Just wanted to post a recipe I'm planning for the weekend to see what folks think. After trying a Yerba Mate beer a couple months back, I wanted to brew something that would showcase the earthy flavor of kukicha (twig) tea. (Wikipedia it.) That, along with my curiosity about hops-less beers (I'm drinking my sage-barleywine as I type this) led me to the following recipe, patterned after a reddish mild ale. Comments?
Old Twiggy (5 gallons)
Mash @ 150 F for 60 minutes:
- 5 lbs pale malt
- 1 lb crystal malt (10 deg L)
- 3 oz chocolate malt
- 4 oz rye malt
- (1.5 lb cane sugar in kettle)
For boil:
- 1 oz dried sage (60 min)
- 0.5 oz roasted dandelion root (30 min)
- 32 oz brewed kukicha tea (secondary or at bottling)
Finings (maybe...haven't used before)
- 3 oz isinglass per 5 gallons
My biggest concern is whether 1/2 oz of roasted dandelion root is going to overwhelm the nutty/earthy tea flavor, but I think I want it for the bitterness. I suspect this will be tasty even if it doesn't truly *showcase* the tea...
Old Twiggy (5 gallons)
Mash @ 150 F for 60 minutes:
- 5 lbs pale malt
- 1 lb crystal malt (10 deg L)
- 3 oz chocolate malt
- 4 oz rye malt
- (1.5 lb cane sugar in kettle)
For boil:
- 1 oz dried sage (60 min)
- 0.5 oz roasted dandelion root (30 min)
- 32 oz brewed kukicha tea (secondary or at bottling)
Finings (maybe...haven't used before)
- 3 oz isinglass per 5 gallons
My biggest concern is whether 1/2 oz of roasted dandelion root is going to overwhelm the nutty/earthy tea flavor, but I think I want it for the bitterness. I suspect this will be tasty even if it doesn't truly *showcase* the tea...