Vegemite in beer?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Travel_mon

Active Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2008
Messages
41
Reaction score
0
Location
West Chester, PA
Greetings.

A co-worker just got back from Down Under and brought me a little packet of Vegemite spread. I've wiki'd the stuff and see it's made from Brewer's yeast, so then I began thinking about how I could use it in a beer. I'll ferment just about anything.


So... Anyone have an experience or suggestions on how best to use this stuff in a batch? Could I use it in a starter? or?


Cheers
Travel_mon
 
I'm not really sure if I'd use it in beer. Vegemite is made from autolyzed yeast. That is, yeast that have gone through their life cycle, sat around then "lysed" or broken open. The compounds in yeast, primarily the glutamates is what gives it the savory/meaty taste. In recent years, the flavor has been described as "umami". Obviously, Vegemite is dead yeast, so it won't ferment anything. At low levels, autolysis flavors offer some complexity in big beers. It is also a contributing flavor to traditional Champagne. Autolysis is generally a flavor we try to avoid in beer.
 
Thank your friend then use it as a practical joke on someone. It is not suitable for consumption despite the fact that Australians eat it.
Apparently they think PB&J's are gross but they'll eat that shyt.
 
I spent about 6 months in Australia and its no joke, they love this stuff. I got to a point where for experience sake I would put a very thin spread on a piece of toast and eat it in small bites. Its like black spreadable salt.

Customs took my jar on the way back :(
 
It certainly is an acquired taste. You really don't want it in your beer, it'll just be nasty. If you are really keen you'll want to put it in a stout. My recommendation is to get a couple of bits of toast, butter them (very important!) then thinly spread the vegemite on. I think this is where a lot of people go wrong because it needs to be really, really thin, and you can only get that if the toast has butter/margarine on it.
You may like to add some cheese and grill it, yum!
 
I got the British variety, Marmite, at the English shelf at my supermarket. After experimenting with various ways of "enjoying" it, I found that a very thin layer on Ritz crackers is not bad. You've got to really like salt, though. I can't imagine putting this stuff in my beer.
I got some barley water too, and it is great. Not what I expected.
 
Lol, its pretty strong taste. Perhaps you could start by making a "tea" with a tiny bit of it and adding to a few bottles at bottling time? Then you won't waste a whole batch, or your jar of vegimite, if it doesn't work out. Also there is only minimal fermentation happening at that point so autolysis shouldn't be an issue?
 
Thank your friend then use it as a practical joke on someone. It is not suitable for consumption despite the fact that Australians eat it.
Apparently they think PB&J's are gross but they'll eat that shyt.


+1 on the practical joke use of vegemite. Lived there for two years and learned two valuable lessons very quickly: 1 - DO NOT eat vegemite and 2 - do not get into a beer drinking contest with an Aussie, they drink it like water there.
 
+1 on the practical joke use of vegemite. Lived there for two years and learned two valuable lessons very quickly: 1 - DO NOT eat vegemite and 2 - do not get into a beer drinking contest with an Aussie, they drink it like water there.
according to a friend of mine that has been a few times, Australian Beer is like water.
I'll find out for myself in November...
 
Just like the US, we have loads of beer coloured water that tastes pretty awful. The homebrew / craftbrew movement is no where near as far along the road as the US, but it is picking up.

If you go to a pub and order a pint / middie / schooner whatever of any of the large commercial beers, you will be sorely disappointed. There are some micro's that put out some very good beers, you just have to look for them.

I like the idea of vegemite in a a porter or stout. That might actually give it a nice twang.

If you are planning to head west to Perth I can give you a few suggestions on where to go for a decent brew.

:mug:
 
Hi guys I am an Aussy and funnerley enough found this forum after googleing vegemite in homebrew.
Got a laugh out of what was being said and yes it is an aquired taste but my god one aquired you will never look back .
The question is can you use Veg as yeast and who ever said you cant well your correct its dead yeast .
However you can use it as a nuitrant , put it this way the old bloke who owns the home store used to work fro Tooheys he told me to throw in a tea spoon the yeast are canables and fatten up on the vegemite than are ready to feast on the batch . I have done it several times and cant really say that it has had an affect that can be noticed.
 
Back
Top