A Gruit that's amazingly good!

[aaronkaz]

Fermentation length is really up to you. Especially with the high ABV, I think this is a good one to age. Some people like to bulk age, and some bottle when its done and let it develop in the bottle. I racked from primary after about 7-10 days then let sit in the secondary for about a month before bottling. I generally use a tertiary stage only if I'm adding something to the secondary like dried herbs. I didn't on this one though. Still have a few bottles aging right now.

Opened one up the other night to check it out. Coming along nicely but can't say I was really into it in this hot season. I'm just drinking light, summer ales and lagers right now.

 

[Vance71975]

Wait, isn't wild rosemary poisonous?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhododendron_tomentosum

Actually what they call "poisonous" is actually the fact that many of the things in gruit ale have a "stimulating" or somewhat "narcotic" effect, Many of the herbs used historically, had "psychotropic" or "Psychoactive" properties. In other words they "got you high". The Switch to hops, Many believe, without facts to support or refute mind you was because hops are a sedative, so that the people, and by the people back then i mean everyone, Were "less troublesome", because back then everyone drank Ale, so with everyone drinking hopped ale, they were sedated,even if it was only mildly so. Have you ever noticed, that when you have a few REALLY hoppy IPA's that you get sleepy? That is a known side effect of hops.

 

[thelema420]

Fermentation length is really up to you. Especially with the high ABV, I think this is a good one to age. Some people like to bulk age, and some bottle when its done and let it develop in the bottle. I racked from primary after about 7-10 days then let sit in the secondary for about a month before bottling. I generally use a tertiary stage only if I'm adding something to the secondary like dried herbs. I didn't on this one though. Still have a few bottles aging right now.

Opened one up the other night to check it out. Coming along nicely but can't say I was really into it in this hot season. I'm just drinking light, summer ales and lagers right now.

cool, just looking for some rough guidelines. OP says add oak in tertiary so i wasn't sure. this, or some derivative thereof, is on my short list to-brew!
PS. best price i found on yarrow was on ebay, $16/lb shipped!

 

[aaronkaz]

Do you have any health food stores around? many carry bulk herbs so you just get what you need on the yarrow, the others you'll have to order. Wildweeds is the best source to get it all