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I have a tempura recipe I want to try, however it calls for "Very cold seltzer". Since I'm not a fan of seltzer normally, I don't have any on hand. However, I do have a bottle of beer left from when I made Beer-batter fish. Can I use "very cold beer" in lieu of "very cold seltzer"? Will it alter the texture and taste of the tempura too much?

Thanks!

Gonçalo Peres
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Tenshi
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2 Answers2

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It will produce the same effect, however it might alter the taste (depending on the type of beer), and will almost certainly alter the color of the final product, as beer contains sugars that will increase browning.

moscafj
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  • I don't much care for heavy beers, so all I have is Sapporo beer in glass bottles, if that makes a difference. (I'll be honest, I don't know what Type of beer Sapporo is. For a long time I was calling it a Pilsner, but then some one told me it was a Pale Ale.. I'm not exactly a beer connoisseur. O_O) – Tenshi Nov 06 '14 at 12:34
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    Sapporo is not overly hopped, so you may taste it, but you probably won't even notice. I don't think it will be a bad thing. – moscafj Nov 06 '14 at 12:44
  • Awesome! Thanks, I will give it a try for dinner tomorrow and let you know how it turns out! Now, to figure out how the restaurants get the shrimps to stay straight like sticks. lol. – Tenshi Nov 06 '14 at 13:08
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    @Tenshi actually...they use sticks.... – moscafj Nov 06 '14 at 14:14
  • ... LMAO, Seriously?? I guess that makes sense, I just had never seen holes in the shrimps, so it never occurred to me to use sticks. Plus, wouldn't sticks catch on fire in the oil? (I've never put bamboo sticks in oil, I just assumed that with the lack of water content, it would torch quickly.) Also, any idea on how long it would take to fry the shrimps so they are fully cooked? I'm always so worried to under cook shrimp that I tend to over cook it instead. – Tenshi Nov 06 '14 at 14:32
  • They will not catch on fire in the oil. You will probably only need 2-3 minutes, depends on the size of your shrimp. – moscafj Nov 06 '14 at 14:51
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    @Tenshi Sapporo is a lager, not an ale. The distinction is that lagers are brewed with a yeast that sits on the bottom of the vat, whereas ale is brewed with one that floats on the top. – David Richerby Nov 06 '14 at 15:22
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    @Tenshi, any liquid that contains alcohol is a good choice for tempura. Replacing some of the water with alcohol will limit gluten formation and make the resulting tempura lighter. I don't see any reason to use carbonated beverages in tempura (the best places in Japan don't) but alcohol is a good secret ingredient. – Mr. Mascaro Nov 06 '14 at 17:35
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    I can't wait to hear how it goes for you! It seems like a natural. – Jolenealaska Nov 06 '14 at 22:08
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Thank you so much every one! @Jolenealaska It came out very interesting! But I think that was due to the recipe I used more than anything. I had found a recipe on Food Network from Robert Irvine, and it came out much thicker than I'm accustomed to, which was ironic, since the whole point of the "bubbly beverage" was to make it light and airy.

Though I have to say at the same time, the batter stuck very well, more so than a normal tempura. I did have to use a lot more liquid than the recipe called for too, so I'm not sure if that was an effect of the beer, or just the recipe was mistaken.

Either way Jolene, keep that in mind if you try beer in your tempura batter, that you may need more than the recipe calls for.

But I also took @Jbaker's advice too; for the added liquid I used sake.

Cascabel
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Tenshi
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    Glad we helped, and thank you for coming back to post an answer based on actual experience - those are always really valuable. I've removed the bit about other things you're making, since this should really just be an answer to the question about beer in tempura, but by all means, please do come back if you have further questions! – Cascabel Nov 11 '14 at 18:42
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    I second @Jefromi's comment. Nothing is better here than when the OP returns to let us know how it went. – Jolenealaska Nov 12 '14 at 04:52