Has anyone brewed with spruce tips

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Slatetank

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I was wondering about the technique in dealing with spruce. Does it need to be boiled for long?, how much is too much? etc.
 
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Good question, I still have a baggie frozen from last year. I always wanted to do a flameout addition in a Blonde or pale as an experiment but I'm chicken. I might try a 1 gallon test run first.
 
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I tried that unsuccessfully, thanks for the link, though. I might make a mosher potion as some mentioned. I could probably make a tincture like I did w/ juniper berries in my gruit
 
I bought that mix pack of traditional scottish ales a scottish brewery puts out yesterday. The name of the brewery is Heather Ale Brewery or something I think. Anyway they included a spruce beer and it is wonderful! Very subtle spruce/pine flavor but it works very well. I actually think the beer was a triple so I'm not sure how authentic scottish that is but it was sure tasty. I'm looking forward to trying the other beers in the pack. I guess I go ta bit off topic but I my main message was to look for that particular beer, it is very good, and to put for the suggestion of using spruce in a triple, as it made a nice marriage of flavors.
 
that is kind of what I am going for a strong scottish porter with spruce for aroma and bitterness
 
Here was my technique on my Adirondack Ale. Turned out very nice. Could barely detect the spruce...but it offered some complexity. I would probably double the amount next time and back off one of the hop additions to let the tips come through.

SpruceTips1.jpg

SpruceTips3.jpg



Adirondack Pale
Batch Size: 11.60 gal
Boil Size: 15.13 gal
Estimated OG: 1.044 SG
Estimated Color: 10.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 78.0 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount
14.00 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Honey Malt (25.0 SRM)
1.00 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
0.50 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)

1.00 oz Nugget [13.00%] (90 min) (FWH)
1.00 oz Cascade [6.10%] (1 min)
1.00 oz Sterling [7.50%] (5 min)

4.00 oz Spruce Tips (Boil 15.0 min)

2 Pkgs SafAle American Ale (DCL Yeast #US-56) Yeast-Ale

Mash at 155 for 45 minutes..
 
Sorry for the jack, but why would you do that?

There was a couple threads on it awhile ago, but I can't find them...Some people think that by doing that..adding the pellets to boiling or near boling water, you get all the hoppy goodness from them...and make sure they all dissolve.

I did it once, and can't say I noticed a difference.
 
Sorry for the jack, but why would you do that?

For short additions...like 5 minutes or less, I don't want to spend the first 60-90 seconds watching dry pellets float around the top.

Hydrating them gets them submerged immediately.

You can't see it, but those whole Sterling hops have been hydrated as well.
 
that is too funny. This is the first I heard of hydrating pellets. I guess I will shoot for 6-8 oz of spruce spread out over the boil and maybe some in secondary for aroma
 
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