Opinions on adding Bacon

[Sourz4life]

So I've been creating a smoked maple ale and plan to rack the beer to secondary, and "dry hog" the bacon in a hops bag. I'll be trimming as much as the fat off as I can. I'll also be soaking it in maple syrup prior and then slow smoking it using oak for about 4-6 hours. At that point I plan to dry hog it. Now my question is, what are your experiences using bacon in either secondary or even in the mash. I want to the bacon flavor to be subtle but noticeable so I'm curious if anyone has any suggestions on how many slices/oz of bacon you would use in a 4 gallon batch.

 

[ImNoExpert]

I've never used it, but I can imagine it will kill your head and head retention no matter how lean you try to trim it.

You may want to consider using some smoked malts instead to give you that smoky bacon flavor.

 

[Sourz4life]

I did use smoked malts in the mash, but I want to add more of a real bacon flavor. I've seen recipes using it in the mash and some with "dry hogging" so there must be a way to prevent those issues.

 

[Sourz4life]

So after searching the threads, I did find a method of making a "bacon broth" out of the bacon using a gelatin freezing method. Found it on a wine thread. It seems like the best way to remove all the fat, but retain all the flavor. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=308773#post3860317 has all the info if anyone is interested

 

[kombat]

I brewed a 1-gallon batch of "Bacon Smoked Porter" once. I cooked the bacon, then chopped it up and just dumped it into the beer to soak for 2 weeks. I then primed and bottled it.

The bacon flavour came through fine, but as noted, it completely killed any head retention. In addition, it gave the beer a weird, off-putting oily slickness in the mouth. I ended up dumping the remaining bottles, as it wasn't something I enjoyed, and I certainly wasn't going to let a guest try it and form a negative opinion of my brewing ability. Best to keep the illusion up that everything I brew is liquid gold.

 

[Sourz4life]

That was my worry from the beginning, the fat slipperiness making its way into the final batch. I think a bacon broth reduction will be the best, and use the freeze method to remove all fat and matter and just leave the pure flavor.

 

[martyjhuebs]

I would definitely not add bacon straight into the beer. It sounds like a great idea but bacon has way too much fat regardless of how much you trim. Your head retention would be non-existent and I would bet the mouthfeel would be awful. I think smoking the grains with your bacon is the best idea... install a lip on a splatter screen and put directly into your bacon flavor release... just my opinion...

 

[ImNoExpert]

So after searching the threads, I did find a method of making a "bacon broth" out of the bacon using a gelatin freezing method. Found it on a wine thread. It seems like the best way to remove all the fat, but retain all the flavor. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=308773#post3860317 has all the info if anyone is interested

Very interesting! Please report back your results!

 

[day_trippr]

Adding meat to beer seems to be a weird phase that many new home brewers go through.
Fortunately, in most cases it does pass...

Cheers!

 

[brandonnys]

Could you try a bacon substitute product? http://www.mccormick.com/Spices-and-Flavors/Other/Bacn-Pieces-Bacon-Flavored-Bits

 

[pdxal]

Another option is to cook the bacon to render the fat, dry it off on paper towels really well, then add the bacon to vodka to extract flavor before freezing the vodka to solidify and remove the fat. Then the vodka tincture can be added to the beer at bottling.

 

[Amadeo38]

Another option is to cook the bacon to render the fat, dry it off on paper towels really well, then add the bacon to vodka to extract flavor before freezing the vodka to solidify and remove the fat. Then the vodka tincture can be added to the beer at bottling.

It would seem that this method has the added benefit over the consomme method of sterilizing the bacon right up until it's added to the brew. Great idea.

 

[Sourz4life]

I'm curious, how much does the vodka itself affect the flavor. Does it matter what kind of vodka I use (obviously flavorless but brand wise). And I wonder how well it extracts the flavor using vodka vs consomme method.

 

[brandonnys]

Vodka is considered a neutral spirit, along with grain alcohol (Everclear, Clear Springs, etc.). This is what most of us use to make tinctures/extracts to add to beer. In the volume you're talking about, it shouldn't affect the flavor in an alcoholic way adversely, meaning you're not going to get like a huge liquor burn off it.

I use 190-proof grain alcohol, and cut it in half to get two fifths at 95-proof. Under $15.

 

[Sourz4life]

I may try both methods. Compare flavors and then add as needed. Both seem like they should work, but I want to of course use the best method/flavor. I'll be brewing this batch this weekend and will be making the bacon extract using both methods. I'll post the results of the bacon extract

 

[GHBWNY]

Saw this on OliveNation's website:

"Bacon Natural Flavor by OliveNation gives food bacon flavor. It’s vegan and can be used to flavor vegetarian dishes.

How do you use it? Savory Bacon Natural Flavor by OliveNation can be added to any liquid-based food application. Get creative with Bacon Natural Flavor and make batters, icings, frostings, fillings, and beverages taste like bacon. It can also be used while making beer and wine. Since Bacon Natural Flavor is water-soluble, it works best in food applications that contain liquid."

Maybe just a touch of extract like this along with your smoked malts? I once used a little Brewer's Best Apricot Extract to embellish an apricot puree in secondary of a wit and it came out quite nice, not tasting like extract.

 

[ghack]

I would stick with some apple wood smoked malt. That can be enough to trigger the "taste" of bacon, particulalry if you have big labels that say "Bacon Beer" on it. Perhaps a source of umami that does not contain a fat. Mushrooms, perhaps? Would add a good earthy quality, but would give a meaty quality.

 

[Sourz4life]

I looked at a few of those as well. The only issue I had was a lot of reviews said it mostly tasted smokey, instead of porky. I'm already using smoked malts in the mash so I have that covered.

 

[Sourz4life]

I looked at a few of those as well. The only issue I had was a lot of reviews said it mostly tasted smokey, instead of porky. I'm already using smoked malts in the mash so I have that covered.

This was in response to the extracts

 

[JohnnyBrewGood]

The book Experimental Brewing http://www.experimentalbrew.com/about speaks a lot about tinctures. I have not read the whole book yet but it may even take about meat, good book so far. I got the Kindle version for like $3. great read for the money.

 

[brandonnys]

The book Experimental Brewing speaks a lot about tinctures.

Why do you have to remind me that books have valuable information? Also, why do you have to point out that this very book is sitting on my shelf, yet to be read? Now I have homework to do...

 

[emcfarden]

Another option is to cook the bacon to render the fat, dry it off on paper towels really well, then add the bacon to vodka to extract flavor before freezing the vodka to solidify and remove the fat. Then the vodka tincture can be added to the beer at bottling.

This would be my approach should I want to experiment with bacon. I would make the "extract" and test it out on a couple beers off the shelf similar to one I would brew. Take note of how much you add when you get the taste right and extrapolate to your final volume. Then you know you're not taking a shot in the dark on how much flavor you're adding.

I live in Texas so I will undoubtedly be trying out bacon flavors in my beer in the future, and possibly bbq as well.

 

[GHBWNY]

This was in response to the extracts

Might be worth a try. You could add a small amount at bottling (which I did with the apricot), so you can regulate the amount of impact it has on the flavor of the beer, then scale it accordingly. Adding it to a boil or secondary addition pretty much commits the entire batch (unless you split it) to whatever the outcome is.

 

[Sourz4life]

It would be in secondary so I should have some room to play with it. Has anyone ever tried to consomme method? I'm curious now how potent it is and if it really removes all the fatty oils. From research, it seems like it would be the most flavorful, but I don't see there being a 100% change of it filtering out all the fat. The only method I've seen that will do that is the vodka method.

 

[Sourz4life]

The book Experimental Brewing http://www.experimentalbrew.com/about speaks a lot about tinctures. I have not read the whole book yet but it may even take about meat, good book so far. I got the Kindle version for like $3. great read for the money.

Thanks for the tip on the book. Just purchased it and found a recipe where they use vodka as well and add it right before bottling. I think I'm just going to use that method and freeze the extract as well to remove any extra fat left behind. I'll still try the consomme method as I have some gelatin sheets, just for experimental purposes.

 

[Revvy]

Make a bacon infused alcohol, either Bourbon which is traditional in beers, or you could try with vodka or everclear (which won't add any additional alcohol flavor,) then "freeze" it so the fat cap settles on top and you can pull it out of solution (which will appease the armchair "it's gonna kill your head retention" chestnut that always gets repeated by people who never experiment but bring it up everytime someone attempts to get creative- I've done just about every thing someone has said would ruin head and had beautiful beers with plenty of head) strain it further, and add that at bottling or kegging time.

I show how to do that infusion in my "1st Charcuterie/Molecular Gastronomy Experiment, Maple Bacon Bourbon Balls" Thread.

Which reminds me I have to make another bottle of bacon bourbon, and make a bacon bourbon stout with it soon.

You can also do it with the Nitrogen Cavitation method I talk about in this brew bubba's podcast (but I've found that is a better method for non meat infusions, but it can be done...but it's a pain to clean afterword.)

 

[Sourz4life]

Make a bacon infused alcohol, either Bourbon which is traditional in beers, or you could try with vodka or everclear (which won't add any additional alcohol flavor,) then "freeze" it so the fat cap settles on top and you can pull it out of solution (which will appease the armchair "it's gonna kill your head retention" chestnut that always gets repeated by people who never experiment but bring it up everytime someone attempts to get creative- I've done just about every thing someone has said would ruin head and had beautiful beers with plenty of head) strain it further, and add that at bottling or kegging time.

I show how to do that infusion in my "1st Charcuterie/Molecular Gastronomy Experiment, Maple Bacon Bourbon Balls" Thread.

Which reminds me I have to make another bottle of bacon bourbon, and make a bacon bourbon stout with it soon.

You can also do it with the Nitrogen Cavitation method I talk about in this brew bubba's podcast (but I've found that is a better method for non meat infusions, but it can be done...but it's a pain to clean afterword.)

Love your thread on how you did it. I have a smoker so I planned to cold smoke the bacon anyways. But seeing the process helps. I can also add the maple syrup like you did as its a smoked maple ale anways, and I have like 6 gallons of grade A commercial extra extra dark syrup from the sugar houses around here(I live in Maine)

 

[Sourz4life]

Make a bacon infused alcohol, either Bourbon which is traditional in beers, or you could try with vodka or everclear (which won't add any additional alcohol flavor,) then "freeze" it so the fat cap settles on top and you can pull it out of solution (which will appease the armchair "it's gonna kill your head retention" chestnut that always gets repeated by people who never experiment but bring it up everytime someone attempts to get creative- I've done just about every thing someone has said would ruin head and had beautiful beers with plenty of head) strain it further, and add that at bottling or kegging time.

I show how to do that infusion in my "1st Charcuterie/Molecular Gastronomy Experiment, Maple Bacon Bourbon Balls" Thread.

Which reminds me I have to make another bottle of bacon bourbon, and make a bacon bourbon stout with it soon.

You can also do it with the Nitrogen Cavitation method I talk about in this brew bubba's podcast (but I've found that is a better method for non meat infusions, but it can be done...but it's a pain to clean afterword.)

So a question on this as well. I noticed you said at the end of the thread you used a different amount of salt. For a pound of pork belly how much salt would you suggest. Also just so I have it right, you basically let it sit in a rub and create a brine, let it dry, then use a drip pan method when baking and allow the drippings to fall into the alcohol. Then you just do the freeze method and straining.

 

[TorMag]

If I wanted beer and bacon flavor, I would have my nice beer in one hand, a plate of bacon in my lap. I would take a bite of my bacon, and then a swig of my beer. Glad I could help.

Cheers.

 

[Amadeo38]

So if gelatin serves to bind fats in the consomme method, why would it not serve the same purpose if simply pitching gelatin after dry-hogging in secondary?