1968 for a Gruit?

[Doog_Si_Reeb]

I've never had a gruit before, and certainly never tried to brew one. However, I am planning to brew one this coming Friday. I have a few yeasts in the fridge and I am leaning towards Wyeast 1968. Any compelling reasons not to use that yeast?

Another option would be WLP568, Saison blend, but that might be too odd...

 

[hbx]

I bet the 1968 London ESB yeast will make a delicious gruit. I see that it is a modest attenuator (67-71%) and has very good flocculation. So, it should leave a little residual sweetness and good clarity. Wyeast actually recommends this strain for spiced/herb beers. Let us know how it comes out.

 

[Dubcut]

I had some really good gruit at Boston Beer works last year. That is all.

 

[carnevoodoo]

Just be careful with a yeast that will not attenuate fully. Green Flash out here recently made an amazing gruit and even with using WLP001, it is still sweet. You will probably want to get decent attenuation on this beer.

 

[kunstler]

With gruits look into the herbs that you are using. There are some out there (I think wormwood is one) that are FAR bitter than hops (enough of it can make Magnum hops seem like water) - So you don't want it to go totally dry because then you'll have bitter water with a slight hint of beer.

Go to this website: www.Gruitale.com they have alot of info on gruits - and I would definatly look into trying a commercial version before making one. My first sample was at a beer festival and it did not taste like i thought it would.

 

[Doog_Si_Reeb]

Thanks for the inputs. I have done a lot of reading on www.gruitale.com. That website has a load of good info.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to try any commercial gruits so I am winging it. I emailed a brewer at Magnolia Pub and Brewery in California that makes Weekapaug Gruit. Their gruit has received some good reviews so I hit him up for some advice. He said he uses 1-2 lbs of each herb per 7 bbl batch. I am going to use similar percentages for mine. I am deviating from his herb blend somewhat, based on what was available at brewmaster's warehouse.

I'm shooting for a dark winter beer as the base. I'm planning to use Mugwort and Heather tips for bittering. Sweet Gale (Bog Myrtle) for flavor/aroma addition. More Heather tips at flameout. I'm also planning to mash at 152 to give some extra fermentables since the strain doesn't attenuate too low.

 

[kunstler]

I've had a nice heather ale before (it used other herbs to give the main bittering) however the main aromatics was from heater - very floral you might want to keep it light on the heather so it doesn't taste like drinking a flower. Not sure how much is too much but like every where you look it says use less and then add more next batch if needed.

BYO has a herb chart somewhere I found it a while ago and downloaded off their website. It gives you "maximum dosage" for different herbs and spices and when/how to use them.

 

[ajfabb]

I put together a chart of how much herbs to use in ales (scroll down), based on experimentation and a couple of books (e.g. Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers). I don't have a figure for heather, though. We made a great amber that used wormwood instead of hops (Absinthe Amber Ale) using those figures.

 

[Doog_Si_Reeb]

The hydro sample I tasted last night was pretty damn good (for being wort)! It wasn't herbally at all. I've got my fingers crossed that it will turn out well. For the record, I used 1 oz. Mugwort and 1 oz. Heather at 60 min. .5 oz. Mugwort at 20 min. Then 1 gm. Sweet Gale at 10 min. And finally, 1 oz. Heather at flameout.

The 1968 was bubbling well this morning. I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't make its way up to the airlock and blow black liquid all over the spare bedroom while my mother-in-law is there....

 

[kunstler]

The hydro sample I tasted last night was pretty damn good (for being wort)! It wasn't herbally at all. I've got my fingers crossed that it will turn out well. For the record, I used 1 oz. Mugwort and 1 oz. Heather at 60 min. .5 oz. Mugwort at 20 min. Then 1 gm. Sweet Gale at 10 min. And finally, 1 oz. Heather at flameout.

The 1968 was bubbling well this morning. I have my fingers crossed that it doesn't make its way up to the airlock and blow black liquid all over the spare bedroom while my mother-in-law is there....

Let us know how it ends up!
is it a bad thing if it spews black liquid all over the MIL?

if so blow off tubes are always fun!

 

[Doog_Si_Reeb]

is it a bad thing if it spews black liquid all over the MIL?

if so blow off tubes are always fun!

I think the bad part would be the black liquid all over the light carpet.

I probably should have put a blow off tube on before leaving town for the weekend...