CBBaron

Recipes 

Given the hop shortages I decided to experiment with some more traditional ingredients in beer. I decided to do 2 small batches with different herbal ingredients available from the HBS.
I started with a 6gal base beer using a Scottish 80/- grain bill. Then I split the batches one on my stove and one on my usually turkey fryer.
Here are the recipes:


Recipe: Gruit
Style: Scottish Export 80/-
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.65 gal
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 17.4 SRM
Estimated IBU: 0.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 72.60 %
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 9.07 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 9.07 %
4.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.54 %
2.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -135L (135.0 SRM) Grain 2.36 %
2.1 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.36 %
1.00 oz Elderflower (Boil 0.0 min) Misc
1.00 oz Mugwort (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
2.00 gm Sweet Gale (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs Nottingham Yeast (Lallemand #-) Yeast-Ale

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Recipe: Heather Ale (Gruit)
Style: Scottish Export 80/-
TYPE: All Grain
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Boil Size: 3.65 gal
Estimated OG: 1.050 SG
Estimated Color: 16.8 SRM
Estimated IBU: 0.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 80.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item Type % or IBU
4 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 76.05 %
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 9.51 %
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 4.75 %
4.0 oz Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4.75 %
2.1 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -135L (135.0 SRM) Grain 2.47 %
2.1 oz Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 2.47 %
1.00 oz Heather (Boil 0.0 min) Misc
1.00 oz Heather (Boil 60.0 min) Misc
2.00 gm Sweet Gale (Boil 15.0 min) Misc

Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge

I'll update this thread once I get a chance to taste the beers.

Craig

Attached Files

gruit.bsm (27.4 KB, 26 views)

ESROHDE

Recipes 

From Stephen Harrod Buhners Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. the herbs to use are Myrica Gale, Marsh Rosemary, and Yarrow. This is one to be careful with as these ingredients are highly Psychotropic when combined.

cheezydemon

Recipes 

Lol, that's what I was going to say!

The main argument against hops, when they marched into England from Germany was "Hops do nothing to further effect my head!"

There was an interesting discussion of this buried deep in a thread called "Hobbit Brew" a while back, if you care to search.

Godd experiment.

Also I remember that heather was mentioned as a brewing ingredient.

__________________
BOTTLED: "Route 66 IPA" 7% ABV, "Dave's Imperial Stout" 12% ABV , "Spider Imperial Stout" 9%ABV , "Mutt Irish Ale" 7% ABV, "Sorta Sierra" IPA's 4.4% ABV, "Habanero Ales" 5.5% ABV, "Pumpkin Seed Ale" 5.5% ABV , "Marzen" Lager, "Step child Ale",
PRIMARies: "Caramel Amber" , "Black Porter"
SECONDARIES:1 :"Miller Ale"
On DECK: Another Russian Stout

The Soft Underbelly

Recipes 

Psychotropic 'eh? In a good way? Do tell, I'm interested in hearing more about this.....

CBBaron

Recipes 

My choice of ingredients were based on what was currently available at the HBS and what sounded like traditional brewing ingredients after doing some research on the web. Sweet Gale is I believe Myrica gale. Marsh Rosemary appears to be unavailable in the US and yarrow was not available at the store either, though I may dry some I have growing in the flower beds.

I used the Heather based on the recipes I found for Fraoch Ale from Scotland. The original I found in a local beer store was quite good.

Two concerns I have at this point in the brewing process.
First the mugwort while it did not have a strong aroma in the bag produced a very strong sage smell in the boiling wort. If the beer tastes anything like this it won't be pleasant.
Second the elderflowers had a fish smell when I opened the bag. I didn't notice it in the beer but it still concerns me.

I have much more optimism for the heather ale but I didn't have a good feel for some of the quantities to use there either.

We will see

Craig

ESROHDE

Recipes 

elder flowers have a funny smell fresh or dried. any member of the artemisia family( mugwort, wormwood etc.) is going to be VERY bitter. 1 oz. doesnt seem like much but i would try cutting that in half. I didnt see anything about the use of heather to make gruit but I feel that any beer with Heather has to be good. Fraoch is one of my favorites but unavailable in my area. If any one is looking for quality herbal ingredients for brewing look up Pacific Botanicals.

alapapa

Recipes 

I made a heather fraoch a while back that closely resembled yours.

it turned out fabulously -- greatly benefitted from bottle conditioning

ESROHDE

Recipes 

out of the three herbs in the gruit recipe i have, yarrow is the easiest to aquire. used as an ancient substitute for hops, some suspect it increases the effects of alcohol. Wormwood, the main ing. of absinthe, has a high level of thujone , which is narcotic. but you have to use alot which can taste really awful. Sage, garden or clary also has thujone but doesnt taste that good. scotch broom (Cystisus scoparius) henbane (Hyoscyamus niger) mandrake (Atropa mandragora) darnel (Lolium temulentum) saffron(Crocus sativa) wild lettuce(Lactuca spp.) These are all of the psychotropic herbs listed in Buhners book. Some are considered poisonous if you look them up in other books so caution is advised.

cheezydemon

Recipes 

Brewing a psychotropic beer may not be advised.

Don't get me wrong, I experimented my fair share in my younger days, but walking around even mildly tripping is something to be taken very seriously.

__________________
BOTTLED: "Route 66 IPA" 7% ABV, "Dave's Imperial Stout" 12% ABV , "Spider Imperial Stout" 9%ABV , "Mutt Irish Ale" 7% ABV, "Sorta Sierra" IPA's 4.4% ABV, "Habanero Ales" 5.5% ABV, "Pumpkin Seed Ale" 5.5% ABV , "Marzen" Lager, "Step child Ale",
PRIMARies: "Caramel Amber" , "Black Porter"
SECONDARIES:1 :"Miller Ale"
On DECK: Another Russian Stout

The Soft Underbelly

Recipes 

Good advice.... driving it is!!!

Interesting thread though, ive been interested in brewing hopless beer, but had no idea that it would enhance my enjoyment of my Grateful Dead records. When i take the plunge i'll certainly save my first samplings for a weekend...