# instant polenta



## fletcher (26/1/14)

hey guys. got some of this stuff and was hoping to ask Bribie a few questions about it for a cream ale recipe he gave me a while back. 

just wanted to know whether to follow the instructions, and if so, with or without salt, and then add the mixture to the mash OR just add the polenta as is into the mash.


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

would have PMd him but I couldn't attach photos and am on my phone.


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## Bribie G (26/1/14)

Hi fletcher

I used to get those bricks all the time from Woolies when I lived on Bribie Island, it's brilliant as an adjunct.

The simplest way to use it is to boil it to a mush (takes a surprising amount of water, this stuff swells like The Blob as you boil it).. then let it cool to your chosen mash temp and pour into the main mash and stir in well.

Another thing you can do is to "pre treat" it by letting the mush cool to around 74 degrees and mix in a kilo of your base malt and stir like buggery. The Alpha Acids in the base malt will zap the polenta very quickly and turn it into polenta soup, then pour the results into the main mash.

I used that brick often as a food item, love polenta. In the kitchen found that although they call it "instant" it still needs boiling, so I have always tended to play safe and not put it in raw to the mash in case it doesn't gelatinise at mash temperatures.

Now you've got me in research mode :blink: - I might just get a brick from Woolies next week and try a direct addition.

However for the time being I'd err on the side of caution and boil the polenta, doesn't take long in a stockpot. :beerbang:


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Hi fletcher
> 
> I used to get those bricks all the time from Woolies when I lived on Bribie Island, it's brilliant as an adjunct.
> 
> ...


thanks mate. I'm making that simple corn rice and pale malt cream ale in a few days. pale malt work ok or would you recommend pils malt for the alpha acids etc?


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## manticle (26/1/14)

Salt is for cooking it. Leave it out for brewing.
Any salts (including sodium chloride) should be added to mash, sparge and/or boil depending on water calcs and desired results.
I don't add sodium chloride but its effect will be on flavour rather than pH so if adding, I would add to boil only.


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## pedleyr (26/1/14)

Do you mean alpha amalyse? Because I've had an Australia Day emptying out my stock of bottles to make room for new brews and I'm ******* confused otherwise! 

Mind sharing the cream Ale recipe? One of the ones I've cleared out today was an Aussie Lager I saw in one of Bribie's posts and that was a great warm weather easy drinking beer. I think it was in a thread for someone trying to clone Corona or Carlton draught or something, but this was a really nice beer.


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## manticle (26/1/14)

Yes he means amylase


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

pedleyr said:


> Do you mean alpha amalyse? Because I've had an Australia Day emptying out my stock of bottles to make room for new brews and I'm ******* confused otherwise!
> 
> Mind sharing the cream Ale recipe? One of the ones I've cleared out today was an Aussie Lager I saw in one of Bribie's posts and that was a great warm weather easy drinking beer. I think it was in a thread for someone trying to clone Corona or Carlton draught or something, but this was a really nice beer.


er yes. probably. sorry I'm not the most technically minded person. just want to make sure the grain helps make short work of the polenta and assists converting it all for the mash. i'm not using pils malt and just want to know if vienna or trad ale is ok


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

there's a thread called something like AG corona clone flamesuit on or something similar. Bribie 's recipe should be on the last page or so of that Ped. sorry I can't link it. it was pils, 80%, polenta and rice both 10% and bry 97 yeast. mashed at 64. or very close to it.


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

so would pale ale malt be ok in that recipe Bribie?


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## pedleyr (26/1/14)

Joe White Traditional Ale will have enough diastatic power to convert the polenta without any worries, but the beer will be noticeably different than if you used Pilsner. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.


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## Batz (26/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Hi fletcher
> 
> I used to get those bricks all the time from Woolies when I lived on Bribie Island, it's brilliant as an adjunct.
> 
> ...



Now, now Bribie where did you get this?

I just added 2 Tsps to my pizza dough.

Batz


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## fletcher (26/1/14)

pedleyr said:


> Joe White Traditional Ale will have enough diastatic power to convert the polenta without any worries, but the beer will be noticeably different than if you used Pilsner. Not necessarily better or worse, just different.


thanks mate. in keeping with the cream ale style i might keep the trad ale instead. mainly because i completely forgot to order it haha.


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## Bribie G (26/1/14)

Batz said:


> Now, now Bribie where did you get this?
> 
> I just added 2 Tsps to my pizza dough.
> 
> Batz


Fortitude Valley in the McWhirters Centre, in the McDonalds arcade. Indian Grocers.


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## TidalPete (26/1/14)

As per usual, all very good advice from you Bribie.

:icon_offtopic:


> this stuff swells like The Blob as you boil it


And there I was thinking I was the only one on AHB old enough to remember The Blob. 
That movie  pictcha a scared the crappers out of me when I was a kid. Walking home in the dark was the worst bit . :blush: :lol:


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## Batz (27/1/14)

Bribie G said:


> Fortitude Valley in the McWhirters Centre, in the McDonalds arcade. Indian Grocers.


Yes mate my regular shop when in the valley as well.


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## fletcher (27/1/14)

thanks everyone for their help. will be cooking this up as bribie suggests. if i get time too, for a future mash i might see what difference there is with just plonking it into the mash as is


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## manticle (27/1/14)

manticle said:


> Salt is for cooking it. Leave it out for brewing.
> Any salts (including sodium chloride) should be added to mash, sparge and/or boil depending on water calcs and desired results.
> I don't add sodium chloride but its effect will be on flavour rather than pH so if adding, I would add to boil only.


Actually just read a very interesting paragraph in de clerck (vol 1) that suggests the diastatic power of malt can be increased with an addition of sodium chloride. 1% NaCl can increase DP by 55% and even more with an addition of peptone.

The paragraph goes on to suggest it is mainly of interest to distillers rather than brewers.


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## fletcher (21/3/14)

just want to give bribie a shout to say thanks. i made a very dry cream ale using 20% polenta and just ale malt at about 17IBU, and it came out a treat - a very nice light lager rip off.

i just dumped it straight into the mash and it converted fine. hit my numbers spot on!

thanks mate!

will post a picture this weekend with the final product.


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## sp0rk (21/3/14)

fletcher said:


> just want to give bribie a shout to say thanks. i made a very dry cream ale using 20% polenta and just ale malt at about 17IBU, and it came out a treat - a very nice light lager rip off.
> 
> i just dumped it straight into the mash and it converted fine. hit my numbers spot on!
> 
> ...


Might have to do a couple of batches like this with all the POR i've got coming my way

I'm looking at doing Bribie's Midnight Train malt liquor as well, so this will come in handy


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## fletcher (21/3/14)

sp0rk said:


> Might have to do a couple of batches like this with all the POR i've got coming my way
> 
> I'm looking at doing Bribie's Midnight Train malt liquor as well, so this will come in handy


it works a treat mate. just dumped it into the mash and it completely dissolved. gave it a stir a few times and she was done. all numbers hit. used same numbers/details as flaked maize in beersmith.

my recipe included amylase enzyme so very minimal flavour but i got a veeeeeery slight hint of corn in the ester after opening my first bottle the other day. it suits it .


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