27 replies to this topic

[Beejus McReejus]

So my buddy and I were sitting at the Budweiser brewery in St. Louis back in July (he won a free trip to the All Star game and took me). He's a big Natty Light drinker, but has recently been coming around to good beer. We're enjoying our free samples at the end of the tour and he starts talking about how Bud uses rice in their mash and asks me if you can pretty much ferment anything. He made a joke about a green bean beer and I told him I'm gonna brew it for him and make him drink it.So, I'm thinking a simple grain bill, just 2-row, some light crystal for color, maybe some carapils for body. Then splitting some fresh green beans (one pound maybe?), and tossing them into the mash. I even thought about some ketchup in the mash as well - I'm sure there will be some fermentable sugar in there. I want to make this a very strange beer, I mean it is pretty much a joke. I'm sure it won't be tasty, but I want my buddy to at least get a pint down without puking on it. I'll break it out at our Halloween party, so I'll be making other people sample it as well. You guys think a pound of green beans in a 5 gallon batch, with a low-med gravity (1.045), would come through in the final taste without being completely disgusting?

[CarlosM]

BJ seriously I think that would be a waste for 5 gallons. I mean do you think you can gulp down 5 gallons? Why not do an experimental 2 Gallon batch?also from what I can see is that greenbeans dont seem to have much sugar in them Carbohydrates 7.1 g- Dietary fibre 3.6 g Fat 0.1 gProtein 1.8 gVitamin C 16 mg 27%Iron 1 mg 8%Potassium 200 mg 4%I really dont know what to expect from it to be honest, but I would highly recommend a small batch first.

[Beejus McReejus]

Yeah, no problem, I can go smaller. You think the flavor would come through? I'm not looking for much sugar from them, just a slight GB flavor.

[MakeMeHoppy]

Take some bud lights, add crushed green beans until it tastes aweful. Carb in a cornie keg and serve.

[Big Nake]

Use canned green beans... they have that nasty, pungent, canned green-bean flavor. I also suggest using some cauliflower, broccoli, mustard and some of those french-fried onion things that you put on the top of a green bean casserole. This would complete the picture and unusual profile of the beer. The ketchup would be a nice touch. Dude, I saw this thread last night before going to bed and had green bean beer nightmares. Good luck.

[Beejus McReejus]

I don't want to just create a nasty beer to make him drink it. I want a strange beer, with a slight green bean flavor, but something you can actually drink. Kind of to show him you can make a beer with grean beans, and although not delicious, could actually be drinkable (to an extent).I think I'll try 1 lb. of fresh beans in the mash for a 2 gallon batch. I guess if it's not enough green bean flavor, I'll "dry bean" it in secondary.

[djinkc]

drewseslu made a lentil beer a few years back. It was "interesting" and drinkable. Nothing that I would want to copy though.

[BrianBrewerKS]

Hell, you might be surprised. It might end up tasting better than Natty Light!

[Beejus McReejus]

drewseslu made a lentil beer a few years back. It was "interesting" and drinkable. Nothing that I would want to copy though.

That's what I'm talking about. Not something I'm gonna repeat, but fun to try once.

[Patrick C.]

I suspect you'll need to cook them to get anything out of the beans. I'd chop them up and boil them until they are soft, then add to the mash. Based on the numbers from our resident Falcons fan it looks like they are a little over 50% carbs, so I'd assume you get up to a half pound of sugar from a pound of beans. A pound in 2 gallons may be a bit much- maybe a half pound? Something like 4 pounds of pale malt and a half pound of beans should get you around 1.050. I'd go with 20-25 IBU, with no flavor or aroma hops to cover up the green bean flavor.

[Beejus McReejus]

I suspect you'll need to cook them to get anything out of the beans. I'd chop them up and boil them until they are soft, then add to the mash. Based on the numbers from our resident Falcons fan it looks like they are a little over 50% carbs, so I'd assume you get up to a half pound of sugar from a pound of beans. A pound in 2 gallons may be a bit much- maybe a half pound? Something like 4 pounds of pale malt and a half pound of beans should get you around 1.050. I'd go with 20-25 IBU, with no flavor or aroma hops to cover up the green bean flavor.

Thank you much sir! Good call on the pre-cooking, I'll definitely do that. I'm planning on using Cluster hops, as they're mid-level Alpha and a pretty nuetral aroma. I have an English ale yeast cake ready to go, so I'll probably use that too. The last two beers I made with this yeast were pretty low on the ester profile and clean tasting, so it shouldn't sway the flavor too much.

[cavman]

Cook some up, crush and add to secondary. Maybe that way some of their flavor will find it's way into the beer.

[BrianBrewerKS]

What if you just used the fluid from canned green beans? Just collect some from a couple cans and put it into secondary?

[Big Nake]

What if you just used the fluid from canned green beans? Just collect some from a couple cans and put it into secondary?

Right! Or... pick up some of that green bean extract that they sell at all the homebrew supply shops! Seriously, good luck with it. I hope you make what you're envisioning. Cheers.

[Pseudolus]

I suspect you'll need to cook them to get anything out of the beans. I'd chop them up and boil them until they are soft, then add to the mash.

That sounds like it would be the way to go. (I mean, if you really want to make green bean beer.) Could probably even puree them before adding to the mash. Wouldn't hurt to use some extra rice hulls to prevent sticking.Technically, it sounds a lot like making a pumpkin beer, which lots of folks have done. (Except, you know, nastier.) Look up some of the techniques used there and apply them to your veggie o' choice.

[denny]

Yeah, no problem, I can go smaller. You think the flavor would come through? I'm not looking for much sugar from them, just a slight GB flavor.

I'd be really surprised if you could taste them at all after fermentation.

[DaBearSox]

I'd be really surprised if you could taste them at all after fermentation.

that is what I was thinking....maybe take the idea of the green bean juice and add it to a secondary....but you want this done by halloween so you may not have time. Also, this sounds like the most disgusting alcoholic drink I can think of. I hate green beans...EDIT - or maybe a green bean extract with vodka???

Edited by DaBearSox, 21 October 2009 - 12:22 PM.

[Beejus McReejus]

You know, even if I toss .5 - 1 lb of GBs in and the flavor doesn't come through in the end, my friend will be helping me brew it tonight. So he'll know they are in there and that you can, in fact, brew with green beans.

[Big Nake]

Let's ALL brew with green beans, shall we? I propose a community brew where everyone has to use green beans in a beer... then we'll swap and have a green-bean-a-palooza beer tasting in the canned veggie aisle of the local grocery store.

[stellarbrew]

I'd be really surprised if you could taste them at all after fermentation.

...which might not be such a bad thing.