Anyone growing their own ingredients?

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KingBrianI

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Yeah, I know everyone is growing hops. I've got several started this year too. But I mean other stuff, like fruit for wines, apples or pears for cider or perry, herbs for bittering or flavoring, etc. I planted two apple trees this year (an ashmead's kernel and an esopus spitzenburg) that will hopefully be providing me with the raw materials for some cider batches in a few years. I've also planted a mulberry tree and hope any extra fruit produced by it will be made into a wine. They're supposed to be extremely prolific I hear. I've also got two pawpaw trees coming but the fruit from them will probably be more for eating than fermenting. Although it might be interesting to add several to the mash for a saison or something. I've also planted several blackberry and raspberry bushes, a whole bunch of strawberry plants, and I have the seeds for several herbs that can be used as a gruit coming in the mail, including wormwood, mugwort and yarrow. I'm also thinking about planting some sugar pumpkin seeds in order to make a pumpkin ale this fall. What are you guys getting into?:drunk:

Oh yeah, I've also got a miniature banana in a container that is supposed to produce fruit, that might be interesting to try in a beer!:ban:
 
Grew my own pumpkins last year that I worked into a pumpkin ale. Turned out pretty good. Have hops growing, but haven't used any yet. Planted raspberries, but will be a while before they produce enough to do anything with. Plus I started a beehive this spring. Likely won't have enough honey for mead this year though.
 
We grow sour cherries, crabapples, apples, rhubarb, blackberries, grapes, etc, that I use for wines. We pick wild chokecherries, apples, blueberries and other fruit for wine, also. I don't know if I "grow" dandelions, but we use them, too.

I have two hops plants, cascade and hallertauer, that I use for beer. I think that's about it, so far!
 
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