Marmite...

[dopejack]

I love it! Apparently the breweries pay Marmite to remove the yeast from their factories. They add salt to cause lysis then heat it a bit to concentrate it. Sounds easy, I'm just gonna have to have a go. Unless some-one on here has tried it and can save me from making a huge mess!!
Cheers!

[OldSpeckledBadger]

The son of a friend of mine works for Marmite and currently has the job of going round the breweries and negotiating the price of the "ingredients".

[WishboneBrewery]

negotiating the price of the "ingredients".

'Effluent'!
Its stuff the water authority won't let you discharge to sewer due to it being anaerobic (though also aerobic), not sure there is any Sweet Wort down in the sewer for it to work anaerobically mind you!

[Parva]

I'm sure that this has come up several times before and a search would probably reveal that. The problem is that the makers add other unknowns into the recipe and it's a closely guarded secret, much like Bovril, KFC, McD's BigMac etc etc. Not that I would want to try to reproduce an edible version of the latter ones! There's 101 ebooks that claim to have the recipe for various things but I suspect that they're all an approximation that maybe gets somewhere near but never quite hits the nail.

I would imagine that Marmite is probably one of the hardest of all to get near to but if you ever discover it then I would love to try because the stuff is so damned expensive considering that it's mostly a brewing byproduct! Beer has a huge margin of error, you can aim for a clone of XXXB and end up with something that's nothing like but a good and possibly better drink than what you was aiming for. Marmite unfortunately is a 'love / hate' thing and I don't think a calmer or more aggressive version would work. If it was a less spicy version people would spit it out as it didn't have the kick, more spicy than the standard and it would only be suitable for adding flavouring to stews.

My point is, you can make beer to recipes and fail to recreate the recipe you wanted but still get good beer, you can't however recreate Marmite unless you get it 100% spot on.

[steve_flack]

I agree with Parva, it strikes me as the sort of thing that's very hard to get right and it would be too easy to make some unpalatable black sludge.

[dopejack]

Parva, I agree with you 100%. I agreed with you before I even asked the question to be honest. But you know, even though you know, and I know, and everyone else knows it'll end in disaster....I'm gonna try it!!!!

[Chard]

dopejack dont listen to 'em! you have a crack at it and let me know how it goes. nothing like experimenting with something random! my friends already find it strange and unbelieveable that i can make my own beer if i can make marmite from it too that would be cracking ha ha.

ok so thats the trub taken care of. the spent grain can be fed to chickens/pigs/dogs but mines gonna go on the compost. what about the hops and break material post boil? i guess it could go on the compost but im not sure as its wierd protein and boiled plant. currently the compost is all raw natural stuff, nothing cooked.

[boingy]

I look into my crystal ball and I see.... a pan with heavy-duty burnt-on bits and a really bad smell...

Chard, hops and break material are fine on the compost heap.

[garwatts]

Parva, I agree with you 100%. I agreed with you before I even asked the question to be honest. But you know, even though you know, and I know, and everyone else knows it'll end in disaster....I'm gonna try it!!!!

Go for it If you succeed let me know, I love it

[befuggled]

I blame/thank my mother for many things. She was a Staff Nurse and Ward Sister in the years after the war when nutritionalists and doctors were expounding the virtues of Yeast Extract, Malt Extract and Cod Liver Oil - well 2 out of three can't be bad !

I have been making bread for quite a few years, beer for 5 months (the second time round) so what the hell?

It just so happens that I racked two lots of beer yesterday and being lazy, the fermenting bins were in the utility room awaiting cleaning.
I was having a snout round the forum before getting on with the job and this thread reminded me of the Marmite

So three or four pints of sludge are gently warming up in a saucepan with some Brai and plain salt hoping that this will encourage the little darling cells to perform a final masterpiece in their short lives...

I might get on with some cheese bread while it all happens

Few minutes later - should have used a bigger 'pan - it's trying to get out.....

[nobby]

The problem is that the makers add other unknowns into the recipe and it's a closely guarded secret, much like Bovril, KFC, McD's BigMac etc etc. Not that I would want to try to reproduce an edible version of the latter ones! .

Secret ingreadents in those could well be Dog T**d They are living proof of the power that advertising has on the gullable. Come to think about it so is pub Lager.

[CJBrew]

So three or four pints of sludge are gently warming up in a saucepan with some Brai and plain salt hoping that this will encourage the little darling cells to perform a final masterpiece in their short lives...

Yeah. well I've tried this before, once...

1) I think didn't add (enough) salt
2) I didn't wash the yeast, so it was incredibly bitter from the hops

So I'd recommend before you start that you wash the sludge. I think this is a case of adding clean water, stirring it up, letting it settle, racking off the water -- rinse and repeat.

and add lots of salt. I have a feeling it takes LOTS of salt.

Marmite also has vegetable extracts so if you made a vegetable stock, reduced that and blended it with the yeast extract you would be starting to get somewhere... Carrots and onions etc in the veg stock will add a little sweetness.

I couldn't find a recipe anyway. There is probably a patent and scientific papers available that describe the process in full chemical detail because it was discovered back in the late 19th century by some German bloke (IIRC).

[befuggled]

ooops!!

I've just stuck it in the 'pan and hoped!! or should that be hopped...
I used Brai because it has spices, pepper etc and a very generous shake of salt - no measurements at all

After it spent a while trying to get out of the pan, and with very gentle heat, it settled down and went much thinner.
It is currently simmering with the lid off to reduce - it does not smell or taste too bad at the moment.
Now, when she gets back from work (not until about 18:30) there may be a second opinion!!!

Still, the Beer and Cheese bread is starting to rise - i'll blame the smell on that

[Chard]

Firstly - whats Brai? i assumed the first time you meant brain and that you're actually a recently converted zombie. mmmmm tasty brains.

Secondly - get some pics up! id have loved to see them trying to get out the pan!

Thirdly - i like the idea of reducing a vegetable stock (usual suspects of carrot, celery and onion plus maybe some bay leaf, and black pepper)

[befuggled]

Sorry Chard, it's too late for the escaping foaming sludge!

The brai or braai salt is a seasoning mix. The one I have used contains Sea salt, spices, spice extracts, dextrose, monosodium glutamate, anti-caking agent and pepper. This one is made by Marina.
I have another from Robertsons - The Spice People. It contains salt, spices, flavourant, garlic, vegitable oil and chillies.
They seem to be used mainly in South Africa for outdoor cooking like barbies and general kitchen apps. Brai seems to be spelt with one or two a's.
(There is a South African specialist food shop fairly near, v.good for biltong/jerky. Even does "bushmeat"... whatever might be in that .