Brewing with hibiscus

[TripleC223]

I'd like to make a hibiscus-centric beer for my wife, but I'm having trouble finding a consensus as to the best way to use the petals, and how much to use. Does anyone here have experience brewing with hibiscus? If so, I have a couple questions below. FWIW, the base beer will be a blonde, and I'm shooting for IBU in the 10-20 range.

-When is the best time to add the petals? Late boil, whirlpool, dry hop?

-How much is an appropriate amount to use? This will be a 3-gallon batch.

-Do the petals add any IBUs?

-I don't have a lot of neutral hops on hand, but right now I'm leaning toward pairing it with Willamette. I think my other options would overwhelm the hibiscus, so would that be a good choice? I also have azacca, cascade, jarrylo, centennial, el dorado, nugget and warrior.

Thanks for the advice, as always.

 

[HomemadeSauce]

I've only used hibiscus in a beer once, a take on this recipe:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=474462

I actually just put the flowers in a hop sock and soaked them for 2 or 3 weeks, using about 5 oz. for 3 gallons. The resulting beer was a beautiful ruby hue. It wasn't as tart as I expected but had a slightly tannic finish. I also ended up using Amarillo and was pleased with the decision. The hops yielded a brightness that I think complemented the hibiscus pretty well, so I think a citrus-forward hop would work out for you without overwhelming the other flavors.

I'm sure putting the flowers in a whirlpool would extract a good amount of color and some flavor. I have done that with Earl Grey and green tea - just steeping them for 3-5 minutes at flameout - and liked the results. In both cases the tea was apparent in aroma and flavor.

Hope this helps!

 

[rmhays25]

I didn't have the hibiscus petals on brewday, so I had to resort to adding them in secondary. I made a very concentrated hibiscus tea on the stove-top, strained the pedals, and dumped the cooled tea into the carboy. I ended up using 4 oz in my Hibiscus Blonde, but would use a more next time. I got impatient and wanted to start drinking it, or I would've made another addition.

 

[r4dyce]

I can't speak to hibiscus petals but would making a hibiscus extract work with vodka? I've had good results doing this with mint in the past.

 

[RicardoBrittoni]

I've used elderflowers in the past, 5 min boil, but I'd use elderflower liquor in the future. The flowers were very mild in flavoring, the liquor imparted more. Absolute makes a hibiscus vodka, I'd taste it, and add appropriately in fermenter. If you want to use the actual flower for a romantic reason, throw some in and don't share your recipe you can say "there are actual hibiscus flowers in it!"