# Post me your best Asahi recipe pls..



## scooterism (21/11/17)

Hi,

My B-day is in Feb so I'm thinking of having a do with friends and family.

I'm putting two beers on, one will be an APA and with some thought I've decided on an Asahi as me and the boys like an Euro/Asian lager.

So please post your tried and true recipe.


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## Lionman (21/11/17)

I haven't done one, but my understanding is its something like this...

2.5KG Pilsner Malt
0.2kg Carapils
1.0kg cooked unwashed rice (it can help if you break up/mill the rice before cooking it)
0.5kg rice hulls to counteract the sticky rice

35g Saaz @ 60mins
20g Saaz @ 15mins

Target OG 1.048-1.054
Target FG 1.007-1.008
Target IBU 16-18

Mash Profile
50c 30mins (because of rice)
64c 90mins
78c 10mins

Wyeast 2007 or WLP840 or W-34/70 @ 12c

That should get you in the ball park.


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## hobospy (21/11/17)

Also like Asahi so keen to understand this recipe, what does 1.0kg cooked unwashed rice mean? How do you achieve this?


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## mtb (21/11/17)

Some rice is sold unwashed - ie, the starches etc are not rinsed off the grains before packaging. This is the stuff you want. Asian grocers are a good place to check if you can't find it in a supermarket.


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## koshari (21/11/17)

hobospy said:


> Also like Asahi so keen to understand this recipe, what does 1.0kg cooked unwashed rice mean? How do you achieve this?


Generally when cooking rice you would rince off the starch. I take it the starch is a good adition to the brew.

Edit: beaten by bb


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## Mr B (21/11/17)

Incidentally, and aside from brewing, I always used to wash the rice before cooking. Saw a cooking show a little while back and they said 'To get rice like you get in the (insert nice rice place here), dont rinse it but just put 1.5 times the volume of water as rice and do a stovetop boil until water gone, cover and rest for about 10 mins'

What do you know, it really works - and its less effort!


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## labels (21/11/17)

If you haven't brewed too many lagers, you ain't going to find this easy. As the old saying goes, there is absolutely nowhere for any off flavours to hide, the slightest problem, the slightest fermentation by-product is going to stick out like dogs balls. Some of the off flavours can ruin a beer at just a few parts per million. You will need to use a high attenuating lager yeast and have absolute temperature control from beginning to end. Try to source Japanese hops. A light lager malt is best, pilsner is sort of okay but Gladfield light lager malt would be way better. Use a good quality rice to 15%, I like short grain the best, it breaks down really well and allows the ezymes to convert it.


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## earle (22/11/17)

Are Japanese hops like Chinese hops? 

On a serious side though, are there specifically Japanese hops? 

I know that when the Japanese first started really getting into brewing beer the government sent a delegation to Germany to learn how to do it properly. Because of this in some of their brewing they have a good European influence. Wouldn't be surprised if the above suggestion of Saaz is correct. (Don't know where the got the whole "dry" thing from though.)


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## Gloveski (22/11/17)

Could you use rolled/flaked rice instead ?


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## bradsbrew (22/11/17)

earle said:


> Are Japanese hops like Chinese hops?
> 
> On a serious side though, are there specifically Japanese hops?
> 
> I know that when the Japanese first started really getting into brewing beer the government sent a delegation to Germany to learn how to do it properly. Because of this in some of their brewing they have a good European influence. Wouldn't be surprised if the above suggestion of Saaz is correct. (Don't know where the got the whole "dry" thing from though.)


http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3988


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## earle (22/11/17)

bradsbrew said:


> http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=3988


Well there you go. Probably a bit much flavour for an Asahi though.


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## Bribie G (22/11/17)

koshari said:


> Generally when cooking rice you would rince off the starch. I take it the starch is a good adition to the brew.
> 
> Edit: beaten by bb


The starch that is rinsed off is just a very small part of the total starch in the rice. One of the reasons for rinsing is that in the old days, rice for export was often coated with talc to avoid spoilage so this had to be washed off. This is no longer done but the habit persists. Apart from Sushi rice I never bother washing it when using as a food, get good fluffy grains. 

When used as an adjunct, just cook to a mushy porridge, cool to mash temperature and stir well into the mash. You can also do something a bit more sophisticated called a cereal mash but keep it simple for now.


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## Bribie G (22/11/17)

Just checked the Wikipedia page on Beer in Japan... under their classification, most Australian Megaswill beer would be borderline _happoshu - _a beer like drink but not actual beer._ _


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## Dan Pratt (22/11/17)

I have the recipe in a clone book at home and will take a few photos for you and post them online this arvo.


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## Kumamoto_Ken (22/11/17)

Bribie G said:


> Just checked the Wikipedia page on Beer in Japan... under their classification, most Australian Megaswill beer would be borderline _happoshu - _a beer like drink but not actual beer._ _



I spent a couple of years in Japan (in Kumamoto of course) and sadly did occasionally (accidentally I swear) experience malt beverage _happoshu_.

A pretty popular party idea was to go to restaurants offering _nomihodai_ (all you can drink) and _tabehodai_ (all you can eat). They usually last for only two hours (so not exactly 'all you can eat' Lionel Hutz RIP) and unfortunately the beers served are often _happoshu_. That's when it's time to drink shochu instead.


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## Lionman (22/11/17)

Tweaked the recipe in brewer's friend to get the estimated values close to target.

Title: Asahi Clone

Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: American Lager
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 23 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 28.5 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.036
Efficiency: 75% (brew house)


STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: 1.007
ABV (standard): 4.97%
IBU (tinseth): 17.51
SRM (morey): 2.31

FERMENTABLES:
2.5 kg - German - Pilsner (52.6%)
0.25 kg - American - Carapils (Dextrine Malt) (5.3%)
0.5 kg - Rice Hulls (10.5%)
1.5 kg - Cooked Rice (31.6%)

HOPS:
30 g - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 13.16
20 g - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 4.35

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Temperature, Temp: 50 C, Time: 30 min, Amount: 25 L, Protein Rest
2) Temperature, Temp: 64 C, Time: 90 min, Amount: 25 L, Sacc Rest
3) Temperature, Temp: 78 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 25 L, Mash Out
Starting Mash Thickness: 3 L/kg

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - Saflager - German Lager Yeast W-34/70
Starter: Yes
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 83%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 8.89 - 22.22 C
Fermentation Temp: 12 C
Pitch Rate: 1.5 (M cells / ml / deg P)

Might try something like this one day, a few family members enjoy Asahi.


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## koshari (22/11/17)

Kumamoto_Ken said:


> I spent a couple of years in Japan (in Kumamoto of course) and sadly did occasionally (accidentally I swear) experience malt beverage _happoshu_.
> 
> A pretty popular party idea was to go to restaurants offering _nomihodai_ (all you can drink) and _tabehodai_ (all you can eat). They usually last for only two hours (so not exactly 'all you can eat' Lionel Hutz RIP) and unfortunately the beers served are often _happoshu_. That's when it's time to drink shochu instead.


glad you cleared that up for us.... mind you iam still confused,


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## captain crumpet (22/11/17)

Kumamoto_Ken said:


> I spent a couple of years in Japan (in Kumamoto of course) and sadly did occasionally (accidentally I swear) experience malt beverage _happoshu_.
> 
> A pretty popular party idea was to go to restaurants offering _nomihodai_ (all you can drink) and _tabehodai_ (all you can eat). They usually last for only two hours (so not exactly 'all you can eat' Lionel Hutz RIP) and unfortunately the beers served are often _happoshu_. That's when it's time to drink shochu instead.



Are you a salesman?


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## scooterism (23/11/17)

Just to clarify, add the cooked rice when doughing in?

Rice hulls go in dry with grain?

And naturally adjust temp of water to compensate for rice temp..

(This seems a little like a decoc mash)


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## Lionman (23/11/17)

Yeah you may need to account for temp of rice.

Or you could calculate strike temp based on grain only and add rice once its cooled to mash temp.


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## hobospy (23/11/17)

Can you add the rice first and then get to the mash in temp? Assume we aren't extracting anything fermentable from the rice so it should be ok with the change in temp range?


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## Lionman (23/11/17)

You are extracting fermentables from the rice. The enzymes in the malt will convert the rice starch into fermentable sugars.

But you are right, You can add the rice, raise temp to the correct strike temp of your grain mass/temp and then mash in.

Its also important to grind the rice up prior to cooking, can you coffee grinder or food processor apparently. You want the rice to be in in small pieces to maximise surface area so the enzymes can get to it easier.

It can also help to extend the mash out to ensure good conversion and you need to remember that the cooked rise will not absorb any water in the mash tun as it will already be saturated.


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## labels (23/11/17)

The gelatisation temperature of rice varies widely with variety and there are many. On average it is in the mid seventies (degrees) but can vary from low sixties to low eighties. Quite a big difference. As you don't know what the temperature is of the rice you are buying you are better off pre-gelatinising it first (ie) cooking it!. Lionman is spot on with breaking the rice up first, I run mine through my malt mill two-three times and it does the job, otherwise cook it to a mush before adding it to your mash.

Edit: the malt enzymes cannot convert starches that have not been gelatinised


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## DJ_L3ThAL (29/11/17)

Would this be suitable and simply cook/boil it up? https://www.mckenziesfoods.com.au/product/mckenzies-ground-rice/


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## Bribie G (29/11/17)

I think you guys are over complicating things.

Stockpot
Cheapest supermarket rice
Boil to mush using a portion of the strike water
Allow to cool to mash temp
Dough in malt
Stir in rice mush

Walk away and do something interesting


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## Matplat (29/11/17)

I'm with Bribie here...

I just did a rice lager with 20% rice, I used home brand long grain rice cooked using the absorption method. I didn't wash it, mill it or use rice hulls. 

I got 88% efficiency, and the FG sample last night tasted awesome.


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## Bribie G (29/11/17)

The rice basically disappears during the mash, leaving behind little rice 'ghosts'. Rice hulls shouldn't be needed as the rice, being white rice, just gets converted to sugars so won't cause any sparging problems.

Seeing as: 
Svmer is icumen in
Lhude sing kuku burra 

I had a cupboard clean out and decided to do a ricey myself ... will post pix.


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## Coldspace (30/11/17)

I've also just used agood brand of clean white supermarket rices in my rice lagers, all turned out great.
Mixing in the glug rice using grain cracked in my fluted mill has defiantly helped with my sparges.

Cheers


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