Herbs, Spices and Stuff

[The Epworth Brewer]

Looking at some of the stuff that is being used in commercial ales nowadays has set me thinking about what can and cannot be chucked in. Last year I tried an Adnams ale called ' The Herbalist ' that had been brewed in collaboration with Magic Rock. It contained pineapple weed, pineapple sage, lemon thyme and lemon verbena in addition to the hops, which were Mosaic, Citra and Centennial. It was superb.

Conversely I recently tried a bottle of beer from a well known brewery containing Cloves. 2 of us had a bottle each and we both poured it down the sink.

So I thought it would be a good idea to start a thread just to see what others have dabbled with and maybe if the response is good enough someone could put the list up as a 'Stickie'. I think that's what you call a thread that sticks around but if not Jim will know what I mean.

[BrannigansLove]

I've used grains of paradise, vanilla, coriander, cumin, and cardamon in beers, but only in small quantities. My approach is, if you can identify the spice/herb, you've added too much. Honourable exception being a belgian wit, where a taste of coriander/cardamon is appropriate, but shouldn't be overpowering.

[legion]

This is my most recent brew inspired by the experimental home brewing book. Did a 25 min mash / boil and It's surprisingly tasty at only 2 weeks grain to glass.

Alefrezi
Batch size: 19.0 l
Boil volume: 10.0 l
OG: 1.030
FG: 1.010
Bitterness (IBU): 20.8
Color (SRM): 10.7
ABV: 2.7%

Grain/Sugars:

2.00 kg Maris Otter Malt, 65.4%
0.50 kg Weyermann Dark Munich, 16.3%
0.30 kg Aromatic Malt (Belgian), 9.8%
0.26 kg Crystal 70-80L (British), 8.5%

Hops:

20.00 g Summit (AA 15.0%, Pellet) 20 min, 20.8 IBU

Yeast coopers

Black Peppercorns, 1/4 Tsp
Corriander Seed, 0.5 Tsp
Cumin, 0.5 unit(s), Spice Tsp
Garam Masala, 0.5 unit(s), Spice Tsp
Hot Paprika, 0.2 unit(s), Spice Tsp
Root Ginger, 50.0 Gram

[Pinto]

Conversely I recently tried a bottle of beer from a well known brewery containing Cloves. 2 of us had a bottle each and we both poured it down the sink.

Im this moment supping a pint of Cinnamon and Clove Turbo cider I made - not enough cinnamon, too much clove (and I only added 6 to a 20L batch...) - but it's mellowed in nicely now. Only took 18 months....

[Rookie]

The Last Drop column in Zymurgy Mar/Apr 2015 is about brewing with herbs and spices.

[Bad 'Ed]

I tried a cardamom saison from 21st Amendment when I was in the US a year or so ago. It was pretty good and, as BrannigansLove says, I could only taste the cardamom because I knew it was there.

On the other side of the coin I once tried a mushroom beer at the Nottingham CAMRA festival - it was unsurprisingly foisty tasting and not a pleasant drop at all. That was the year that I discovered CAMRA do the awards on the first day of the festival so you can always restrict your sampling to the best beers they have on offer. Thanks you random old beardy man sitting on his own with his dog and his pint - you have made all subsequent festivals immeasurably better.

[Hanglow]

Don't use garlic, there was an English beer that used it and it was the most disgusting beer I have had the misfortune to drink. And I love garlic normally

[The Epworth Brewer]

Here's a thought. What about chucking a couple of fruit infusion tea bags into the mix? It probably wouldn't work by putting it into the boil but could it add anything if it was boiled as normal and dropped in during secondary fermentation?

[WalesAles]

Here's a thought. What about chucking a couple of fruit infusion tea bags into the mix? It probably wouldn't work by putting it into the boil but could it add anything if it was boiled as normal and dropped in during secondary fermentation?

TEB,
You might need more than a couple of Tea Bags.
See below.......

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=73130&start=30

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=76294

WA

[The Epworth Brewer]

Here's a thought. What about chucking a couple of fruit infusion tea bags into the mix? It probably wouldn't work by putting it into the boil but could it add anything if it was boiled as normal and dropped in during secondary fermentation?

TEB,
You might need more than a couple of Tea Bags.
See below.......

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=73130&start=30

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=76294

WA

Good Grief!
If my wife walked in and found me tipping that lot in she'd be phoning for the men in white coats to come and take me away.

[serum]

I did a spiced saison recently with the following:

Estimated OG: 1.049
Actual OG: 1.052
Estimated FG: 1.010
IBU: 25
Yeast - WLP566 Saison II
Est ABV: 5.0%

Mash: 30 mins @ 64C, 30 mins @ 71C
3kg Dingemans Pilsner
2kg Dingemans Pale

Boil: 90 mins

20g Challenger (6%AA) and 20g EKG (5.7%AA) @ 60 mins
Protofloc @ 15 mins
3g ginger, 7g coriander, 0.5g grains of paradise and 0.5g star anise @ 5 mins

I had a first taste at the weekend and it's pretty nice. The spices are very subtle. I'm tempted to try increasing them if I ever have another go at it.

[Peatbogbrewer]

i like experimenting with herbs, spices, fruits, gruit ales. I have brewed ales with mugwort, st johns wort, yarrow for bittering and flavoured/aroma with gathered
chamomile, heather, meadowsweet and bog myrtle. Spices i have used are coriander, star anise and cardamom in mostly dark ales like scotch ales and porters. I have link with a local physick garden and we are experimenting with herbs for flavour and aroma this autumn. We are looking at ground ivy, elecampane, costmary and angelica. With herbs and spices making sure it is not overpowering is the trick.

[serum]

Interesting, my father in law found a load of yarrow amd bog myrtle and is experimenting with that but didn't know how much to use in a 20l batch of ale at around 5% that's based on a Scotch ale recipe. Do you have any good recipes you can share so I can pass them on? Recipes I've read seemed to vary wildly in terms of how much to add and both herbs seem pretty potent.

[Peatbogbrewer]

Interesting, my father in law found a load of yarrow amd bog myrtle and is experimenting with that but didn't know how much to use in a 20l batch of ale at around 5% that's based on a Scotch ale recipe. Do you have any good recipes you can share so I can pass them on? Recipes I've read seemed to vary wildly in terms of how much to add and both herbs seem pretty potent.

Yeah I've had to guesstimate amounts, I've seen recipes that call for very small amounts of bog myrtle and then others that suggest bunging in ounces! Yarrow can be sued both as battering and aroma, bit medicinal in aroma but quite nice. I tend to do gallon partial mash/steeped grain batches and then scale up if its good to AG, that way if its bloody awful i don't loose much!

Gruit 1 gallon
500g pale DME
20g black malt, amber malt steeped at 70 for half hour
10g yarrow at 60 min, 5g bog myrtle at 5min (Ive also done this exact same with 7g mugwort, 7g yarrow @ 60 min, bog myrtle 5 min)
nott danstar yeast

Heather 5 gallon
4kg maris otter
200 crystal
100 amber malt
100 wheat malt
15g East kent goldings
1 carrier bag of heather tops (half in last 5 min, half at flameout)
10g bog myrtle at 5 min
notts danstar

Peat