gathering spruce tips in autumn?

[jotakah]

Hey,

So I would really like to make an ale with spruce tips, or maybe even some douglas fir tips. But most advice I've found suggests to gather the new spring growth on the tips of the branches that tend to be a lighter color. The adage being that these new tips have less tannins than older parts of the branch

Well, it is not spring at all right now. I'm wondering if I should just grab this year's new tips even though they've had a summer to age? Or am I thinking into this too much and really I can just use whichever tips I want

any advice on non-springtime spruce tip gathering for brewing would be very helpful, THANK YOU!!:rockin::fro:

 

[porterpounder]

Spring tips are more mellow, but I've more often used Fall tips with good results. Just make sure you boil them in the wort for 60 mins to blow off the solventy character. I usually go with a quart of moderately packed tips in a 6 gallon batch.