Cracked Freekeh

[scathecat123]

Hey guys not sure if this belongs here or not.

I got this bag of grains from work for free and was wondering what/if any potential this product had for brewing.

Image below. Any advice/suggestions will be appreciated.

 

[watermelon83]

Try it, start with a recipe you know the flavor of and add 5%. Note the changes to OG and flavor and make changes based on that. Unless it tastes like unwashed arse to everyone, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I hate sours, others love them, for example.

 

[RmikeVT]

I think you could use in any wheat beer in place of torrified wheat or wheat berries. Just give it a shot! I'd stick with the <= 5%

 

[IslandLizard]

You'll need to cook em first before mashing, like steel cut oats. Probably simmer for an hour, until they're all soft like a porridge.

I'd use 10-15% of these in the grist, the balance with 2-row or pale, so you can actually taste them.

 

[scathecat123]

Thank you everyone for your responses. IslandLizard thank you for the tips

 

[IslandLizard]

YVW!

When cooking them, pre-mash, use at least twice the water than preparing for a typical dish. You'll want the grains to fall apart so the enzymes from the 2-row can convert the starches during the mash. I would brew it like a wheat beer, or a Grätzer, definitely 10-15% of the grist, perhaps more, depending on how much you've got. Not sure if your Freekeh smells or tastes a bit smoky, traditionally it's supposed to. You can add a small percentage of caramel malt or Munich if you want a bit more color and flavor, but it will overshadow your special ingredient quickly. Alternatively you can drop in a few grains of any dark roast for color.

Some noble hops (Saaz) 15-20 IBU will be a great compliment. Use a neutral yeast like US-05/WLP001/WY1056. No wheat beer yeast, too much character.

Let us know how it turned out.