Post me your best Asahi recipe pls..

[scooterism]

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.

 

[Lionman]

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.

 

[hobospy]

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

 

[mtb]

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.

 

[koshari]

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

 

[Mr B]

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!

 

[labels]

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.

 

[earle]

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.)

 

[Gloveski]

Could you use rolled/flaked rice instead ?

 

[bradsbrew]

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

 

[earle]

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

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

 

[Bribie G]

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.

 

[Bribie G]

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.

 

[Dan Pratt]

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

 

[Kumamoto_Ken]

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.

 

[Lionman]

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.

 

[koshari]

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,

 

[captain crumpet]

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?

 

[scooterism]

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)

 

[Lionman]

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.