Say what you want about truffles: delicious, overpriced, aroma of the heavens, a fad, fungal gold, yuppie, classic, nouveu riche... It is undeniable that they hold a exalted place in cuisine, and have a unique flavor and aroma of their own.
I am going to try to put them in beer.
It has been done before: The Bruery's Salt of the Earth was made with truffle salt, and this Frenchman apparently sells a truffle-infused brew at his B&B. I haven't had the pleasure of trying either.
The first part of this project will be research on two main questions:
Some preliminary research leads me to believe that the answer to the first question will be similar to how nuts are introduced into beers. Oils, and sometimes even vodka are often used as vehicles for truffle flavor, indicating that their flavor/aroma compounds are probably fat-soluble, similar to peanuts/hazelnuts. Many threads exist on these boards regarding nut flavorings in beer, and two approaches seem to be most effective:
The second question is where I'm the most clueless. Some sites advertising "Beer & Truffle Dinners" pair IPA's or Black IPA's with truffles, saying that the bitterness compliments the strong umami of truffle-rich dishes. However, nuts are often infused into porters or stouts. The French beer linked above is a blonde ale at its heart. The Bruery's Salt of the Earth was a goze, a wheat beer.
My plan will be to attempt a few one-gallon batches some time in the next few months, to test style and utilization methods. Eventually, this will be followed by a 5-gallon batch, potentially in time for the late-summer competition season.
Input is welcomed. Have you tried this before? Have you had a truffle-flavored beer, and what can you say about it? Do you have a bottle of Salt of the Earth you wouldn't mind trading? Do you happen to have a neighbor who owns a truffle-sniffing pig?
Spectators are welcome, too.
I am going to try to put them in beer.
It has been done before: The Bruery's Salt of the Earth was made with truffle salt, and this Frenchman apparently sells a truffle-infused brew at his B&B. I haven't had the pleasure of trying either.
The first part of this project will be research on two main questions:
- How to infuse the beer with truffle flavor and aroma?
- What style of beer will provide a good base for a balanced final result?
Some preliminary research leads me to believe that the answer to the first question will be similar to how nuts are introduced into beers. Oils, and sometimes even vodka are often used as vehicles for truffle flavor, indicating that their flavor/aroma compounds are probably fat-soluble, similar to peanuts/hazelnuts. Many threads exist on these boards regarding nut flavorings in beer, and two approaches seem to be most effective:
- Soak the nuts (truffles) in vodka, and add the infused vodka to secondary.
- Add nuts (truffles) late in primary or early in secondary, then use a long settling period and careful racking to separate oils.
The second question is where I'm the most clueless. Some sites advertising "Beer & Truffle Dinners" pair IPA's or Black IPA's with truffles, saying that the bitterness compliments the strong umami of truffle-rich dishes. However, nuts are often infused into porters or stouts. The French beer linked above is a blonde ale at its heart. The Bruery's Salt of the Earth was a goze, a wheat beer.
My plan will be to attempt a few one-gallon batches some time in the next few months, to test style and utilization methods. Eventually, this will be followed by a 5-gallon batch, potentially in time for the late-summer competition season.
Input is welcomed. Have you tried this before? Have you had a truffle-flavored beer, and what can you say about it? Do you have a bottle of Salt of the Earth you wouldn't mind trading? Do you happen to have a neighbor who owns a truffle-sniffing pig?
Spectators are welcome, too.