2 & 6 Row Western

[Hoops]

I am planning on doing an AG using a recipe from the Whitelabs recipe page.

Does anyone know what grain is available in Australia that would be a good substitute?
Is flaked corn available in Australia? If not are there any good substitutes?
Thanks in advance

Hoops

Amigo Mexican Lager
5 gallons (19L)
All Grain Version

Malt
3.4 lb Great Western 2-row malt
2 lb Great Western 6-row malt
3.3 lb Flaked Corn

Hops
0.5 oz Liberty hops: 60 min.
0.5 oz Liberty hops: At whirlpool

Yeast
White Labs WLP940, Mexican Lager Yeast

Ferment at 51-53 degrees F for 7 days, then let fermentation warm to 62-64 degrees F for 4-6 days for diacetyl rest, chill 5 degrees F a day until you reach desired lagering temperature (this beer was lagered for 6 weeks 31-32 degrees F). Fine with gelatin or isinglass to clarify, carbonate to 2.8 to 3.0. Serve at 38 degrees F with a lime.
Make sure to enjoy with your amigos.

 

[wessmith]

We dont grow any 6 row barley in Australia and certainly dont produce a six row malt. Typically a 6 row malt is much higher in protein and this can cause problems in lautering (runoff). I would suggest a good pilsner malt rather than an standard pale malt and yes, you can get flaked corn only its called flaked maize from Thomas Fawcett. Or you can use polenta but that will need to be cooked offline. The whole rationale behind the flaked maize is it lightens the body of the beer which you need to balance with a little bit of malt character. It is a very subtle beer.

Wes.

 

[Hoops]

Thanks Wes

Well I already have a bag of Joe White Pilsner malt so thats the malt covered.
As for the flaked corn/maize my LHBS don't carry any so I will have to either mail order or use polenta.
What about grinding whole corn? I have a Porkert mill that will do the job, and saw some for $1/kg locally yesterday? or would that be inferior to polenta?
Is the quality of the flaked maize noticeably better than polenta?
Thanks again

Hoops

 

[Jovial_Monk]

I would say, do a cereal mash of the polenta, except that is a shipload of polenta!

I bet ESB or grain and grape would carry flaked maize

Jovial Monk

 

[wessmith]

Flaked maize as been pre-gelatinised and the stuff from Thomas Fawcett was produced in the UK especially for brewing. It is partially crushed and you just add it to the mash as normal. Some health food store also carry flaked maize but the extent of gelatinisation can be a bit of an unknown for brewing. You can always gelatinise it yorself anyway just as you would with polenta. I think I would be inclined to go with a flaked type in preference to whole corn.

Actually you have Kialla up your way - they make a variety of corn/maize based products for commercial and home use.

Wes.

 

[Hoops]

Thanks Wes & JM

I will look into Kialla.
To start with I think I will do a small batch with a cereal mash of polenta and see how it goes.

Hoops

 

[Hoops]

Found this on tastybrew.com

If you'd like to lighten the body of a cream ale or some other beer, try using Minute Rice or instant polenta. Big breweries have been using corn and rice for years, but they can really help out a light beer. Since both Minute Rice and instant polenta starches are pre-gelatinized, you can just toss them in the mash with your malt, no cereal mash is needed. For the lightest body, convert your mash at about 146F. DO NOT use these as specialty grains in an extract brew...they need to be mashed with pale malt in order to convert the starches to sugar. Using them as steeping grains will lead to starches (and possible infections) in your beer.

Anyone know if the polenta in the supermarket is instant polenta? or if instant polenta is available in Australia?

Hoops

 

[Bobby]

instant polenta is available, try coles.

 

[Hoops]

Thanks Bobby, I will check it out tonight. Would be great if I don't have to do a cereal mash.

 

[Hoops]

Well I couldn't find any Instant polenta so i just bought the normal stuff. I now have 1.5kg of polenta :blink:
I am looking at using 2.5kg of Joe White Pilsner Malt and 1.5kg of polenta.
Is that ratio of grain to adjunct OK? What is the maximum amount of unmalted adjuct that you could use with the JW pilsner malt?

Hoops

 

[wessmith]

Hoops, your over the top on the polenta I would not go above 20%. Its not so much the ability or not of the JW pilsner to be able to convert the polenta - rather the taste profile of the finished beer. Jeez, you do want some flavour and body!

Wes.

 

[Hoops]

Thanks Wes
I was thinking it might be a bit excessive, the polenta in the recipe makes up 37% of the fermetables! I might go 1kg polenta & 4kg Pils malt.

If you were to push the JW Pils to it's limit how much could it convert?
In comparison how much could JW Ale malt convert? ie Can it convert more or less?
(This is diastatic power isn't it?)

Hoops

 

[wessmith]

Both JW Export Pilsner and Traditional Ale malts have about the same diastatic power (DP) ie around 250 but sometimes up to 300. Either malt will be able to cope with 30% adjunct so long as you dont rush the mash stage. Keep it around 60 minutes with this level of adjunct especially if the crush is a bit course.

Wes

 

[GOLIATH]

Hoops,

Before you do it I am happy to send you a KG of flaked maize, GRATIS to try. I carry it in stock.
Get back to me at www.brewgoliath.com.au
Regards
Dave

 

[Hoops]

Thanks Dave I'll take you up on that offer.

 

[Hoops]

Well the Corona clone ended up working out well although lacking a bit of hop flavour and aroma. Colour was spot on.
Next time I will add more hops, add a flavour hop addition, and maybe try a hopback. The hop amounts looked too low but I didn't want to change too much for the 1st try.
Although not exactly like Corona it is an awesome summer beer that could be (and was) drunk all night. Anyway here's the recipe I ended up using.

Corona Clone (1st try)
Grain
3.4 kg Joe White Pilsner
1.0 kg Flaked Maize
0.1 kg Wheat

Hops
20 g Hallertau Flowers @ 4.5aa : 60 min.
15 g Hallertau Flowers @ 4.5aa : flameout.

Yeast
White Labs WLP940, Mexican Lager Yeast Starter

Irish Moss last 15min of boil.

Fermented at 12C for 9 days, raised to 16C for 3 days for diacetyl rest, chill 3C a day down to 4C for 14 days then kegged.

OG = 1.050
FG = 1.010
Batch Size = 23L

Thanks go to Dave Goliath for his generous contribution of flaked maize. It was real easy to use just chucked into the mash tun with the rest of the grain. Might have to get a few kilos of it to keep on hand.

 

[Snow]

Sounds like a good BBQ quaffing beer, Hoops. Corona doesn't exactly knock you over with hop aroma or flavour, so you're probably not far from the mark!

Cheers - Snow

 

[roach]

Top stuff Hoops. Was going to try something similar on the weekend. Instead I'll go for Saaz and use US-56 yeast. Haven't got a fridge to ferment in so will have to rely on 'cooler' weather do keep the ester production down.