Caramalising Post Fermentation

[Fatgodzilla]

Have a strange thought and need enlightenment from the brethren.

A brew has just finished. After kegging I'll have a few litres spare. Rather than bottle, I was wondering if its viable to boil (reduce) this excess down and add to a second kegged brew which lacks just a little "oomph" and could do with a blending. Its a blending exercise. However normally you boil down first runnings wort and add to the main wort before fermentation. Will boiling post fermentation (with obviously less sugar) have any useful benefits ? Or a detriment I can't rationalise?

 

[Fourstar]

i dont like the idea of adding boiled yeast to a beer. :huh: sounds kinda scary

 

[sydneyhappyhour]

Have a strange thought and need enlightenment from the brethren.

A brew has just finished. After kegging I'll have a few litres spare. Rather than bottle, I was wondering if its viable to boil (reduce) this excess down and add to a second kegged brew which lacks just a little "oomph" and could do with a blending. Its a blending exercise. However normally you boil down first runnings wort and add to the main wort before fermentation. Will boiling post fermentation (with obviously less sugar) have any useful benefits ? Or a detriment I can't rationalise?

May concentrate some of the flavours but you are going to end up losing the alcohol in the boiled part so you will end up watering down the other keg.

 

[Swinging Beef]

Not sure if watering down is the right term.
You will marginally reduce the alcohol:total volume ratio, because the reduced portion will have some alcohol boiled off, but you will also be increasing the viscoscity through increasing the amount of disolved sugar:fluid ratio.

Give it a whirl.
Tell us how it goes.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

i dont like the idea of adding boiled yeast to a beer. :huh: sounds kinda scary

No need to be afraid .. we are big boys now

Boiled yeast ?? wasn't thinking that could be a problem. Assumed the boiling will kill the yeast. But will that yeast add a detrimental flavour ?

Just another thought. Have a can of Tooheys New in the fridge. May sacrifice that for science and reduce also to see what happens. Will keep you informed.

 

[black_labb]

i'd be much more inclined to freeze distill it. boiled yeast doesnt give off a good flavour and what you boil off will have a higher ratio of alcohol to water to the original beer. this is how distilling works. i'd be more inclined to steep some darker malts or caramelise some wort, ferment that then mix.

 

[King Brown]

Is filtering the yeast out before boiling an option?

 

[Effect]

Do it and report back - mix a little bit of the boiled down beer to a small glass - that will let you know what it does.

Personally I think it will make it taste like arse.

Cheers
Phil

 

[Nick JD]

The amount of unfermentable sugaz left to caramelise after fermentation would be pretty small. I'd guess you'd just be making concentrated, alcohol-free beer with a slightly burnt taste.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

Do it and report back - mix a little bit of the boiled down beer to a small glass - that will let you know what it does.

Personally I think it will make it taste like arse.

Cheers
Phil

something tells me I don't want to know how you know what arse tastes like. B)

Nick JD Posted Today, 05:27 PM
The amount of unfermentable sugaz left to caramelise after fermentation would be pretty small. I'd guess you'd just be making concentrated, alcohol-free beer with a slightly burnt taste.

Yep, having similiar thoughts. SO... is on the stove now, will get back soon on this one.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

there still is quite a bit of sugar and quite a bit of protein left in a beer though, melanoidins will happen, you don't need to take it all the way down to syrup and try to get actual caramelization, just reducing it and boiling the snot out of it will add colour and flavour... I reckon try a small scale test as previously suggested. Try it will a few hundred mls, add to another beer and see what it "adds" to the experience.

I tend to agree that you should make the bit you boil as yeast free as possible though.

 

[Fatgodzilla]

there still is quite a bit of sugar and quite a bit of protein left in a beer though, melanoidins will happen, you don't need to take it all the way down to syrup and try to get actual caramelization, just reducing it and boiling the snot out of it will add colour and flavour... I reckon try a small scale test as previously suggested. Try it will a few hundred mls, add to another beer and see what it "adds" to the experience.

I tend to agree that you should make the bit you boil as yeast free as possible though.

whilst not possible to do the "least yeast" approach, I did boil 250ml of fermented ale down to 50ml. Result - YUCK ! Like a bad cough syrup. Mind, you, a lovely darkening of colour .. just an undrinkable mixture.

Far from scientific, but not a great result. I'll do what I often do with a drinkable but uninspiring ale - add a bottle or two of stout. Works at treat.

 

[Bribie G]

If on holiday in Ireland, never never order a black and tan

 

[Thirsty Boy]

whilst not possible to do the "least yeast" approach, I did boil 250ml of fermented ale down to 50ml. Result - YUCK ! Like a bad cough syrup. Mind, you, a lovely darkening of colour .. just an undrinkable mixture.

Far from scientific, but not a great result. I'll do what I often do with a drinkable but uninspiring ale - add a bottle or two of stout. Works at treat.

but did you try mixing a little of it into a beer?? What tastes awful straight might dilute out to something nice.

A bottle of stout, a bottle of really punchy barley wine, doppelbock or scotch ale - blending is a marvelous thing.

 

[MHB]

An alarm bell is going off in the memory something about Nitrosamines - couldn't be arsed doing any research on it - just this vague memory of it being a really bad idea.

Came up in a discussion regarding badly cleaned kettles or calandria

MHB