Hemp Seed Selection

Beer Bomb · 01-07-2009, 04:41 AM

I want to try using hemp seeds in a recipe (maybe a hempen ale.. suggestions?) but see that the US has a heat sterilization mandate. Can i still brew with these seeds? Is there anything else I should consider when choosing seeds? Thanks

jmo88 · 01-07-2009, 05:00 AM

I seem to remember trying a commercial hemp beer back in the nineties, don't remember what it was called. I'd be concerned about extracting oils though. Oil and beer head don't mix.

Denny · 01-07-2009, 05:20 PM

Have you ever tried a hemp beer? I think I've tried 3 different ones, and I'd be hard pressed to say that the hemp seeds added anything to it. Seemed more like a gimmick.

Freezeblade · 01-07-2009, 05:38 PM

+1 on gimmick. I read that the origional "hempton ale" was susposed to be a darker beer, closer to a porter, involving roasting the seeds then milling them, to be used instead of chocolate malt or something, but there was some complications with milling, or the gov't, or something, so they had to just add 'em unroasted and reformulate to a pale ale, leaving little/no flavor additions. The gov't is paranoid about extracting cannaboids from un-steril seeds or something, even though the alcohol percentage in beer isn't enough to extract anything (cannaboids aren't water soluable). I read somewhere in byo a recipe for what hempton ale was susposed to be, I think it was with the "ten wildest recipies"

Beer Bomb · 01-09-2009, 11:54 PM

I'll check out BYO to see what they say... Admittedly, I've never considered it could be a gimmick. And, I can only think of one way to test that theory. I know the Hempen Ale brewed by Fredrick Brewing Co. was pulled from the market- no idea why.

**ShortSnoutBrewing** · 01-09-2009, 11:56 PM

Here's a link to the BYO article:
Brew Your Own: The How-To Homebrew Beer Magazine - Recipes - Brewing Hempen Ale