Another "Stable" Recipe In the Books...

Well, it took 3 tries, but I think this one is the apex.

My brewing "philosophy" is to always try new and/or crazy stuff, but also to continually try to perfect a stable of "house recipes" that are in my regular or seasonal lineup. This is the third time I've done a basil beer (unless you count that weird one with lime-basil and lemon verbena)...and this one is just awesome after only a week in bottle. Hardly any green-ness, and just enough basil. The IBU's and aroma/flavor hops are much better this time, so as to counter the pungency of basil. My first beer ever was a basil pale ale, and while it was good...it needed more. More complexity, more maltiness, more hops. So I made a basil IPA last fall with the last of the basil from the garden, and it was way too pungent. I used some Thai basil in that one, and that stuff will whip your ass like a Thai hooker with herpes. So this time around, I upped my honey and victory malts (ha, 1.5 lbs each!) and beefed up the hop schedule...and stuck to cinnamon-basil and a touch of italian sweet.

Tried the first one last night, and I do believe I got me another "house" beer...though, this one is seasonal, because I only use fresh cinnamon-basil from our garden.

So, I know that there are some of you guys out there who scoff at basil beer, but I'd gladly do a swap if you're willing to be open-minded.

Well, guess I"m gonna have to give it a try. My interest was definitely sparked on the last basil IPA thread you had going.

Now there's something I can use that beachball-sized cinnamon basil plant out back for! Sounds good!

seefresh said:

Well, guess I"m gonna have to give it a try. My interest was definitely sparked on the last basil IPA thread you had going.

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Cool, I'll put it on the list for our eventual swap.

Evan! said:

Cool, I'll put it on the list for our eventual swap.

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I'm gonna have to use store bought basil and cinnamon though, did you grind it all up together? I noticed fresh basil leaves at the grocery store last time I was there.

seefresh said:

I'm gonna have to use store bought basil and cinnamon though, did you grind it all up together? I noticed fresh basil leaves at the grocery store last time I was there.

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There's no cinnamon in it. "Cinnamon Basil" is a variety of basil that has a subtle cinnamon flavor to it. I wouldn't add cinnamon, but I guess anything is worth a try. Wouldn't use more than a pinch though. Yeah, you could use store-bought, but that stuff is typically pretty expensive. If you put it by the window, you might be able to grow basil in a pot inside during the winter, but I've never tried it.

I brew outside, so I just snag the leaves right off the plant and they go directly into the kettle. Doesn't get much fresher.

When I first saw this recipe, my initial reaction was the opposite of most in the sense that my brain and tastebuds immediately said, "I must try this beer." Would love to set up a swap.

But I'll warn ya, I'm still a n00b.

As long as I don't get bottles of toilet hooch in the mail, I'm game...

I've only been doing this for 14 months, so I'm kind of a n00b in my own rite.

Evan! said:

As long as I don't get bottles of toilet hooch in the mail, I'm game...

I've only been doing this for 14 months, so I'm kind of a n00b in my own rite.

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4 batches vs 45 batches? I dunno.

I'll go to the store tonight to get the kool-aid and bread yeast.

Evan! said:

As long as I don't get bottles of toilet hooch in the mail, I'm game...

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So urinal cake hooch is ok then?

ohiobrewtus said:

So urinal cake hooch is ok then?

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Depends on the scent of the cake.

Wow, this beer sounds really intriguing. I'm trying to picture basil and beer together, but can't quite wrap my head around it. I may have to swap you for some sometime. I have a winter ale that's been bulk conditioning for a couple months and will hit the bottle at the end of the month. I think that could do the trick.

shunoshi said:

Wow, this beer sounds really intriguing. I'm trying to picture basil and beer together, but can't quite wrap my head around it. I may have to swap you for some sometime. I have a winter ale that's been bulk conditioning for a couple months and will hit the bottle at the end of the month. I think that could do the trick.

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Yeah, it's hard to really get without tasting it. All I can say is that basil has some characteristics like hops, with that touch of licorice.

I'll probably just pick up the stuff at the store, only 4 or 5 bucks, and worth it for some good beer. Can't decide if I should add a pinch of cinnamon or not though. Does the cinnamon flavor of the basil come through pretty strong in yours, Evan?

Evan! said:

Yeah, it's hard to really get without tasting it. All I can say is that basil has some characteristics like hops, with that touch of licorice.

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Defintiely love that licorice flavor. I had to kill HALF of our basil crop....they tried to take over (Probably 4 feet of SOLID basil plants....blocked the lawnmower)....but we still have a healthy amount of basil (Ya got me on the variety, probably 2 types).... What advice can you give while I still got my crop??????

seefresh said:

I'll probably just pick up the stuff at the store, only 4 or 5 bucks, and worth it for some good beer. Can't decide if I should add a pinch of cinnamon or not though. Does the cinnamon flavor of the basil come through pretty strong in yours, Evan?

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It's extremely subtle...even moreso in the IPA version where the hop flavor/aroma is strong. I've never done it with cinnamon, but I bet a pinch wouldn't be a bad thing.

ScubaSteve said:

Defintiely love that licorice flavor. I had to kill HALF of our basil crop....they tried to take over (Probably 4 feet of SOLID basil plants....blocked the lawnmower)....but we still have a healthy amount of basil (Ya got me on the variety, probably 2 types).... What advice can you give while I still got my crop??????

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More than likely some of it is sweet italian...which works very well in beer. The other popular variety is Thai, but its leaves are smooth and the bolting buds are purple...so that's how you know.

Advice? Use it, baby! Make some basil beer, and do it fast, because that stuff dies quickly. Follow my recipe or something close to it, and I promise you will not be disappointed. Those cup measurements are loosely packed, BTW. Victory & Honey malts are a couple of my favorites...

Thanks, bro! I'll probably have to get with it....it's starting to cool off outside....