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Thor the Mighty

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I need feeback on the following herbs. I've found relitively zero information about the flavors these herbs impart into a brew, so any help is appreciated.

sweet gale
chamomile flowers
lemon grass
chickory root

What do these do, besides the general description?
When should I add them?

of course it will depend on the beer I'm making, but all in all, just a general run down. Thanks!
 
Reading the title, I was thinking this was going to a "alternative" thread. Ive only used chamomile and I couldnt really taste it. I have had Midas Touch and that uses saffron and I was a fan of it. I added the chamomile to the secondary when I did mine.
-Jefe-
 
I've had a beer made with Sweet Gale. I found it to have an odd sweet after flavor for beer but my friend that makes it loves it and make it regularly.

Always wanted to use lemon grass in a beer. Lemon grass wheat has always made sense to me but hubby hates wheats so I may have to try it in a lawn mower type.
 
Just be careful of the Chamomile. I did a Chamomile Kolsch a while ago. Brewed with 1.5 ounces at knockout, then made a vodka infusion, and after thinking it didn't have enough chamomile flavor, added it to the keg. Big mistake. The chamomile overpowered everything. It was sad. Kicked that keg, but it took a while. Be careful with it, but in small doses it is tasty
 
I grow lemongrass to cook with (when I can keep the cats from eating it all), so I figured, wth, I'll use it in a brew.

I made a Lemongrass Rye and a Lemongrass Wheat. The lemongrass didn't come out as much in the rye beer the first time (I added it to the boil at 60 and 15 minutes). I added it to the mash the second time and the flavor was more pronounced. I got the "in the mash" idea from one of the recipes on HBT: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f76/lemongrass-rye-133081/ (scroll to the bottom of the thread for the AG recipe).

The wheat I made with it was BierMuncher's recipe (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/litehaus-wheat-boulevard-wheat-clone-34642/) with 8 oz of lemongrass at mash and 20 minutes. This was the best: It was like having the slice of lemon IN the beer.
 
I just bottled my blonde that had 1oz of lemongrass added in boil for 5 minutes. It has a definite lemon aroma and a very pleasant, but very noticeable, flavor of sweet lemons. It isn't tart at all just a sweet lemon flavor. Very good thus far.
 
Chickory is bitter, it's used as a coffee substitute for people who are trying to get off coffee. If you are going to use it you might want to adjust your hops down slightly, depending on how bitter a brew you are looking for.
 
I've just got going with sweet gale. My impression so far is that it is very strong, so you don't need to add much. It has a mild narcotic effect, especially when added dry to the fermentor.
 
I've just got going with sweet gale. My impression so far is that it is very strong, so you don't need to add much. It has a mild narcotic effect, especially when added dry to the fermentor.

I thought the narcotic effects of sweet gale where a rumor. I think i read it from Mosher's Radical Brewing. Have you tried it yet?
Not trying to argue, just getting my facts straight
 
I've just had one pint from a batch to which I had added a herbal infusion (no dry-herbing). It gave me the lift I expected. I have been making herbal beer for a couple of years now, using mostly gruit-type herbs known for their slightly stimulant/narcotic effects: yarrow, labrador tea, prairie sagebrush. I don't think that it is just folklore that these herbs have a special kick. For more info, see Buhner's Sacred and herbal healing beer.
 
The wheat I made with it was BierMuncher's recipe (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/litehaus-wheat-boulevard-wheat-clone-34642/) with 8 oz of lemongrass at mash and 20 minutes. This was the best: It was like having the slice of lemon IN the beer.

I'm going to make this.

I made a Chamomile Wheat that was straight out of Sam C.'s Extreme Brewing. It called for two ounces of Chamomile in the boil for 60 mins. The beer turned out great. The flavor and aroma of Chamomile to me is kind of floral but mostly sweet. The recipe also used a pound of honey, which was great with the Chamomile. I am going to try this one again but I think next time I will do an ounce in the boil and an ounce at the end, and maybe even some in the mash.

I remember reading in Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing that he suspects some trappist breweries of using Chamomile as a "secret ingredient" in their beers. I believe they told him it was cumin, but he apparently didn't believe them.

As for the other spices, I know how hard it can be to find info on brewing with spices. I have a bunch of lemon grass, lemon peel, lemon verbena, jasmine, schizandra berry powder, and wormwood that I'm sitting on and can't exactly figure out how to use it. I plan to pick up the book Sacred and Healing Beers but haven't gotten around to it.
 
I'm going to make this.

I made a Chamomile Wheat that was straight out of Sam C.'s Extreme Brewing. It called for two ounces of Chamomile in the boil for 60 mins. The beer turned out great. The flavor and aroma of Chamomile to me is kind of floral but mostly sweet. The recipe also used a pound of honey, which was great with the Chamomile. I am going to try this one again but I think next time I will do an ounce in the boil and an ounce at the end, and maybe even some in the mash.

I remember reading in Randy Mosher's Radical Brewing that he suspects some trappist breweries of using Chamomile as a "secret ingredient" in their beers. I believe they told him it was cumin, but he apparently didn't believe them.

As for the other spices, I know how hard it can be to find info on brewing with spices. I have a bunch of lemon grass, lemon peel, lemon verbena, jasmine, schizandra berry powder, and wormwood that I'm sitting on and can't exactly figure out how to use it. I plan to pick up the book Sacred and Healing Beers but haven't gotten around to it.

I have that Wildflower wheat in primary right now :D
 
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