Spruce Beer

edit1now · Post by **edit1now** » Wed Apr 30, 2008 11:07 pm

Please could anyone point me in the direction of a recipe for spruce beer? My cousin wants me to make some for some reason. I think you start with fresh spruce tips and malt...

richard_senior · Post by **richard_senior** » Thu May 01, 2008 12:40 am

As I understand it.. you use spruce needles instead of hops.
What sort of weight of spurce needles is an equivelent of the hops I don't know.. but I'd suggest that if you use gallon demijons and a big pan in the kitchen you could knock up a few experimental brews.
in fact..... I think I might have a crack at that myself!

russt1969 · Post by **russt1969** » Thu May 01, 2008 7:30 am

I like the sound of that. Let us know how you get on

oblivious · Post by **oblivious** » Thu May 01, 2008 10:09 am

Spruce beer was also susposably made by brewers on navy ship as hops took up to much space

I think they may have also been using some sort of crude spruce essence.

If you can source needles, there are essence on the market

here are a couple of threads on it

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtop ... ght=spruce

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtop ... ght=spruce

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtop ... ght=spruce

russt1969 · Post by **russt1969** » Thu May 01, 2008 11:05 am

Looks like not many people rate it....
Think I'll stick to hops.

Even though I did make a brew which had Basil and Honey in it. Was bloody lovely.

richard_senior · Post by **richard_senior** » Thu May 01, 2008 11:25 am

You can't just say it was lovely and not post the recipe! It's just not fair.

russt1969 · Post by **russt1969** » Thu May 01, 2008 11:40 am

richard_senior wrote:You can't just say it was lovely and not post the recipe! It's just not fair.

Ok, fair enough....

The Blue Max Brewery
Basil 'n' B's

90 Min Mash
3.7 Pale Malt
1.4 Crystal Malt
2.0 Munich Malt

1hr 15 min boil
30g Mt. Hood Hops
30g Mt. Hood Hops last 15mins
500g Honey last 15mins

60g Fresh Basil Leaves end of boil. Leave for 1 hour.

Safeale US-05

Give it a go. Let mine mature for 5 weeks.
SG was 1070. FG 1010
6.5%

Russ

RabMaxwell · Post by **RabMaxwell** » Thu May 01, 2008 11:48 am

I tasted a spruce beer a few years back at the Craigmill brewery before they moved see if you can buy a bottle to try it was quite a nice beer .
http://xrl.us/bj2fi

edit1now · Post by **edit1now** » Thu May 01, 2008 8:58 pm

Thanks guys

mysterio · Post by **mysterio** » Thu May 01, 2008 9:06 pm

The spruce beer Rab mentioned is very good, used to be made down the road from me. As I remember it doesn't really taste like what you might imagine spruce to taste like. This may sound odd but it has a slightly cola/root beer flavour. Maybe you could e-mail the brewery, who knows they might give you some pointers.

mixbrewery · Post by **mixbrewery** » Thu May 01, 2008 10:57 pm

Why stop at a bottle..........

From the website
March/April

Scots pine & spruce, strong rich ale.

6% abv
Â£73 per firkin

Jim's Beer Kit

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