Blood Beer

Okay, yeah this is pretty off the wall, but what do you guys think of blood used in a brew?
I don't want the flavor imparted, 'cause that's gross - but my buds and I do enjoy silly epic metal type stuff. I think blood beer would fit the bill. Also, Klingons. We like Klingons.

Basically, blood is mostly water but about 7% of is made of proteins, and much smaller percentages of salts, lipids, sugar, wastes, you know - blood stuff.
After a nice long boil, how much blood do you think I could add before adversely affecting the brew?
Also, best thrown in the wort boil, or the secondary?

I figure the redness might not carry through, and turn brown, although less cool that's OK too I think. Anyways, thanks in advance for any input on this ridiculousness.

Try looking here:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/klingon-blood-ale-61383/

I think the overall sentiment was pretty negative. It sounds utterly wretched to me.

Hmm... so a bit more cruising the internet has turned up that blood and other animal stuff was at one point used as a fining ingredient/clarifier. So that's promising, but the question of dosage remains . . . do you think a cup or two would be safe?
And yeah, that Blood Ale does sound gnarly. I definitely do not want my beer to taste like blood. But I also want more than a teaspoon in there, gotta find that balance between flavor and coolness.

OK so the other question is, from which being do you obtain said blood? The brewmeister, his spouse, his pet, or his meal?....

You want blood beer? Drink some Freaktoberfest by Shmaltz. Find out what's in that beer to make it blood red (good luck!) and I think you'll be quite satisfied. And if you do, please let me know.

Scrumpy should contain 1 rat.

If you keep it in the boil for the full duration, it's bound to be safe. However, I don't really understand the intent. You're just adding it for the "wow" factor? If you don't want to taste it, don't put it in your beer.

Would be like drinking liquid scabs.

...Stick some blackpudding in it? (Blood sausage).

Dont put it in, and say that you did...

Well if you boil it for any length of time it'll just coagulate and float to the top in coagulated nastiness.

What I'd do is mix it with a sizable amount of vodka first to steralize it and then dump it in when the beer is done fermenting so you don't have to cook it. I'd look into natural (and edible!) anti-coagulants and emulsifiers you could add too to keep it from seperating.

Don't add too much, you'd just want it in there for color, thick blood beer sounds nasty.

Rock on :rockin:

while I do know where to get blood(local meat market sells gal. of pig blood)

I use it to make a yummy blood sausage

do not think I would add it to my brew

:rockin:

Um yeah...........1 drop of blood, lots of red food coloring.

Just nasty

So, as a doc, and budding hematologist (read: someone who spends a lot of time thinking about blood, blood clotting etc), perhaps I might be of some use here.
I can't tell you how much blood will start to affect the taste, but I expect the major components that you'll notice at first will be salt followed by a metallic taste. There will also be some sugar in there, though in comparison to what you get out of malt extract I suspect this is an insignificant consideration. Since I don't think either will be desirable, I'd stick to lower volumes to start, and work your way up by taste. And I'd pick a strong base recipe that will overshadow these potential flavors.

In terms of when to add it: I'd use it in the boil. I can think of two good reasons for this:
1) you can add small amounts at a time (see above)
2) The agitation and heat in the boil should actually prevent the blood from clotting. Although late in the process (ie primary/secondary) clotting may be of use as a fining agent, during your boil it may do no more than bind up your hop pellets before they release all their alpha acid.

Now, the heat will certainly denature any proteins in the blood: I have no idea what this will ultimately do. It may prevent clotting, which may in turn prevent the blood from performing it's "job" as a fining agent.

Ultimately this is all theory -- the only way to know for sure is to try it. Although I might not tell my friends what's in the brew until after they've had a few drinks.

Dead thread I'll guess but worth a post.

Has anyone tried this yet? I've been making my own sausages for a few years and typically have a couple pound tubs of frozen pork or beef blood. I thought the added mineral content of the blood may compliment a stout well provided I keep it below the metallic taste threshold mentioned. I figured if any proteins were left they'd mostly drop out when cold crashed and not a lot of flavor would make it thru. Considered throwing in a steak or some liver/brains. Zombie beer or maybe "brewed with a pound of flesh and bucket of blood" bragging rights.

A pound of blood in 5 gallons? Or maybe 3?

This sounds about as bad as the Walking Dead beer with goat brains in it. Ugh.

Igw said:

Okay, yeah this is pretty off the wall, but what do you guys think of blood used in a brew?

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IMO, if you haven't figured this out for your self, you need professional help.

zardozap said:

This sounds about as bad as the Walking Dead beer with goat brains in it. Ugh.

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I haven't tried that one yet but it's on my list for sure. Brains aren't so bad as one might think, similar to a liver flavor. Just have to beware the cow brains, mad cow disease and all. Fun as a russian mad cow stout may sound, even I'll pass on that one

I would just brew something light in color and add some red food coloring. Get that "blood" look w/out the grossness of actually adding blood to your beer.