Wormwood

Wondering if anyone has ever used or seen the need for using artemisia Abisinthium in their brewing projects.

It's REALLY REALLY bitter...used half an ounce in a five gallon batch and it was pretty un-drinkable.

ever tried "Four" it is by coke and has wormwood in it. both times i tried a can, i felt like i was on the razor edge of barfing my guts out for many hours, but of course never did. what a drag to feel that sick and not have the relief of a spew session!! i say F that wormwood crap.

Real absinthe is an awesome spirit, but I never observed any "strange" affects. I went through a period when it first became legal where I sought out every brand I could find. I also doubt it is the wormwood that provides the actual flavor of the absinthe, so even if you used it in beer, you probably wouldn't get much out of it other than bitterness.

Yeah, I just did, and it went pretty poorly. See below.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/what-went-wrong-198725/

Very bitter. 1/2 oz for 60 mins is way too much! I've heard 1/4 oz or spits a different beast than hops. My first guit ale, I did small 1.5 test batch and then popped it up to a larger batch once I got one I liked, though haven't used wormwood yet.

Also the comment about the effects of wormwood is in correct, it does have hallucinating properties and modern absinthe in the USA is basically just really strong vodka with green food coloring. However the amount of wormwood you would use in a 5 gallon batch will not produce those effects - not concentrated enough. And if you did concentrate it enough it would be so far beyond bitter.

REAL absinthe has wormwood in it and the effects are real. Commercial absinthe is not real.

But real absinthe is 100% illegal in the USA as you can only make it yourself....

I grow it (artemesia absinthium). Some of my plants are 23-years-old. The older the plant, the more potent it is, so they say. It's a medicinal herb, and it tastes like that to keep you from just "indulging" at your liesure; in large doses, it can be toxic. It does, as the name implies, expel worms, but it's also traditionally been used as a remedy for gall bladder and liver problems including jaundice, and for diarrhea and dysentery. It was even used for promoting appetite in convalescents. NOTE: It is NOT recommended for internal use by the FDA. Externally, it's a great linament especially for back aches and sprains, and helps relieve the pain of rheumatoid arthritis.

As for the absinthe that's been made legal again here, it will either have an extremely low (per FDA - 0%) level of absinthium and/or other bittering agents from the artemesia family, or other herbs including hops (cones and leaves).

Here's the problem with wormwood: It IS addicting. Habitual use results in dimentia, chronic hallucinations, siezures, vertigo, and even death.

Hops, on the other hand, has traditionally been used for soothing nervousness, promoting sleep WITHOUT becoming dependent upon it, and for eliminating the same issues CAUSED by wormwood excesses (except death; nope, it won't bring you back. ). Also great for the liver and gall bladder and inflammation in the joints. Lots of other stuff, but you're a brewer, you already know that.

- Tim

kunstler said:

But real absinthe is 100% illegal in the USA as you can only make it yourself....

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It is my understanding that you can have "real" absinthe and consume it in the US. The tricky part is getting it. It's illegal for sale in the US but you can buy some while in another country like France and bring it back legally. That's my understanding last time I looked into it at least. I suppose you could order it also but then you're dealing with alcohol tax and mail BS.

kunstler said:

REAL absinthe has wormwood in it and the effects are real. Commercial absinthe is not real.

But real absinthe is 100% illegal in the USA as you can only make it yourself....

Click to expand...

Real absinthe has been legal for at least two years now. I was buying it before I bought my house, with was in early '09. The reason I say that is because I was living with a friend and we both liked it.

You are probably referring to "Absente", which is not real.

I actually like the aniseed taste of it and regularly drink Sambuca. never drank Absinthe Liquer. Just interested in using it in beer. I don't believe there are any commercial examples??

Hey there... Just a suggestion, you might want to consider Atemisia pontica (Roman wormwood) instead of Grand wormwood. This is the type of wormwood used in the colouration stage (post distillation) of absinthe production, and is much less bitter. Grand wormwood is used in the initial maceration, when distillation will polish up some of that harsh bitter taste. I'd expect Roman wormwood would lend itself better to non-distilling applications, and you could go one step further and use it with the other two components of the absinthe 'holy trinity' - fennel and green anise (not star anise).

Just my thoughts on the matter, I've never added herbs to beer.

I know this thread is SUPER OLD AND DEAD but I want to brew with wormwood as well and would love to hear any results. Also if you wanna try real absinthe just order it from www.alandia.com it will come by U.S. mail guaranteed

I've used wormwood in a few different brews - all of them being super anachronistic gruit ales with no hops, just a blend of herbs.

I see people earlier in this thread claiming that half an ounce of it in 5 gallons for 60 minutes was the limit (or even too much) but I think that's rubbish - I've used a full ounce plus other herbs in a couple beers and they came out great.

Thanks for replying to this sanguine. Did you notice any " extra effects" from it in your beer? Also since you have had success mind sharing a recipe or 2?

TheCollector said:

Thanks for replying to this sanguine. Did you notice any " extra effects" from it in your beer? Also since you have had success mind sharing a recipe or 2?

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I'd say that the effects of the beers I made using it seemed at least subtly different from normal hopped beer, but some of that may simply be the lack of hops, which have well-documented sedative and diuretic effects. Overall I would say that drinking several of them feels different from drinking several of something else, but it's subtle, and not something readily put to words. I have three recipes involving wormwood that I'd be happy to share, if you're interested; all three are in the vein of pre-Reformation gruit ales, and as such have no hops, only herbs.

I posted my gruit recipe here on HBT. It should also be under my name in the drop-down..

Wormwood is an insanely bitter herb, so a little goes a long way. It is a different kind of bitter than hops. It is very herbal in flavor, and reminds me of a damp wet forest. I like it a lot with Sweet Gale, which adds a wonderful aromatic to it all ..

If you are unsure of how much you want to try, perhaps split your batch, and only use wormwood on one half. Then, you can always blend the two to find your ideal wormwood ratio!
--LexusChris

Airborneguy said:

Real absinthe has been legal for at least two years now. I was buying it before I bought my house, with was in early '09. The reason I say that is because I was living with a friend and we both liked it.

You are probably referring to "Absente", which is not real.

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Not to add fuel to the fire, but I believe that you are wrong. "real" absinthe, as in the stuff that was traditionally made and consumed, contains thujone which is the active ingredient in wormwood. The FDA permits the sale of absinthe in America only if it contains zero thujone. Therfore, many would consider it not "real" absinthe