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  • uMqombothi and yeast

    I've had a good look at recipes for uMqombothi and I notice that they all start with an introduction that says yeast is used as one of the ingredients, but then the recipe doesn't mention any of it, but instead the stuff is boiled DURING fermentation. This is a good example: https://www.jacarandafm.com/shows/th...ct-umqombothi/. First you mix maize meal, maize malt and wheat malt with water (but no yeast), cover and let stand to ferment overnight. (Not sure how that's going to work without yeast in a covered bucket.) The next day you cook it to make a porridge (thus sterilizing it and killing whatever yeast may have ended up in there through magic, rips in the space/time continuum or teleportation) AND boiling off whatever alcohol might have formed during this supposed overnight fermentation! Uh-huh.

    The next day wheat malt is added and the mixture is once again left to "ferment". Uh-huh. On the morning of day 4, "the contents of the pot should have the appearance of umqombothi - a thick, rich foamy layer flowing out of the container." [Scratches head at this point]

    So how is this really supposed to work? Fermentation without yeast, boiling after fermentation has supposedly started... WTF? Any thoughts here?

    // FvW

  • #2
    Sounds like something to avoid actually, probably just a sour type of mash? There must be some post boil fermentation happening, but I don't care enough to find out.

    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

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    • #3
      There is a definate 'leave it to sour' step... But I would find a few different sources for recipes before you settle on any recipe. I think it typically uses very basic anchor type Brewers yeast, but definately uses yeast
      Cheers,
      Lang
      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
      "Dudddde...Hold my beer!".... ; "I wonder what will happen if I ...."

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      • #4
        Originally posted by groenspookasem View Post
        Sounds like something to avoid actually
        I didn't say I was planning to drink the stuff. I'm trying to learn more about traditional brewing in response to questions I've been getting from customers.

        // FvW

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        • #5
          Originally posted by Langchop View Post
          There is a definate 'leave it to sour' step... But I would find a few different sources for recipes before you settle on any recipe. I think it typically uses very basic anchor type Brewers yeast, but definately uses yeast
          I've seen several recipes like this, Lang. They all omit the yeast and the process is such that I can't see wild yeast being a factor. Hence my confusion.

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          • #6
            The raw wheat might have something to do with it.

            Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

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            • #7
              This piqued my interest because a regular umqombothi brewer told me the method which included anchor yeast.... Seems it is traditionally based on wild yeast from grains as well as sometimes 'root yeast' from 'moerwortel' plant. Less traditional methods will include yeast. Not something I plan to brew ever.
              Cheers,
              Lang
              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
              "Dudddde...Hold my beer!".... ; "I wonder what will happen if I ...."

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by groenspookasem View Post
                The raw wheat might have something to do with it.
                Not sure how that would work. The raw wheat conceivably might contain a wild yeast but that is far from certain, and the raw wheat is only added later in the process.... [Still scratching head]

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Langchop View Post
                  This piqued my interest because a regular umqombothi brewer told me the method which included anchor yeast....
                  That would seem more probable to me. Adding a packet of baker's yeast would get your fermentation started quickly and reliably. But so far none of the recipes I've seen mention it.

                  Originally posted by Langchop View Post
                  Seems it is traditionally based on wild yeast from grains as well as sometimes 'root yeast' from 'moerwortel' plant. Less traditional methods will include yeast.
                  Interesting. I had not heard of moerwortel but I found a description of the plant. It doesn't say how it relates to fermentation but presumably a yeast lives in or on the root.

                  Originally posted by Langchop View Post
                  Not something I plan to brew ever.
                  I'm with you, brother! As I said I've been looking into this in response to questions I've been getting and trying to make sense of it. Room-temperature fermented porridge is not high on my bucket list of things to drink...

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                  • #10
                    Yeah nah, room fermented sour porridge does not sound appetizing over any hop... Wild yeast is a thing, but not one I'm keen on experimenting with. I prefer reliability over chance, especially the time and effort it takes to make a good tipple. I have had uqombothi before, many years ago at an event and can recall that even then the taste wasn't one I would want to replicate.

                    Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

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                    • #11
                      A little off topic, but its old and its related.

                      Has anyone ever tried using sorghum in a beer recipe, and with any success?

                      Now I am not talking about traditional umqombothi methods, I am talking about using it in a typical BIAB type method, say 50/50 with pale malt, or something like that.

                      I assume the souring in the traditional sense is only because you 'want' it and 'let' it sour, rather than being a natural characteristic of the sorghum itself.

                      I am largely interested in if this could be used toward making a whiskey, with a southern african element to it.
                      Cheers,
                      Lang
                      ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                      "Dudddde...Hold my beer!".... ; "I wonder what will happen if I ...."

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                      • #12
                        Did you read THIS-Brewing-with-sorghum thread?
                        The Problem With The World Is That Everyone Is A Few Drinks Behind.!

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                        • #13
                          Thanks. Yea I read a few of the threads here. In a nutshell it follows this trend:
                          - Its a complicated process
                          - Its mostly still used for 'sour' beers
                          - No one really 'keeps at it', which says a lot. Except Setsumi, but he seemed to be an exception
                          So I am already put off, but what I might do is get some king korn and do a few 'porridge in a pot' experiments, and check consistency, conversion etc and decide from there.
                          Cheers,
                          Lang
                          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                          "Dudddde...Hold my beer!".... ; "I wonder what will happen if I ...."

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                          • #14
                            Why not just buy some Maltabella? It's milled, malted sorghum. Mix it with cold water and then slowly with hotter to prevent it lumping up. It should give you a flavour. It tastes a lot like chocolate or malted beverages like Milo. It's pretty good. I think it could be pretty nice in a stout.

                            Maltabella has salt added, just keep that in mind.

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                            • #15
                              Wow, apparently beer, contrary to most foods and drinks we consume, normally contains so little salt that in "Potomania (drinking too much) can lead to hyponatrimia (sodium deficiency)" This sounds like a win given its recommended to reduce salt intake.

                              Anyway, back to your point... On one of the threads here someone mentioned he tried a few forms of it and actually got best results (flavour) from the maltabella.

                              I somehow think courseness of the grind (less flour) would be a big selection factor here, especially in terms of 'stuck sparge' and trying to keep the beer clear.
                              Cheers,
                              Lang
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                              "Dudddde...Hold my beer!".... ; "I wonder what will happen if I ...."

                              Comment

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