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Salt - but not for water treatment

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  • Salt - but not for water treatment

    I am in the process of finishing up a rather weird beer... I like weird beer sometimes.
    This one is a Nori Pale Ale - brewed with sushi seaweed wrappers in both the mash and the kettle. I didn't want to go too crazy, so I used about 100 sheets/bbl... not a lot, but I didn't want to kill the whole batch, either, in case it was terrible (I brewed 3bbl, which is a half batch for me). I know that generally seaweed is a huge clarification ingredient, and doesn't have a ton of flavor on its own, but this stuff is toasted and seasoned, and I know it adds a lot of flavor to miso soup. In this case I was looking for a "Seamonster" Pale Ale - brine from the depths, etc... I've had successes in the past with oyster stouts, so this is my next project...

    So, the beer has no inherent problems. I used biscuit malt and a darker caramel malt than I usually would to give it toffee/caramel sweetness and a bready backbone to balance the salty/earthy characteristics. I used Chinook and Delta hops to accentuate the brine I was expecting, with a little cascade to freshen it up like a twist of lemon over fish. The beer is about 90% of its FG, and I like it a lot. The brewhouse smelled like the seaside on brewing day (I miss Seattle sometimes). The only problem is I'm getting next to no seaweed/brine character in the nearly-finished beer.

    So, I'm thinking of salting the beer. Maybe starting with a cup or a cup and a half of sea salt for the 3bbl (putting it in water for a quick sterilization boil, first, of course). I don't want it salty, but I want something more from it. And, I bet it might bring out the seaweed, or at least the perception of it.

    Anyway, I am curious as to anyone's experience with salting a beer. I can't find a thread here. Will this do anything to hurt a finished (though unfiltered) beer? I'm assuming no, because I've gotten saltiness from oysters before, and I know that you do salt a Gose (though rates for that, I have no idea). Is there any ideal time to do this? I'm assuming a day before cold crash, to allow it to mix well before chilling.

    Thoughts on my crazy project?

  • #2
    Gose is a style that is usually salted. I use 8 oz of salt at 55 min of a 60 min boil in 2 bbl of 11.5 OG Gose. It provides a mild & pleasant salinity.
    Last edited by fatback; 09-13-2017, 04:05 PM.

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