tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post5750162362768793033..comments2024-02-23T15:34:32.816-05:00Comments on The Mad Fermentationist - Homebrewing Blog: Adding Flowers to a GruitThe Mad Fermentationist (Mike)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-6719591363220489102012-09-06T08:38:53.296-04:002012-09-06T08:38:53.296-04:00Yeah here is your problem- I'm not a chemist b...Yeah here is your problem- I'm not a chemist but I can tell you based on my yeoman's empiricism that what gives gruit its edge over beer is the effect of using the solvent power of the beer to extract the additional psychoactivity and water just won't do that. They have to be added right near the end of the boil and again once fermentation is halfway complete. We all know that drinking too much alcohol is a dangerous health practice, but for us fellas the thing to remember about hops is that it caries a number of potent phyto-estrogens as well as having a generally soporific/depressant nature, which leads me to believe that moderation in their use is a virtue. Because of these two factors on the con side of beer, I like to bring my gruit herbs to the fore and brew ale only as strong as it takes to create balance in the final flavor profile, usually less than 5%. I find that two of these gruits is very close to too much. Also, I forgot to mention in my last message that in addition to the lovely flavor, ginger has an important role in enhancing the effects of gruit because of its vasodilating properties. Ginger is just a really fantastic plant. I hasten to add that there is a legally prohibited flower which will round out both the flavor and psychoactivity of gruit in a way that I find indispensable.lylekarsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17597595461155177192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-62840381726913789372011-03-29T11:34:04.336-04:002011-03-29T11:34:04.336-04:00I recently brewed a heather ale. For a 5 gallon ba...I recently brewed a heather ale. For a 5 gallon batch I used 8oz of heather tips added during the boil. The beer turned out fantastic. The beer has a flowery, tea-like aroma and flavor that is much different than hops.--https://www.blogger.com/profile/13513738199324265198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-76673941063601427822011-03-29T11:28:22.581-04:002011-03-29T11:28:22.581-04:00I was blending into the bottling bucket rather tha...I was blending into the bottling bucket rather than the individual bottles. Those numbers I was giving were for ~2.75 gallons of beer for the heather/lavender, and 2 gallons for the hibiscus/jasmine.<br /><br />I tried to make the teas really concentrated so I wouldn't dilute the beer much. In both cases it was less than 10%, so that isn't too bad. It seemed easier to keep the priming sugar separate so I could add the teas to flavor without worrying about over/under carbonation.<br /><br />Sounds like a fun batch. I’d love to find someone local who knew what wild edibles were around.The Mad Fermentationist (Mike)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07379932734747507258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8066877917844499643.post-6863993260624842122011-03-29T11:01:42.446-04:002011-03-29T11:01:42.446-04:00That looks like fun with all those blends.
I was w...That looks like fun with all those blends.<br />I was wondering about how much tea were you adding to each bottle?<br />Are you worried about diluting them too much?<br />I guess you could add your priming sugar to these teas to help cut down on dilution.<br />I look forward to hearing your results. I just did a similar gruit, but with all local plants from Southern California (yarrow, everlasting, elderberry flower, and will try some sage and other wild flowers at bottling)Jeffrey Cranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01520169652639837640noreply@blogger.com