Mesquite bean beer

[AkTom]

I harvested almost 5 gallons of mesquite bean pods. I’ll try making syrup out of it in the next day or two, then figure out what in the world I’m doing!

 

[lumpher]

Here's a walkthrough of preparing them and getting them into a usable syrup:

https://homebrewingfun.blogspot.com/2012/10/mesquite-pods-yeah-you-can-brew-with.html

 

[AkTom]

Thanks @lumpher, have you made any syrup?

 

[Rish]

I harvested almost 5 gallons of mesquite bean pods. I’ll try making syrup out of it in the next day or two, then figure out what in the world I’m doing!

Mesquite grows in AK?

 

[lumpher]

I grew up in southwest New Mexico. We had several acres of which most was mesquite, but no,I never made it, since I was about 10. We DID have several Indian places in the area that made mesquite syrup, though, and my mother made it and I grew up on it.

 

[AkTom]

Mesquite grows in AK?

I moved to Texas. Lots of mesquite.

 

[Kickass]

Thanks for the two hour rabbit hole I’m just climbing out of. One source I read says there can be a high degree of variance between trees. How’s your syrup taste?

Please share your results and, if able, your process along the way. I’m very interested.

 

[AkTom]

@Kickass i will. I’ll try to take some pics along the way. It is quite the rabbit hole.

 

[lumpher]

Thanks @lumpher, have you made any syrup?

No, I haven't. I grew up in New Mexico on several acres where we had hundreds of mesquite bushes, and I developed an intolerance (not quite an allergy) to it, unfortunately. Now I live in east Texas and we don't have mesquite for a hundred miles.

 

[AkTom]

Here’s an update…
Started with about 5 gallons, approximately 8lbs.
No oven (I’m rebuilding my house and the kitchen is minimal), so I fired up an old grill, put foil on and put the rinsed pods on.
10 minutes and looking good. 10 more minutes and I lift the lid… up! Of course I didn’t have any water outside. I burned about 1/2 the first batch. Second batch went much better. I threw away the burned pieces. I kept the dark pieces.
I should have used my Weber.
I snapped about 5 lbs. (pre grilled) of pods. Put them in my Anvil 10.5 at 161°.
That’s where I’m at. I’ll mash for 2 hours and lift the basket every 10 minutes or so for 2 hours. Another update then.
Cheers

 

[AZCoolerBrewer]

Do you know the sub-species of mesquite you are using? I think my backyard tree is a South American variety and not suitable for use. I assume that sugar mesquite should be excellent, but really don’t know. Knowing what you’re experimenting with would help either identify a species that is good to use or not if you are happy/unhappy with your results. We have so many varieties in AZ, wouldn’t it be awesome to have a list of varieties and descriptions like they have for hops?

 

[bracconiere]

damn, too badd beetles get into them...otherwise this would a great use when i blow em all up and have to disspose of them!

 

[AkTom]

I mashed… at 161° for 2 hours last night. Turned off and left overnight to cool. I left the pods in for whatever residual mashing may or not happen.
This morning, 1.010. Lifted the basket, and will boil for a bit. Hopefully I’ll can reduce it and up the sg.

 

[AkTom]

Do you know the sub-species of mesquite you are using? I think my backyard tree is a South American variety and not suitable for use. I assume that sugar mesquite should be excellent, but really don’t know. Knowing what you’re experimenting with would help either identify a species that is good to use or not if you are happy/unhappy with your results. We have so many varieties in AZ, wouldn’t it be awesome to have a list of varieties and descriptions like they have for hops?

I think… it’s a honey mesquite. I have a plant app, and that’s what it said.

 

[mashpaddled]

You're not really mashing because there aren't starches that need conversion. The hot steep is to extract the sugars out of the pods and get some of the flavor out of the seeds and exterior. I don't see any problems with a long steep though.

Just boil it down to a syrup over as little heat as necessary--you don't want to burn the bottom as it starts to concentrate. There's no particular consistency it needs to be. You just need to decide how much extra liquid you want to add to the wort along the way. You don't need to get it to a maple syrup consistency. It's going to get stickier and harder to avoid burning the more you get to a maple syrup consistency.

 

[Kickass]

Why did you grill them? Was there a flavor or fermentability element there? How did the “wort” taste?

 

[AkTom]

I grilled them because I don’t have an oven… I’m rebuilding my old house.
The wort?, tea, has a slightly sweet, not quite cardboard flavor. Not bad actually. The smell is sweet, caramel and maybe spice. Don’t I sound all fancy smancy!
Cheers