when I thought it was supposed to take much longer...

Tris

[BigG]

When making your dextrin (I use cornflour) what temperature do you do it at? I make mine at 200C but it seems to cook too quickly, occasionally melting and turning dark brown in places. It works well as a binder but it only takes around an hour when I thought it was supposed to take much longer...

Tris

About 80-100 is a temperature I heard a lot, but it takes very long time. As long as you checked your dextrin to see there is no starch left in it, and discarded the burn bits - then it's fine. I myself use 200c as well.

[RegimentalPyro]

Making Dextrin from Cornflour.

Preheat oven to Gas mark 6
Take 1 packet of cornflour [about 80p from EVERY major supermarket] and spread evenly in a foil lined oven tray

Repeat
{
Cook for 20 mins
Take out and turn/mix the brownish top into the lighter bulk of cornflour
}
until no colour difference between top/underneath is observed

Should end up with a very fine beautiful golden brown powder - Dextrin.

[phildunford]

To add to RPs excellent description, the colour is the best indicator to me. The end-product should be light yellow to brown. If it's going black/bubbly you are cooking too hot! I would say mark six is a bit hot but it depends on your oven (I use mark four (about 170 I think) for an hour) - the temps on ovens are not all that accurate as any good cook will tell you!

[BigG]

My best indicator is probably a starch test. Iodine is sensitive to starch. Take two drops of tincture of iodine (buy at any local pharmacy) in ? glass of water. The water will be light blue. Add a bit of your dextrin and mix. If the colour of the water turns dark-blue-brown then your dextrin still contain starch. Otherwise is will remain light blue and your dextrin is ready.

[Pazza]

I cooked mine at 300C and it didnt go really dark or melt, it was done in about 3 hours. Just remember:

If you're using a non fan-forced oven, turn the tray around every 15 mins.
Every 30 mins take the tray out and mix all the dextrin up with a spatula or whatever. When you mix make sure you bring the stuff from the bottom up to the top and vice versa.
Test for readyness using the method that BigG described.

[The_Djinn]

One bit of advice, if you buy a box of corn flour... hide it. I bought a brand new box to make up some Dextrin and went to use it the other day only to find the wife had helped herself to nearly half of it for cooking

So as I say, stash it away real good so it dont get nicked !

Mark

[pyrodude]

i tried making my own dextrin today for the very first time and even after 4 hours at 200 degrees celcius it stayed the same colour and didnt change at all!!! has anyone got any idea what im doing wrong.

[The_Djinn]

Pyrodude,

I used Whitworths corn flower last weekend. Let it sit for an hour @ 200 then took it out and stired it and spread it out again then shoved it back in for another hour.
After the first hour I could already see colour change on the top layers and after the second it was consistant throught.
Maybe you dont have it spread out enough as I guess if it is layered to thick it may take a lot longer. Try a thin layer on a baking sheet first.

Mark

[fishy1]

i make dextrin in a big ladle that i also use for electrolysing stuff. i just put a bit of cornflour in the ladle, and heat it over a candle till it's done.