Supermarket Challenge

[Chookers]

This is probably impossible, but I was curious if anyone has ever done a full on extract brew... made from extracts sourced from BigW and Coles etc..

I have Dry Extracts, Light and Dark.. plus I have a bag of lactose just lying around... I wonder if I could get something drinkable out of these.

But I would like to know if anyone has used the ingredients sourced from supermarkets.. like malt syrup from the health section or molasses? (I know buying them this way would be expensive.. but just humour me)

please tell what you have made and how it tasted?

and what have you made from odds and ends.. maybe you made something awesome but may never be able to recreate it..as Homer did with the Flamin Moe?

 

[earle]

I have a feeling this challenge might have been discussed before, perhaps there's a thread.

Malt syrup from the health section is most likely a lower grade confectionery/baking type extract - so as well as being expensive doesn't make as good beer as brewing grade extract.

 

[tugger]

I often get strange looks from the checkout chicks buying a box of cornflakes and 5 kg of raw sugar.

 

[Bribie G]

A kilo of Saunders Malt Extract, 1.5 kg of raw sugar, Tandaco bread yeast and 30g of brown old POR flowers was the home brew Elixir of the 1970s.

 

[Chookers]

LoL Tugger.. just buy Frosted flakes..

Bribie that sounds appalling..

I was interested in doing a milk stout from extracts, just wondering if if it has to done with Liquid malt extracts or if you can do beers with the dry extracts?

Earl, the health food people should just buy it from their LHBS, better product and cheaper as you say.. and they can brew some beer with it too.. so versatile

 

[RdeVjun]

A little bit OT, but I read recently in a self sufficiency book that for their style of homebrewing, the cheap and readily- available baker's yeast is preferred to 'expensive specialist brewing yeast' (paraphrased). On just what basis it would be preferred could only be the cost or availability at a rudimentary supermarket/ healthfood store, I suppose. But I'll gladly stand corrected, so here's someone's chance to take it to the next level.

 

[Benn]

After reading an old post on here I got some (500g?) Pearl Barley from the supermarket, whizzed it through the food processor to "crack" the grains and then put it in the oven for an hour to roast it. Mashed it in a little esky and added it to a coopers kit brew (blonde I think) It was ages ago but I remember the beer turned out OK. Dunno if the Pearl Barley actually did much though.
Maple syrup is another thing I've tried, long time ago as well. Can't remember the outcome.

 

[Chookers]

Maple syrup would be very expensive.. its so tasty though, I don't know if I could put it in a brew..

1.) Any suggestions on Liquid Malts Vs Dried??

2.) also if I was after liquid malt in BigW.. (they only sell kits) what kit is the closest thing to Liquid Malt Extract?

 

[earle]

An all extract brew with coopers extract from big w would be fine. Otherwise I think some of the blond kits have the lowest level of bittering so would be closest to unhopped malt extract

 

[Chookers]

Earle does bigW sell Liquid extract? or were you referring to the dried light malt?

 

[earle]

Dried light malt if they have it. I've never seen unhoped liquid extract in the likes of woollies, coles or big w. Mostly sold at home brew shops but at a stretch you could get away with using the lightest flavoured, least bittered kit as a base for a type of extract brew - use the kit bitterness like you would a 60min hop addition, then add hops more toward the end for flavour and aroma.

 

[Judanero]

I've used Rice malt syrup (500ml I think) in a lager, honey in a pilsener, puffed corn in a Carlton Dry clone (made for the family at xmas, and turned out almost identical).

Pretty sure I've seen LDME, Coopers BE #1,#2, and pure dextrose at Big W.

 

[Barge]

A kilo of Saunders Malt Extract, 1.5 kg of raw sugar, Tandaco bread yeast and 30g of brown old POR flowers was the home brew Elixir of the 1970s.

Saunders is a perfectly okay addition. It's made by Morgans Brewing in QLD

 

[Blind Dog]

Why? Are you currently under house arrest and want to understand the options available once you get locked up? Or is it just an exercise in pointless wondering (and nothing wrong with that)? Having brewed Boots own brand kits in the 80s in the UK, I reckon you might just be recreating a Homebrew 'classic', just as an Austin Allegro (google it) is now a 'classic'. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent of an Allegro is

 

[LAGERFRENZY]

Why? Are you currently under house arrest and want to understand the options available once you get locked up? Or is it just an exercise in pointless wondering (and nothing wrong with that)? Having brewed Boots own brand kits in the 80s in the UK, I reckon you might just be recreating a Homebrew 'classic', just as an Austin Allegro (google it) is now a 'classic'. Not sure what the Aussie equivalent of an Allegro is

Leyland P76

 

[Chookers]

Blind Dog, its a bit of both.. *a pointless (or not so pointless) exercise in wondering.. and *a what to do in case of a zombie apocalypse and you gotta hide in your house.. heehe. I am curious to see whats possible with what you could have lurking in your pantry.. and hope naively I know.. but still hope that something freakin awesome may come of it.

That Austin Allegro sounds interesting... I will look it up

Barge.. I cant tell if your being sarcastic or not.. but I actually have that malt in my pantry.. for cooking.. its been there awhile.. its unopened.. I wonder if anyone will miss it if it suddenly disappears.. would lactose and Dark Malt Extract help improve it?

 

[Benn]

Chookers, if your living in the Northern Territory someone might come around soon to confiscate your Vegemite.

 

[bullsneck]

JAO Mead uses only supermarket sourced ingredients

 

[Barge]

I brewed this up as a quick keg filler. (Edit: the 1kg Morgans extract is the saunders - cbf making a new beersmith entry for it) Fermented with notto at 18C. Turned out really nice.

Liquid malts tend to be best when fresh so you may be better off buying a new tin if you're thinking of using it.

 

[pcmfisher]

A kilo of Saunders Malt Extract, 1.5 kg of raw sugar, Tandaco bread yeast and 30g of brown old POR flowers was the home brew Elixir of the 1970s.

That sounds like some of our commercial mega swill beers of today.