I screwed up the Potato Beer

If you follow along on this blog and/or SheppyBrew Brewery, you know that I recently brewed Potato Barley Rye (PBR) ... Batch 395.

I thought it would be fun to brew a Potato Beer. 

The potatoes I used came in the form of Idahoan Real Premium Mashed Potatoes, which is basically flaked potato. Add water and you get mashed potatoes.

I checked to make sure that the box said "no added flavorings" and no extra fats. 

The thing I guess I didn't notice on the nutrition facts is that each serving has quite a bit of sodium in it. WAY more than brewing salts I'd ever add to a batch of beer.

So ... I recently kegged this beer, and the initial taste was sort of weird. I thought maybe the potatoes came through with a strange flavor.

But, I thought it might settle out. I chilled and carbonated. My taste off the tap, it hit me ... "this tastes a little salty".

This is when I decided to find the nutrition facts online, and sure enough ... lots of sodium.

Uggg!!!!

I am keeping the beer to see if it settles out at all, but once I get other beers brewed to take that spot, I'll probably end up dumping it. I don't think it is undrinkable. I just would prefer not having that salty flavor in a beer.

I don't have another beer brewed, though, so it will be at least a couple weeks before I get rid of it.

In the meantime, Sunday, I used the beer as a brine for a Chicken I grilled. 

Brine is actually a pretty good use for this. It would also probably work for things like BBQ Sauce. Next time I make rice, I might use it instead of water.

Whatever it takes to use this up.

My preferred method cooking whole chickens right now is to Spatchcock and then Quarter the bird.

It makes it easier to fit the bird on the grill. I can move pieces around if certain parts are cooking faster than others.

It makes for delicious chicken.

And ... that is what I did Sunday.

I'll admit, I tried the PBR, during the cook, and didn't think it tasted quite as weird as it did a little warmer. In fact, I had a few pints.

So, maybe between using it as a food ingredient, and the occasional drink, I'll kill this keg before I have to dump it.

On Potato Barley Rye (PBR) ... Batch 395, I had enough issues with the Potato Flakes that I thought I'd never brew this again, but now I think I have to try it without the extra sodium.

I'm not sure if I'll be able to find flaked potatoes without added salt, so I think I'll end up peeling and mashing actual potatoes.

Stay tuned on Sheppy's Blog: PBR and you'll find out if and when and how I end up brewing it again.

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