I'm brewing a Coopers style Australian Sparkling Ale for a forthcoming comp. Most recipes call for a small wheat addition, and rather than wheat malt I have used Semolina in the past to good effect, used exactly like polenta with a short boil to a mushy porridge. However the latest attempt has produced a haze and I reckon that Semolina is probably not all starch but must have some proteins etc that don't get digested in the mash. EDIT: and that while some work well, other batches from various manufacturers could be hit or miss.
Last year a guy who posts irregularly and claims to be a former employee of Coopers said that they historically used a bit of just good old plain flour in the mash. Makes sense as UK brewers did this extensively during the 20th century. You can't put too much in as it gums up the sparge horribly, AFAIK, but for BIAB that's not such a serious concern, so I'm going to try it out.
< as you all know nothing in my pantry is sacred if it can be turned into C2H5OH - polenta, cornflakes, oatmeal, rice, semolina, sardines........ :icon_cheers: >
Now, has anyone done this and should I just mix the flour into the grain bill before dough in, or gently cook the flour to a runny "wallpaper paste" consistency? I guess that as with all adjuncts a bit of gelatinisation is required?
Last year a guy who posts irregularly and claims to be a former employee of Coopers said that they historically used a bit of just good old plain flour in the mash. Makes sense as UK brewers did this extensively during the 20th century. You can't put too much in as it gums up the sparge horribly, AFAIK, but for BIAB that's not such a serious concern, so I'm going to try it out.
< as you all know nothing in my pantry is sacred if it can be turned into C2H5OH - polenta, cornflakes, oatmeal, rice, semolina, sardines........ :icon_cheers: >
Now, has anyone done this and should I just mix the flour into the grain bill before dough in, or gently cook the flour to a runny "wallpaper paste" consistency? I guess that as with all adjuncts a bit of gelatinisation is required?