Corn adjuncts - really the same thing as happoshu?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by tonton, Jun 17, 2014.

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  1. tonton

    tonton Initiate (0) Mar 10, 2013 Hong Kong

    In Japan, by law, the percentage of barley malt among fermentables (other grains, added sugars) is required to be reported for tax purposes. Anything under 66% malt is considered a "happoshu" or as some like to call it, "fake beer".

    My question is... since we know Coors and Miller and the like add corn as an adjunct fermentable grain to their brews, just how much of the fermentables in this swill is malted barley? Since in the US, brewers aren't required to report this, how do we know?

    Plus... I know of at least a few happoshus that taste better than Coors Light/Miller Lite.
     
    #1 tonton, Jun 17, 2014
  2. drtth

    drtth Initiate (0) Nov 25, 2007 Pennsylvania
    In Memoriam

    Just so happens some info is available here:

    http://www.beeradvocate.com/communi...t-beer-ingredients.186986/page-2#post-2512212
     
    #2 drtth, Jun 17, 2014
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  3. muck1979

    muck1979 Zealot (555) Jul 3, 2005 Minnesota

    FWIW, Shell's flagship product is Deer Brand, which they specifically list on their website as being 70% barley and 30% corn syrup. You might figure that similar"premium" products from A-B and MillerCoors would compare to this ratio, with maybe the sub-premiums having a higher adjunct ratio. But I'm not a brewer or homebrewer, so I'm just speculating.

    http://schellsbrewery.com/beer/deer-brand/
     
    #3 muck1979, Jun 17, 2014
  4. gory4d

    gory4d Maven (1,489) Apr 14, 2007 Texas

    Corn syrup?
     
    #4 gory4d, Jun 17, 2014
  5. muck1979

    muck1979 Zealot (555) Jul 3, 2005 Minnesota

    When I asked Schell's about their adjunct usage a while back, I was told they switched to corn syrup after they acquired the Grain Belt line. Prior to that they used flaked corn (never had a cereal cooker).
     
    #5 muck1979, Jun 17, 2014
  6. gory4d

    gory4d Maven (1,489) Apr 14, 2007 Texas

    Interesting. I asked because the link you provided said just "corn," no mention of syrup.

    (OT: I am a pretty big fan of Schell's, though they don't ship out this way - quite like the Lakemaid beer. Don't they brew Hauenstein, too?)
     
    #6 gory4d, Jun 17, 2014
  7. muck1979

    muck1979 Zealot (555) Jul 3, 2005 Minnesota

    Yes, they do brew Hauenstein under contract for a distributor in SW Minnesota. The Lakemaid contract went to Stevens Point a year or so ago. I'm not sure from where the Lakemaid delivery drones originate.
     
    #7 muck1979, Jun 17, 2014
  8. blivingston1985

    blivingston1985 Initiate (0) Jan 7, 2010 North Carolina

    They are probably using a corn adjunct syrup which is not the same as the dreaded, hated and feared high fructose corn syrup.
     
    #8 blivingston1985, Jun 17, 2014
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  9. Harnkus

    Harnkus Initiate (0) Oct 31, 2013 New York

    I'm not really sure why folks here get upset over adjuncts. You know how to separate the adjunct lagers from all malt lagers, and if you cannot, BA does.
     
    #9 Harnkus, Jun 17, 2014
  10. Tashbrew

    Tashbrew Initiate (0) Dec 29, 2007 California

    Yep, Miller in Milwaukee has huge 'Corn Syrup' tanks...100,000 gallon tanks where the liquid is kept warm. They use 40% in most of their products. 'Back in the day' the would have used a cereal cooker, now they just do the malted barley mash with enzymes and the Corn Syrup is sent into kettle and diluted to original gravity on the fly with water of the beer being brewed. All automated of course....

    The Corn Syrup used by the way is a 'high maltose' type. Introducing sugars 'simpler' than Maltose in large amounts is no bueno. Causes the yeast to not want to ferment complex sugars(become lazy)...
     
    #10 Tashbrew, Jun 17, 2014
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  11. joelwlcx

    joelwlcx Initiate (0) Apr 23, 2007 Minnesota

    Personally, I couldn't care any less if there was corn or rice, or whatever in the beer , as long as it tastes good.
     
    #11 joelwlcx, Jun 18, 2014
  12. ZagZagg

    ZagZagg Zealot (669) May 13, 2008 New Jersey

    I'm sure it's similar if not the same to catabolite repression that occurs in various bacteria/microbes. I feel like the Science vs. Art subject is somewhat downplayed when it comes to brewing. I would imagine the BMC people have it down to more of a 'science' than smaller craft brewers. Just with respect to the sheer scale of production, etc
     
    #12 ZagZagg, Jun 18, 2014
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