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Author Topic: Pretzels  (Read 9581 times)

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #30 on: December 19, 2014, 08:43:48 am »
so i got my jar of red devil lye. is it just simmering water or full on boil for the pretzel bath?
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
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Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #31 on: December 19, 2014, 09:01:50 am »
I've heard just simmering. Boiling would probably result in lye splattering everywhere.
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Offline smkranz

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #32 on: December 19, 2014, 06:11:22 pm »
Follow Jeff Renner's recipe.  I've been making them for years...I was raised in a German household with German bakeries in our Philadelphia neighborhood which made Laugenbrezel, so we grew up with them.  When Jeff's recipe appeared in Zymurgy, I was in heaven.

The only things I do differently now, after making them for ten years or so, are to:
  • lower the oven temp from 400 to 385.  It helps avoid over-baking them if you turn away for a minute, and they still turn out perfectly with that awesome dark mahogany finish; and
  • divide the same batch of dough into 15-18 pretzels instead of 12.  The pretzels still rise up to a perfect size, and you get more of them
« Last Edit: December 19, 2014, 06:14:58 pm by smkranz »
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #33 on: December 19, 2014, 06:13:57 pm »

Follow Jeff Renner's recipe.  I've been making them for years...I grew up in a German household with German bakeries in our Philadelphia neighborhood which made Laugenbrezel, so we grew up with them.  When Jeff's recipe appeared in Zymurgy, I was in heaven.

The only things I do differently now, after making them for ten years or so, are to:
  • lower the oven temp from 400 to 385.  It helps avoid over-baking them if you turn away for a minute, and they still turn out perfectly with that awesome dark mahogany finish; and
  • divide the same batch of dough into 15-18 pretzels instead of 12.  The pretzels still rise up to a perfect size, and you get more of them
Great- thanks.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Stevie

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #34 on: December 20, 2014, 11:48:18 am »
Remember to always add lye to water, and never water to lye.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #35 on: December 20, 2014, 06:59:58 pm »
Remember to always add lye to water, and never water to lye.

i'll bite-what happens?
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Stevie

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Pretzels
« Reply #36 on: December 20, 2014, 07:04:57 pm »
It's an old school chemistry safety tip. Adding the water to the lye could cause the lye to splash out and the concentration will be very strong at that point. So get your sturdy container, add water, then mix in the lye very carefully. Lye is no joke, so be very careful.

Some people will keep separate lye only measures, bowl, and containers to prevent the chance of cross contamination. Google lye safety and I'm sure you will find plenty of solid tips.

And keep a large bottle of vinegar handy with the lid off in case of accidents.

This is based around soap making, but the same rules apply.
http://www.soap-making-resource.com/soap-safety.html
« Last Edit: December 20, 2014, 07:10:28 pm by Steve in TX »

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #37 on: December 20, 2014, 07:35:51 pm »
Got it...good info thanks. I bought my elbow length chem gloves and safety glasses just in case. I'm going full Heisenberg making pretzels !


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Stevie

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #38 on: December 20, 2014, 07:36:35 pm »
Sounds like you are on your way.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #39 on: December 20, 2014, 07:48:15 pm »
Yeah ....in search of the perfect tan for my laugenbrezeln


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #40 on: December 20, 2014, 09:25:39 pm »
Got it...good info thanks. I bought my elbow length chem gloves and safety glasses just in case. I'm going full Heisenberg making pretzels !


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Offline Jimmy K

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #41 on: December 29, 2014, 09:37:50 am »
Remember to always add lye to water, and never water to lye.

i'll bite-what happens?
Not just splatter. Mixing a base (or acid) with water generates heat. If you mix the base with the full volume of water, the water will absorb the heat. If you add water to base, only a small portion of the water (what you've poured in) can absorb heat. What is there will get very hot and may even boil. Now you have a boiling pot of concentrated lye. Fun times!
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #42 on: December 29, 2014, 10:39:43 am »
Yeah ....in search of the perfect tan for my laugenbrezeln


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Laugenbrezlen translates to lye pretzels. Really.
Jeff Rankert
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #43 on: December 29, 2014, 10:58:31 am »
Yeah ....in search of the perfect tan for my laugenbrezeln


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Laugenbrezlen translates to lye pretzels. Really.

yep- i remember from my days in Deutschland!
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: Pretzels
« Reply #44 on: January 02, 2015, 02:32:34 pm »
The reason for lye or baking soda is to raise the pH so that you get more of the Maillard reaction to form the tasty brown skin on the pretzel.

Someday I will make some using this recipe.
http://aabg.org/2010/03/22/jeff-renners-pretzel-recipe/

making Jeff's recipe tomorrow- looking forward to it.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest