fredthecat

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nice thread about mugwort with rough amounts for use. i want to make some mugwort beer!

BootsyFlanootsy

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this is simply not true. hops are not exclusive in their ability to stave off lacto and or pedio, etc. shoot, I have a particular strain of lacto that seems to have infested my house that could care less about the level of IBU's in my beers.


anyway...


mugwort is more or less wormwood, ( a particular variety of it, but wormwood none the less.),. mugwort can be VERY bitter. It is best to pick it when it is relatively young, for as with most greens... as the heat of summer sets in they tend to bolt and become QUITE bitter. I am in the philly area and mugwort grows like crazy around here.

Wulfman

Recipes 

Im not sure how fresh the mugwort was.. It was from an herbal lady who has tons of jars of dried herbs at a farmers market... im assuming the jars have been sitting a while.. soo i can say they were not fresh.. Hmm i wonder where i can get some local fresh mugwort or if it even grows here..research time!

Djanvk

Recipes 

I just got done brewing a "Hopless Ale" with Mugwort, Lavender and Anise in it, smells really good but It's only fermenting right now so now sure of the taste.

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Wulfman

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Sounds like an interesting mix, let us know how it works out

supermoth

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Wulfman, mugwort is very common in northern California. You can probably also get a plant from a native plants nursery (I've got one in my backyard!). Seeing as how you started wondering about this months ago, you might have already found this out, but I thought I'd mention it anyway.

Wulfman

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I didn't know that. Are there different types in Cali or any variety is good? Thanks for the info

supermoth

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The main species that grows in California is Artemisia vulgaris. It is pretty common, and I see it when walking around wet or riparian areas. There are many, many species of Artemisia, including the sagebrushes and wormwoods. Apparently, mugwort does not have the bitter oil (thujone?) of wormwood, but it still has a lot of aromatic properties.

I have also read of an east coast species of mugwort whose flavor and aroma are mellower than what grows here. It was likely introduced from Europe, which means it was likely the mugwort that was used in brewing in Europe before the days of hops. I'm sure you can use the California mugwort in brewing, you just might have to experiment with the amount and go lightly at first.

This thread is old now... have you done any brewing with mugwort yet? I'm sure you've seen this recipe: http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/mugwort-anti-imperial-stout-90441/

It hasn't made it to the front of my brew queue yet, but I've been curious about it for a while.

Wulfman

Recipes 

Cool, thanks for the info. I hike occasionally and ill keep an eye out when I do. Yes I have used it for a brew or two. I used it very lightly and it went a long way.. and I learned to used it in the very end of boil. A bit herby but decent.