Brewing with bread

[Jaimez]

So I started a part time job at a well known Sandwich shop. At the end of the night the past 2 night they threw out over 50 Loaves (2 foot long) of bread each night. I was shocked. i was told i could take it home whenever i want if i close the shop down.

So, I decided to attempt a Bread beer. First of all, i want the Base to be bread. 80% of the grain bill atleast. First thing i want to figure out is how many Points per Gallon does 1 loaf equal? How would i figure this out? Soak 1 loaf in a gallon of water for X amount of time and take a reading? If so, how then do i come up with the ppg?

Second. Since i will probably be using a LOT of bread, what would be the best way to mash/steep it? Dry it out then grind it up then add it to water? tear it in small peices and add it to a mash? I was thinking it may need its own "mash" since it will be so much bread.

Taking into account i want to use enough bread to take up 80% of the grain bill what style should i brew? I really dont want it to hide behind a lot of hops.

 

[biochemedic]

I would suppose you would need to add an enzyme source...would this make up your other 20%? Perhaps using 6-row for the extra enzyme content would be a good idea...

Your idea to figure out how much you can get from one loaf is a good one, but again, I think you'd need something to convert it...for the experiment, you could consider using an amylase powder, although I'm not sure how that would compare to an actual mash, as most amylase powder is apparently purely alpha amylase. You might be better off using a known quantity of base malt and subtracting whatever points you'd expect from that from your result.

Style wise, I think you're pretty much in Category 23 zone! BTW, what sort of bread is this? Are we talking a nice rich nutty dark bread, or some sort of white/italian loaf?

 

[Jaimez]

I have amylase enzyme, so conversion isnt an issue. Its French Style bread. I wasnt trying to put it in a Category for competition. A beer STYLE.

The other 20% will be grain of some kind, depending on the STYLE i'll be shooting for.

 

[Fid]

... if this is Jimmy John's bread beer I'm flying to Indy to try a pint when its done... with a side of a #17 with hot peppers too please.

 

[Revvy]

There's quite a few discussions about this one here including,

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/pumpernickel-porter-213118/

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f13/brewing-bread-209505/

 

[Jaimez]

... if this is Jimmy John's bread beer I'm flying to Indy to try a pint when its done... with a side of a #17 with hot peppers too please.

Sshh! i dont wana get fired!

 

[biochemedic]

I have amylase enzyme, so conversion isnt an issue. Its French Style bread. I wasnt trying to put it in a Category for competition. A beer STYLE.

The other 20% will be grain of some kind, depending on the STYLE i'll be shooting for.

I'd make a French Saison, unless you think the yeast character would hide the bread character too much. Perhaps just a pale ale (lightly hopped) or cream ale would give you the most showcase of the bread....

 

[unionrdr]

I remember reading about this on germanbeerinstitute.com's history of German beer. They used to take partly baked bread (barley?) chunk it up with water & brewed/fermented that. The invading Romans called it pig swill,being used to wine.

 

[YNOT2K]

it's been done - in a funny way.

http://craftedsocialmedia.com/2011/03/10/brew-minions/

 

[MrNic]

Jimmy Johns just throws away 50 loaves of bread every night? Maybe they should donate the bread to a shelter or something. What a waste.

 

[unionrdr]

They should indeed donate it,Panera bread does around here. It then becomes a tax write-off.

 

[Jaimez]

Looks like i might try a Saison.

 

[MoPhunk]

Our local jimmy johns sells it's day old bread for $0.50 a loaf. I pick it up for parties.

 

[Jaimez]

So i still plan on doing this. I still need to know if i can get the PPG as simple as soaking the bread in water and take a reading?

If i dry out the bread first then crumble it in will it effect the Possible gravity/starches?

 

[zepolmot]

I'd dry out, weigh, and crumb one loaf to 'mash' in however much water you want with a reasonable amount of enzyme. Try and get any large floaters/particles out and take the gravity of that. Repeat 2 or 3 more times and get a reliable conversion factor for weight of bread to gravity points, use that to scale up for a full batch. Given that its probably mostly wheat flour in the bread I'd be looking towards the hefeweizen end of things myself. Sounds super fun.

 

[robtotten]

First, it's horrible to throw out all that bread! I bet you could Find a shelter or soup kitchen to pick up the leftovers at the end of a shift. Tell the owner that it's tax deductible.

So I started a part time job at a well known Sandwich shop. At the end of the night the past 2 night they threw out over 50 Loaves (2 foot long) of bread each night. I was shocked. i was told i could take it home whenever i want if i close the shop down.

So, I decided to attempt a Bread beer. First of all, i want the Base to be bread. 80% of the grain bill atleast. First thing i want to figure out is how many Points per Gallon does 1 loaf equal? How would i figure this out? Soak 1 loaf in a gallon of water for X amount of time and take a reading? If so, how then do i come up with the ppg?

Second. Since i will probably be using a LOT of bread, what would be the best way to mash/steep it? Dry it out then grind it up then add it to water? tear it in small peices and add it to a mash? I was thinking it may need its own "mash" since it will be so much bread.

Taking into account i want to use enough bread to take up 80% of the grain bill what style should i brew? I really dont want it to hide behind a lot of hops.

 

[Jaimez]

First, it's horrible to throw out all that bread! I bet you could Find a shelter or soup kitchen to pick up the leftovers at the end of a shift. Tell the owner that it's tax deductible.

No thanks. This thread is about beer, not wasted food.