Brewing with Eastern Red Cedar - Toxic Cedrol?

[BrotherBock]

I'm wanting to make a beer that reminds me of the Minnesota woods. Something woody and earthy. A good camping beer. Spruce beer comes to mind, but that's not all that woody, more citrusy. So I was thinking about cedar and/or juniper.

We have Eastern Red Cedar and White Cedar here
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees_shrubs/conifers/whitecedar.html
http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/trees_shrubs/conifers/easternredcedar.html

But according to Wikipedia:
Red Cedar: Juniper oil is distilled from the wood, twigs and leaves. The essential oil contains cedrol which has toxic and possibly carcinogenic properties. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juniperus_virginiana#Uses

White Cedar: The foliage of Thuja occidentalis is rich in Vitamin C and is believed to be the annedda which cured the scurvy of Jacques Cartier and his party in the winter of 1535–1536.[7] Due to the presence of the neurotoxic compound thujone, internal use can be harmful if used for prolonged periods or while pregnant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuja_occidentalis

I know I've had cedar (not cigar city, they use spanish cedar) and juniper beers with no ill effects, but maybe those were using different cedar and juniper?

Any advice on how to use these in brewing. If I can't go into the woods and grab some cedar I'll abandon the project and do something else, I'd like it to be "truly Minnesotan" as much as it can be.

 

[brwagur]

I think it is extremely unlikely that you would get anywhere near a dangerous concentration of those compounds in a beer. Those warnings concern essential oils which are very concentrated. Cedrol and Thujone are both present in multiple culinary herbs. Thujone in particular is present in sage in relatively large amounts. I would guess that if you've ever had a glass of gin you've had more of both of these compounds than would ever make it into a glass of beer (without the flavor being completely overpowering/gross)

 

[passedpawn]

FYI spanish cedar is mahogany.