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**Picobrew** · 03-03-2010, 03:15 AM

What do yall think, is there umami in beer at all? Should there be? If there was, would it just taste "off" like meaty/dirty or what? How do we get more of it into the beer? Maybe a beer with umami rich ingredients like carrots, mushrooms, or green tea. Maybe just a water/kombu dashi. Not sure how this would taste in beer.

These are the closest to relevant threads I could find on here:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f14/vegemite-beer-160732/

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f56/dashi-148603/

Any thoughts? Revvy said this previously:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Revvy

I've been a big "fan" of umami for a few years now. And have somewhat even talked about how it relates to brewing on occasion.

But I have found this to be the Uber website on the topic, http://www.umamiinfo.com/

gplutt · 03-03-2010, 03:17 AM

Maybe some well aged barleywines or RIS on the yeast? Just a hint of autolysis wouldn't hurt them, I don't think.

electric_beer · 03-03-2010, 04:04 AM

Maybe wild brew? Often referred to as "horse blanket" and "wet dog," perhaps that is similar? What I can tell you is that beer and fats = no bueno.

dfohio · 03-03-2010, 01:19 PM

Here is what Randy Mosher has to say about umami in beer.

"Yeast contributes rich, meaty flavors through a process called "autolysis," the same process that gives champagne its toasty aromas (autolysed yeast rarely manifests this toastiness in beer). The meatiness comes from the break-down of products of the yeast such as glutamic acid, often manifesting as umami. In very old beers, sometimes soy sauce flavor notes are present, and if they get too strong they cease to be charming." Randy Mosher - Tasting Beer.

**IrregularPulse** · 03-03-2010, 01:23 PM

Umami as in the word made up by kikkoman?

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

**Revvy** · 03-03-2010, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IrregularPulse

Umami as in the word made up by kikkoman?

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

Actually;

Quote:

Umami as a separate taste was first identified in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University while researching the strong flavor in seaweed broth.[3] Ikeda isolated monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the chemical responsible and, with the help of the Ajinomoto company, began commercial distribution of MSG products.

Whether you buy it or not, it was not made up by kikomen.

Kikomen came later.

Quote:

In December 1917, eight family companies merged to form the predecessor of Kikkoman Corporation, Noda Shoyu Co., Ltd., with capital of 7 million yen.

1925 April
Noda Shoyu Co., Ltd., merges with Noda Shoyu Jozo Co., Ltd., Manjo Mirin
Co., Ltd. and Nippon Shoyu Co., Ltd.
1930 August
The Takasago soy sauce production plant (formerly the Kansai Plant) is constructed near Osaka.
1957 June
Kikkoman International Inc. is established in San Francisco, California (U.S.).
1961 July
Kikko Food Industries Co., Ltd., is established by Kikkoman. In July 1991, the company becomes Nippon Del Monte Corporation.

**IrregularPulse** · 03-03-2010, 01:33 PM

Touche Sir Revvy.

dfohio · 03-03-2010, 02:35 PM

Lets not stop at umami. We also have taste receptors for fat. The old diagram of the four taste bud zones you learned in grade school is nothing more than art.

Denny · 03-03-2010, 04:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Picobrew

Maybe a beer with umami rich ingredients like carrots, mushrooms, or green tea.

I have made several batches of wee heavy with chanterelle mushrooms in the secondary. Fantastic!

**GilaMinumBeer** · 03-03-2010, 04:07 PM

Didn't Sam adams make an Umami beer? Triple Bock Soy sauce?