Hop Substitute.

[khooleo]

If I want to substitute Hops, what spice / herb could I use? I can't get it in my country.

 

[Ouroboros]

Apparently before hops mixtures of herbs were used.

You can't get hops shipped to where you live? What about hop rhizomes? You could grow your own, maybe.

 

[ThickHead]

Get them in Singapore.

 

[khooleo]

Would like to keep the ingredients local though if possible.

Ouro : I'm pretty sure I can't grow it in my country. Will try though.

TH : Yeah, went there last month to buy yeast and airlocks for my mead. The yeast was so expensive (Redstar Champagne Cuvee). Will be using local wine yeast from now on.

 

[Ouroboros]

Would like to keep the ingredients local though if possible.

Ouro : I'm pretty sure I can't grow it in my country. Will try though.

TH : Yeah, went there last month to buy yeast and airlocks for my mead. The yeast was so expensive (Redstar Champagne Cuvee). Will be using local wine yeast from now on.

Wow, Redstar is dirt cheap in the US. What is your local wine yeast?

I imagine hop rhizomes would be nearly impossible to get ahold of. You can make a lot of beers that don't need hop aroma or flavor, but they still need some sort of bittering to balance the sweetness of the unfermented sugars. I'm not sure what sort of bitter herbs grow in Malaysia, but you might want to see what you have access to in that department.

 

[ThickHead]

Would like to keep the ingredients local though if possible.

Ouro : I'm pretty sure I can't grow it in my country. Will try though.

TH : Yeah, went there last month to buy yeast and airlocks for my mead. The yeast was so expensive (Redstar Champagne Cuvee). Will be using local wine yeast from now on.

I can understand your interest in keeping things local. I attempt to do the same whenever I can. However, since I am often spinning myself around the globe it usually works out that the best I am able to do (and still get the results I crave) is use the most local sources for the ingredients that make me smile.

I am currently hanging out just south (or southwest of you if you're on Kalimantan) on an Indonesian Island just off the coast of Singapore. It's a 45 min ferry ride for me to Singapore where there is plenty of access to quality ingredients. It certainly isn't inexpensive shopping and I would suggest looking into washing and reusing yeast in an effort to stretch your ringgit a bit further. I am surprised though that you are unable to find a local (or semi-local supplier) in Malaysia. I wouldn't give up on getting hops just yet.

 

[wyzazz]

I made a hopless Spruce Tip Beer this past spring, one of the best beers I've ever made! I only have 1 bottle left in my filing cabinet...

 

[COLObrewer]

I made a hopless Spruce Tip Beer this past spring, one of the best beers I've ever made! I only have 1 bottle left in my filing cabinet...

Yea spruce beer is great, there are other things that can be used as in "gruit ale": http://www.gruitale.com/intro_en.htm

We have also used Mace and Mugwort for bittering, they tend to be stronger than hops and lend a more antiseptic flavor until well conditioned.

 

[ThickHead]

Eheh...I'm no botanist guys but I have a feeling Spruce would be even more difficult for our friend to find than hops in Malaysia.

The Mace might be doable as Nutmeg grows plentifully throughout the region.

 

[khooleo]

Thanks peeps,

wyzazz : Hopless Beer. That sounds interesting. Will scour forums.

Ouro : Bought Redstar champagne yeast for USD 4.50 per sachet.

TH : Can find almost ALL ingredients in malaysia but from very specific vendors, except the hops. Dude, you in Batam?

Will come back to the forums for guidance once my mead and tuak is done. By the way, will try using chinese wine yeast from now on. Have to measure at what alcohol level they die out as the packaging doesn't describe its properties.

 

[ThickHead]

Dude, you in Batam?

Yup. For the next month.

 

[Smokeater233]

Khooleo - have a think about Expat Express (http://www.expatexpress.com/Expat/) - like you I couldn't get most of the equipment or ingredients here locally, but Expat Express is a fast and cheap way to get around the complications of shipping outside of the US.