American Malt Liquor

American members can now leave the room to collect their pitchforks and flaming torches

I'm fascinated by the idea of malt liquors, (the alcohol of choice of the homeless and unemployed in the USA - not sneering, we have cask wine in Australia ) we don't have them in Australia and can't get the USA ones so I've made my own. I reckon this would go brilliantly with US 6-row , which we don't get here :(
This recipe calls for a high level of adjuncts which I prepare using a cereal mash as practiced more or less, by US breweries.

Recipe for 40L electric urn, and 30L fermenter - looking to collect 23L of wort for around 8% ABV

Main Mash

4.000 kg Pale Pilsener high diastatic (Australian Pilsner or US two row)
0.330 kg Carapils or Carafoam
0.200 Melanoidin

60 mins at 66 degrees Celsius.

Cereal (Cooker) Mashes

#1
1.000 kg rice cooked to a mush
0.500 kg Pale high diastatic malt

#2
1.000 kg maize (Polenta) cooked to a mush
0.500 kg Pale high diastatic malt.

Method: While the strike water for the main mash is heating, do a stove top cereal mash(es). Cook the rice / Polenta in stockpots to a mush then allow to cool to 75% celsius. Stir in the dry malt grain to obtain a mash temperature of 67 - 72 degrees Celsius. Whilst stirring the thick 'porridge' will suddenly collapse into a thin soup due to the Alpha Amylase of the malt attacking the starches etc. If you haven't done this before your jaw will bounce off the floor.
Mash for around 20 minutes, then bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly. Leave to cool back down to dough in temperature. You now have a sweet runny dextrin-rich soup that the main mash can convert further.

In the main BIAB vessel, dough in the main malts and the contents of the cereal mash stockpot(s).

Mash for a further hour at 66 degrees.
Raise bag and bring to boil, adding 0.600 kg white sugar to the boil.

Hops: 20g Chinook, NB, Horizon whatever 90 mins

Yeast: American Ale Yeast - I'm using the Wyeast Pacman (Rogue) special release, still have some.

Here's a picture of a pot of polenta that turned suddenly from a thick almost solid porridge into a thin soup in just 10 stirs of the spoon. Incredible.

I've probably over hopped it to buggery with the 20g of Chinook, hope those rappers and homies don't come after me for ruining the recipe

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Beachbum wrote: Here's a picture of a pot of polenta that turned suddenly from a thick almost solid porridge into a thin soup in just 10 stirs of the spoon. Incredible.

Aye, quite extraordinary BB! I've noted polenta mostly vanishes in adjunct mashes, but that is just getting OTT!

Gives me something to think about- I've just added polenta porridge to my mashes basically as more hot water and occasional lumps were a mild bother, but never were they present at mashout which was pleasing and this explains why. Man, are these enzymes some hot shit or what?!

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shibolet wrote:please post tasting notes when it's done.

Will do, it's not going to be a long lagering process

Hey shibolet do they still make Nesher Beer in Israel? I worked on a Kibbutz about 35 years ago and Nesher was a great cold beer on a hot day in the 500ml bottles. And Cheap. We would drink Gold Star if we had any money, otherwise the Nesher They even sold chilled bottles at the Jerusalem bus station and I would quaff a bottle or four waiting for the bus! (Kibbutz Palmach Tsuba)

Cheers.

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Hey shibolet do they still make Nesher Beer in Israel? I worked on a Kibbutz about 35 years ago and Nesher was a great cold beer on a hot day in the 500ml bottles. And Cheap. We would drink Gold Star if we had any money, otherwise the Nesher They even sold chilled bottles at the Jerusalem bus station and I would quaff a bottle or four waiting for the bus! (Kibbutz Palmach Tsuba)

Well, I looked it up. apparently, they've discontinued Nesher Beer but still use the brand for a malt soft drink (non alcoholic).
the original bottles were in fact 480 ml and are considered classics among Israeli homebrewers.
Goldstar is still the leading local brand.
in the last few years we've been seeing an increase in local craft breweries and also s few brewpubs. Things are looking good for the Israeli beer scene!

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I take that back, I was just at the supermarket and saw that Nesher Beer is still on the market. It's just not advertised or promoted an any way by the brewery (so it's not even mentioned on there website)
it still is the cheapest beer on the shelf at 4.29 NIS for a 500ml bottle, 3.6% ABV (around 1.1 US$, including a deposit on the returnable bottle).

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Wow, label hasn't changed since the 1970s - classic !!

I racked off the malt liquor to 'lager' it for a couple of weeks and had a sneaky taste. Now I know what they mean in the guidelines when they refer to "alcohol heat"
I have decided to keg it until it is clear and carbonated then run it into 40 oz (1.25L) bottles and just drink from the 40s like they do in the States - it would probably crack my glasses anyway. Maybe an idea to just drink it sitting in the street dressed in an old suit from the charity shop and a six day growth

Also I'm going to name it "Midnight Train Malt Liquor" after the verse in the 60s song "King of the Road" about a hobo: "Third boxcar, Midnight Train, destination Bangor, Maine"...

Also there's a strong cheap bum wine in the USA called "Night Train"http://www.bumwine.com/ so I reckon it all fits together nicely

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Haha josh, I think I made a huge mistake and added far too many hops (20g of Chinook) and actually ended up with something quite drinkable:

Smooth with a sweet aftertaste but definitely a bit of malt there. I was expecting fusel oils or something but it's a fairly clean flavour. I used Pacman yeast. After the first forty however I went downhill very quickly and suddenly found myself dressed in a charity-shop old jacket and my bank account mysteriously cleaned out and an eviction notice

Yes this stuff is true to form
See you when you come round to my new dumpster for a chat :D

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I haven't loled so much in years! What a brilliant thread and a cracking post/ review BB- top marks!
I had thought it would have to have some bittering, otherwise I wouldn't be able to touch it (unless I'm in a dumpster of course!), glad you had that little accident. I'll do my best to line up for communion at BABBs in a couple of weeks, FSM- and Anna- willing.

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My goodness! Have only just read this thread.

What a crack up! You are the man BB

• • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From Australia
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• • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America
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• • SVA Brewer With Over 20 Brews From United States of America
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It could be a fine Chimay Blue 750ml

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I missed out on a trip to the USA last year, but I'd love to go there if only to get hammered on Olde English or Mickey's
I have fantasies of guys sitting in a brewpub swigging pints of 8% ABV IPA's looking pityingly at the hobos across the road living in the dumpster drinking malt liquor, and the hobos looking pityingly back at the pub drinkers who have just paid probably four times the money for their fix

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• • SVA Brewer With Over 20 Brews From United States of America
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Wow I've just fallen in love http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fk1oXTwR ... re=related

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