Pretzels in the Mash

[Doc-Da-Mic]

I recently had a chance to have Captain Lawrence's Snyderbier pretzel marzen on tap where I work, and I thought it was just delightful, so I wanted to try and brew something similar. I figured I would get a big bag of unsalted pretzels and put them in the mash, but I don't have the slightest idea how this might affect the mash.
In particular, I'm wondering:
1. How much fermentable sugar contribution could I expect from the pretzels? is there any way to reasonably estimate this?
2. Pretzels are treated with a lye solution before baking, so I assume that they will raise the mash ph rather than lowering it like roasted grains. If this is the case, doesn't it make sense to target a 5.2 mash ph so that there's a room for it to rise without any substantial effect on efficiency?

 

[VikeMan]

As a rough estimate, look up the nutritional information for your pretzels and get the Grams Carbohydrates Per Serving and the Servinge Size in Grams. Divide them to get the percentage of carbohydrates. Multiply that percentage by 46.21 PPG (the PPG of pure carbs). The answer would be a rough PPG for your pretzels.

How attenuable would the mashed pretzels' contribution to the wort OG be? Beats me.

 

[Twinkeelfool]

When would the mustard go in?

 

[Kickass]

Just prior to the raw bratwurst.

 

[BeerAndTele]

"These pretzels are making me thirsty." - Cosmo Kramer

This may not help you, but ... ... ...

O'Fallon out of St. Louis makes a good (IMO) pretzel beer. The aroma has a hint of sourdough, reminiscent of walking past Auntie Anne's Soft Pretzels in the mall. Here is how they describe they capture the pretzel vibe, "A mix of malts were used to create the backbone for this beer. Red Wheat and Special Roast create the toasty flavor along with a subtle tanginess from the acidulated malt. The yeast helps to carry the soft tangy flavor and aroma giving way to a crisp and satisfying finish. Just a hint of hops and a pinch of salt combine to balance the malt profile. Bitterness: 15 IBUs. Grain: Pale, Special Roast, Red Wheat, White Wheat, Acidulated. Hops: German Tradition."

 

[RufusBrewer]

How about a basic neutral grain bill as the backbone. Look up pretzel recipes and draw the ingredients that make sense.

Do a decoction mash style mash. Not in the name of stepping up your mash. Pull some mash and boil the decoction to induce malliard properties. Try to duplicate the crunchy crust flavors of a pretzel.

You could do a mini mash that is high percentage of you pretzel grains into a decoction to accentuate the pretzel flavoring.

Maybe rye is not part of a typical pretzel recipe. My gut tells me a bit rye malt will give a pretzel beer an nice touch.

 

[day_trippr]

This should be interesting, as it appears the process that gives traditional pretzels their distinctive flavor requires dipping the formed dough into a lye bath!

Cheers!