tortination
New Member
Anybody ever brew/ taste/hear about a beer brewed with onions? Thought about trying a batch with some vidalia onions. It wouldn't be a session beer for sure. Somebody must have tried it before me.
Onions?
- Thread starter tortination
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cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP
OP
tortination
New Member
Ok, that's one enthusiastic no. Anyone else? If I do try it I think ill do a VERY small batch. Like one gallon. If it isn't drinkable I can always use it to braise some meat, or steam some clams.
Hmmm. You can get the onion taste with summit hops, no need for the actual onions.
OP
OP
tortination
New Member
Yeah I'm not going for subtle here. I'm talking ONION. Maybe float a crouton with melted cheese on the foam.
SwampassJ
Well-Known Member
Onion stout BBQ sauce.
brrman
Well-Known Member
f**k that sounds delish!
That's pretty rude, considering he was just asking a question.
To the OP, I found something online saying to substitute whatever sugars you might use for caramelized onions. Maybe make an IIPA or something else heavy that would use some form of crystalline sugar and use the substitute.
You should just experiment. Who knows, you could start a big trend. Along side EdWort's Apfelwine and Brandon O's Graff could be a gigantic thread titled "How many gallons of tortination's Bloomin' Onion Beer have been brewed?"
Onion beer using mustard leaves for bittering? Could be the next trend. 
It does sound interesting to make a line of cooking beers.
It does sound interesting to make a line of cooking beers.
I made a chili beer once. It wan't something I'd drink very often, but it was good. I doubt that onions would be good in beer, but ya never know until you try it.
Mermaid
Well-Known Member
I would think you might want to carmelize them first to kick up the sugar.
I've had carmelized onion ice cream before, and it was actually pretty good - but I'm not sure if the resulting brew is something you're going to want to drink on a regular basis (it seems like something you would drink with very specific food, or to mix up a chilada with). To that end, you might try a Mexican style lager with the carmelized onions??
I've had carmelized onion ice cream before, and it was actually pretty good - but I'm not sure if the resulting brew is something you're going to want to drink on a regular basis (it seems like something you would drink with very specific food, or to mix up a chilada with). To that end, you might try a Mexican style lager with the carmelized onions??
strat_thru_marshall
Well-Known Member
do three 1 gallon batches, with yellow, red and white onions. See which one comes out best!
Edcculus
Well-Known Member
Sounds...interesting. I'm not going to say it will be the next big thing. I've seen weirder combinations that turned out ok though. I agree with Mermaid. It might turn out tasting good, but there is no way its going to be a beer you want to drink often unless you just can't get enough onion in your life. Kind of like Rauchbier. For me, it goes GREAT with some BBQ or other smoked meat. Not a fan of it on its own though. I think some caramelized onions at the end of the boil might turn out pretty good.
Jack
Well-Known Member
If you do caramelize the onions before using them, I highly recommend doing so using the method employed by Thomas Keller. Use a heavy pan (e.g. cast iron) and do all the browning in the oven over the course of five-or-so hours. I've used onions prepared this way in French onion soup and scones, and resulting complexity of flavor can't be beat.
The downside of course is that if you do brown onions this way, you'd have to mix them with some kind of oil ... and you wouldn't have any head on your beer.
The downside of course is that if you do brown onions this way, you'd have to mix them with some kind of oil ... and you wouldn't have any head on your beer.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
That's pretty rude, considering I was just giving an answer.
Onions are not normally called "Bloomin". Are you suggesting he brew an outback steakhouse beer?
I have brewed pepper beer, and it was decent, but I like a lot of spice in my life.
I love onions, but I think they fall more in to the category of things I like that should not go into beer.
It could be a fantastic marinade.
bovineblitz
Well-Known Member
I think green onions might work out a little better. They seem less... intense.
I say go for it! If it weren't for experimentation we would all be brewing and drinking BMC. I say go all out and grind some up in a food processor and add some to the mash and add some as a flame-out addition. I'd choose a base style that was on the lighter side that isn't too sweet.
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
Absolutely pjj, with an experiment like this you want something to showcase the flavor with little to get in the way....
That said.......do you add some onion at 60 minutes, some at 30, and some at flameout?
Do you dry onion in secondary?
That said.......do you add some onion at 60 minutes, some at 30, and some at flameout?
Do you dry onion in secondary?
jgln
Well-Known Member
Maybe cut up some onion, smash it and put it into a glass of beer and see if it even possibly could be a flavor you want in a beer?
Do you dry onion in secondary?
Actually, one could just use dried onion flakes for all steps!
Here's a garlic beer, so why not onion?
Huh, I had no idea. My whole life has been a lie...
I figured I was just making suggestions as to possible names but apparently I've wronged you and your profession of Onion Nomenclature.
Agreed. I think an IIPA with plenty of crystal malt and late-addition hops would be a good style to try adding onions to. Add some to the last 10 minutes of the boil, or you can make an infusion. Dice or process some onion, put it in something that can seal and pour some vodka in there. After 3-4 weeks in the primary take out a measured sample of your beer (2oz is good.) Pour your vodka/onion solution through a coffee strainer into another container. Add tiny drops of your solution into your beer sample until you get the flavor you want. Then calculate how much of the solution you will need for a 5 gallon batch and voila... onion beer.
fixnmybrew
Member
im brewing an american pale ale with 2 vidalia onions in it right now, will post results.
Wberry
Well-Known Member
What about this ... use an electric skillet (a la - Alton Brown's FOS) salt and butter and saute for 45 min - an hour until they are a mahogany brown. Then pour a great dry white wine and some apple juice over the onions. Reduce to a syrup, strain and add in at flameout. I honestly thing this could work; but, you may need a style that needs some drying out with the high volume of simple sugars you would be introducing.
Awesome! Can't wait to see the results!
Sounds like a really good idea.... though can you saute the onion without butter to keep oils out?
fixnmybrew
Member
Dang I shoulda took pics... Brews in the primary now, after I cooled, I strained the wort. Too much trash in there to go thru ferm. i thought... With the initial taste test done I can honestly say theres no indication of any type of onion scent or flavor going on, however the body was changed significantly from other APA's i've had. Personnaly I think it's all about the WOW factor with doing this. The look on friends faces when they say "you made beer with what????" onions, thats right, onions....
cheezydemon3
Well-Known Member
It's like someone wanting a cow flavored beer, and you suggest calling it a big mac pale ale.
Bloomin onions are only found at outback, where they are deep fried.
Offended? No. But unless he deep fries the onions and calls it "Outback Steakhouse Bloomin Onion amber", I just can't see calling it that.
Good lord you friggin child. I thought this ended 9 months ago!
Are you the owner of Outback or something? Am I going to have to pay you royalties for making a completely harmless suggestion that I thought was clever due to alliteration?
You're probably one of those incredibly annoying guys who likes to correct people when they say "kleenex" instead of "facial tissue."
Go troll somewhere else... I'm actually interested in the final product of this experiment.
jds
Well-Known Member
OT from the discussion above:
Last week, I went to Homebrewer's Night at my favorite LHBS. There were areound 30 people there, swapping beer and BS.
At any rate, I tasted (of all things) a mead made with onions and potatoes.
Seriously. It was damn good. Lots of alcohol bite and warmth offsetting notes of vanilla and caramel. No onion flavor to it at all. It did have a hell of a bite, almost like whiskey.
The lady who made it said it was absolutely foul for about six months, but settled down into something very different after a year or so in the cellar.
Last week, I went to Homebrewer's Night at my favorite LHBS. There were areound 30 people there, swapping beer and BS.
At any rate, I tasted (of all things) a mead made with onions and potatoes.
Seriously. It was damn good. Lots of alcohol bite and warmth offsetting notes of vanilla and caramel. No onion flavor to it at all. It did have a hell of a bite, almost like whiskey.
The lady who made it said it was absolutely foul for about six months, but settled down into something very different after a year or so in the cellar.
I'm having a hard time associating onions in beer but there have been weirder things I suppose.
LuckyBeagleBrewing
Well-Known Member
Have you ever tried to get a cow in your mash tun? They are pretty stubborn. I think it would be a heck of a lot easier to coax an onion in there.
parratt1
Well-Known Member
That right there ladies and gentlemen is one of the funniest things I have read in a long while!
fixnmybrew
Member
Had great fermentation in the primary, fg was like 1.003 or something like that. After post fermentation sample taste I can honeslty say, I recommend this to anyone willing to not be scared, the onion really imparted an amazing body into the beer, color as well. There's absolutley no onion flavor leeching from the beer, or no onion taste as well, 1 week in the secondary, and this stuff's going to bottle, tastes to damn good to leave laying around.
Wberry
Well-Known Member
That is amazing ... totally something to add to the experimental file! Let us know how it matures!
makisupa
Well-Known Member
How did you use the two Vidalia onions? Did you chop them and throw them in with X minutes left in the boil?
