Best non-hopped recipe?

[rogue22]

So one of my good friends is allergic to hops. I didn't know this was even possible until I met her. So my question is what is the best recipe you have come across that doesn't use any hops? It would be best to stay away from the heavier styles, and can be extract, all grain, whatever.

Thanks!

 

[Big10Seaner]

There are several alternative bittering agents you can use to bitter beer. The book "Extreme Brewing" goes into much detail on various options available. If you search the board here you should also find some info.

 

[Nurmey]

The term you are looking for is gruit. Beer made with alternative bittering agents. I think there is some recipes floating around here and on google for sure.

 

[Edcculus]

Cider and mead.

 

[gxm]

I would be so sad if I were allergic to hops.

You can make a very tasty beer w/o hops. I've had a number of Belgian yeast starters that come out very good, considering they were young, hopless, and had no specialty grains.
You could try making any lightly hopped recipe w/o the hops. Or check out Extreme Brewing as mentioned above.

 

[madewithchicken]

There is a lot of stuff you can do with frozen juice concentrate and frozen fruit. I am not sure what substitute I would use for hops.

I have heard of this allergy before. It sounded fishy from the moment my friend told me he had it. Allergists don't test for very rare stuff very often and i told him that. It turned out my friend's mom was lying to him. I assume to keep him from drinking. But this may well be a real allergy for some people, i do not know.

On that same note a different friend is "allergic" to the glue used in cigarettes. I have encouraged him to talk to his mom as well.

 

[Parker36]

You can make a very tasty beer w/o hops. I've had a number of Belgian yeast starters that come out very good, considering they were young, hopless, and had no specialty grains.

I think the question now becomes: What are you doing sampling your starters?:fro:

 

[conpewter]

I think the question now becomes: What are you doing sampling your starters?:fro:

I think it is a good idea, if you are pouring off the spent wort anyway... might give you an idea of what different base malts taste like.

I tend to take wort leftover after i transfer to my carboy (stuff left in the lines, in the hops etc) and freeze it, then I boil it and use it for starters, so it is still beer when fermented in a flask as opposed to a carboy, just a different yeast perhaps.

 

[gxm]

I think the question now becomes: What are you doing sampling your starters?:fro:

Why wouldn't you sample a starter? I want to make sure the yeast isn't off, and I want to familiarize myself with yeast flavor profiles. Granted, my temp control isn't the same for starters as it is for beer, so the flavors do vary.
I pretty much sample everything in the process. I taste my grain and hops, yeast starters, wort from the OG sample, beer from the SG sample, etc. I typically just sip enough to taste, not like "sampling" from the keg

 

[drunkrhino]

i was reading an article about Strong Scotch Ale's that might help.

"In contrast to barley, hops refuse to flourish in Scotland. Long after the English had conceded to use hops, the Scots continued to prefer other bittering substances. A variety of products were used instead, including 'ginger, pepper, spices and aromatic herbs.'"

 

[COLObrewer]

Heather tips, Juniper berries, mugwort, sweet gale to name a few, just do a search for gruit or gruit ale. I've found that most of these ales take a real long time to condition due to a strong sour taste, . . . . but maybe I put too much in.