Brooklyn Brew Shop's Dandelion Gruit - Tips and Advice

[r4dyce]

Thanks Tasunka,
The more I think about this, there must be something else is the grain bill besides your typical grains right? Like and herb/spice/ some kind of unusual specialty grain. The more I think about it I noticed right away the dry grains had a lemony flavor/aroma to them, which would be unusual for barley.

I gotta think something else is contributing to the sour notes other than lemon peels, but I could be wrong.

What do you think?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I thought exactly the same thing when I was brewing this gruit. The aroma from the mash was a little lemony, I remember that.

I happen to own both of BBS's books, so I looked, and Dandelion Gruit is included. I checked on the day I brewed this, and the only grains listed are Belgian Pilsner and White Wheat; other than that, it is just dandelion leaves, black peppercorns and a lemon peel.

 

[r4dyce]

Just opened my first bottle and wanted to leave my impressions. Crystal clear golden color. Kind of impressed with clarity given that I made it with just a kitchen top mash, ice bath, and no fining agents.
No head to speak of at all. Perhaps a tad undercarbed but not detrimental.
Taste: Aggressively sour. Aroma and taste of lemons. Some faint yeasty floral/fruity notes. Not bad at all. Drinkable but definitely lacks balance. If I were to brew again I would try adding more herbs/different herbs, maybe some additional spices too. It's a " thumbs up" brew, but can definitely be improved upon, comes off very one note sour lemon. I think you'd almost get a shandy effect if you mixed it with a wheat beer or maybe a kolsch. Style Might also be out of season too and I recognize it might be better experienced on a hot summer day to cut through some BBQ or burgers.

 

[r4dyce]

I'd also say I'm surprised at the level of sour achieved without any "souring" . And I don't believe I've gotten any infection. Everything looks/smells great. No odd sediments. I think it's just how this turned out.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hey -

It sounds like yours went exactly as mine, except mine was a hair over-carbed.

From what I've learned from reading, the flavor and tartness are exactly as to be expected due to the fact that it is a gruit with no hops. I believe this also accounts for the lack of any real head, too.

Very tart, yet refreshing - good for a hot summer day - but it is in your face, to say the least. To my knowledge, it came out the way it is supposed to.