Anyone used this stuff? I was in Big W today and in the home brew section I spotted this item. Normally I don't even look at kits n bits in supermarkets but I checked out the label, was intrigued and bought a can for $6 for the kilo.
I see that it's not to be used for bottle conditioning, that the ingredients list 100% "maize starch" and it's made at Speight's Brewery, Dunedin, UnZud.
Now it's not likely they would have a massive production line going to make the few tins they'd sell in Australia, and it sure as hell isn't going to be pure starch so I'd make an educated guess along the following lines:
It's more than likely a standard ingredient used in NZ brewing, a variety of "maltose syrup" produced enzymatically to give a range of sugars ranging from maltose up to dextrins to improve body - many of the Non German Euro beers that are now widely available such as Bavaria, Hooten, etc list "maltose" on the labels, so it's worldwide.
Edit: Using maize as the substrate makes a lot of sense for a NZ product, last time I was in the South Island I didn't notice any waving fields of sugar cane.
This would explain why it's not useful for bottle conditioning as it clearly doesn't ferment right out.
So it would be a rather interesting addition to a number of styles such as Aussie and New Zealand lagers, Pale Continental Lagers etc where some lightening of malt flavour whilst maintaining body is useful.
I'll be using this tin in a double batch of Aussie Lager, with BB Pale, POR, the usual suspects.
I see that it's not to be used for bottle conditioning, that the ingredients list 100% "maize starch" and it's made at Speight's Brewery, Dunedin, UnZud.
Now it's not likely they would have a massive production line going to make the few tins they'd sell in Australia, and it sure as hell isn't going to be pure starch so I'd make an educated guess along the following lines:
It's more than likely a standard ingredient used in NZ brewing, a variety of "maltose syrup" produced enzymatically to give a range of sugars ranging from maltose up to dextrins to improve body - many of the Non German Euro beers that are now widely available such as Bavaria, Hooten, etc list "maltose" on the labels, so it's worldwide.
Edit: Using maize as the substrate makes a lot of sense for a NZ product, last time I was in the South Island I didn't notice any waving fields of sugar cane.
This would explain why it's not useful for bottle conditioning as it clearly doesn't ferment right out.
So it would be a rather interesting addition to a number of styles such as Aussie and New Zealand lagers, Pale Continental Lagers etc where some lightening of malt flavour whilst maintaining body is useful.
I'll be using this tin in a double batch of Aussie Lager, with BB Pale, POR, the usual suspects.