Starting with beer

[Jonathan Briggs]

So, as a complete novice, you might expect that I'm going to ask some pretty stupid questions. So here goes:-

Is there anything stopping you from starting the whole brewing process with beer instead of water? You make you first batch of lovely cleared bright beer (with yeasts and stuff removed by centrifuging) and then starting the whole process again, but instead of using water using that batch of beer?

Just an idea.

[Secla]

Try it
Sounds like it would be awful though

[Matt in Birdham]

The first thing that springs to mind is that the existing alcohol would probably mostly evaporate during the boil. No idea how having alcohol in the mash would affect things - but your ph would likely be very low (finished beer is in the 4ish range). I have heard of "double mashing", where you mash once and then use the runnings to start a new mash - this creates very high gravity beer.
What are you hoping to achieve?

[IPA]

So, as a complete novice, you might expect that I'm going to ask some pretty stupid questions. So here goes:-

Is there anything stopping you from starting the whole brewing process with beer instead of water? You make you first batch of lovely cleared bright beer (with yeasts and stuff removed by centrifuging) and then starting the whole process again, but instead of using water using that batch of beer?

Just an idea.

I think perhaps you are wanting to make a very strong beer. If so just use the wort from the first mash to mash the second. It's called double mashing and is used when there is not enough space in the tun to accomodate the whole grain bill.

[Padalac]

As I understand it, you need the right pH conditions in the mash in order to extract and convert the starches to fermentable sugars. The ph of beer is going to be too low for this, as it is usually around 4.5 at the highest. Optimal mash pH is 5.2-5.4.

My question would be: why would you want to do that, or what outcome would you be hoping for?

[Jonathan Briggs]

Because it was something that came to me as I was walking to work this morning. I'm really just coming to terms with what's involved with homebrewing and don't even have kit (yet).

Eventually the idea is to go commercial (doesn't everyone?) and would like to produce beer that's a little bit 'out there'. I take on board the point about the pH levels not being conducive and will stack that idea in the 'bad ones' part of my brain

[Jocky]

If you want 'out there' go and buy the book 'Experimental Homebrewing' by Denny Conn and Drew Beechum.

Mushroom beer.
Guacamole beer.
Bacon beer.
Caffeine beer.

They cover making all of the above and more.

If you want 'out there' then you still need to make something that someone will pay to drink - start thinking about what you'd want to drink (or what is wrong with beer you can currently drink) and then work back to how to achieve that rather than starting with wondering how a fundamental process change would affect the final result.

[Jonathan Briggs]

I hear you Jocky.

It was merely speculation, nothing more.