GOP in a Mead or Barleywine

[VTBrewer]

I'd like to brew a nice 12 month mead or barleywine, and for reasons not germane to the question, I'd like to use Grains of Paradise. I'm not set on either style, but have no experience in formulating a recipe for either. I've searched a lot of boards and have yet to find either with GOP.

Can anybody give me a push down the right or good path?

 

[summersolstice]

I've used them in both braggots and metheglins. I like them and they bring a lot to the party. I think they work well with other "hot" spices like ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, etc.

 

[santosvega]

If you want an historical perspective, I'd recommend checking out this book (free e-book on Project Gutenberg):
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The American Practical Brewer and Tanner, by Joseph Coppinger
It was written by an English brewer who emigrated to America in the early 19th century, so it's a nice snapshot of beer styles at the time. Nearly all of the British recipes he gives are strong barleywine-type ales by modern standards and nearly all include grains of paradise, often paired with coriander. Licorice root is good as well. I find both Licorice and coriander supply a nice sweetness to balance out the spice of the gop and the bitterness of the hops.

 

[santosvega]

If you're at all interested historically, sources indicate that grains of paradise were quite popular with British brewers in the late 18th-early 19th centuries, and in most cases were paired with coriander or licorice root. I quite like the balance in early 19th century British ale recipes (most of which could qualify as barleywines by today's standards). Hops (likely would have been all Goldings at that point) for bitterness, a touch of fruity sweetness from coriander or licorice, and spicy notes from grains of paradise.
There's a free e-book somewhere with recipes from that period.
Ah, here it is, written by a British ex-pat in 1815:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The American Practical Brewer and Tanner, by Joseph Coppinger

 

[VTBrewer]

I found your saffron mead and think I'll be using a variation of that. I have read that a little bit of grains of paradise go a very long way, and it appears that a 5 galllon batch of that particular recipe calls for more than a half cup. Is that correct?

 

[summersolstice]

I used a couple of tablespoons in my 5-gallon saffron mead and about that much in my braggot. I suppose a recipe could call for a half cup but I doubt it would be a half cup of ground GOP. I put mine in whole.

 

[s3n8]

I use a little in one tripel recipe I have made. I smash them up with a hammer, but I think I use 2gm.

 

[VTBrewer]

I was looking at your saffron recipe and it has this:

"I roasted 1 gram of saffron in a small frying pan and added to a French press along with a small thumbnail of fresh ginger, 1 bay leaf, pinches of cinnamon stick, blade mace, and a couple tablespoons grains of paradise. Add 3/4 cup boiling water and steep for 30 minutes. Cool to room temperature and add to a 1-gallon glass carboy. Add 1/2 cup of honey. Add base dry traditional mead. Age for three month and, when clear, bottle."

So for 5 gallons...wouldn't i multiple all by 5..which would be 10 tablespoons?

 

[summersolstice]

Yes, if the recipe is for one gallon, multiply by 5 for 5 gallons.

 

[VTBrewer]

Ah, here it is, written by a British ex-pat in 1815:
The Project Gutenberg eBook of The American Practical Brewer and Tanner, by Joseph Coppinger

This is really fun reading...thanks for posting it.

 

[santosvega]

This is really fun reading...thanks for posting it.

Glad you enjoyed it! I thought it was so nice, I posted it twice. Didn't realize there was a delay on my posts, guess I thought the first one didn't go through.