How to Maximize Aroma from Dried Flowers

[Tippsy-Turvy]

I'm referring to your usual dried lavender, rose buds, elderflowers etc, and if anyone with experience here can chime in, i'd appreciate it.

I'd like to maximize the aroma intensity so this time I plan to add the flowers post fermentation. However, do dried flowers need to be heated in order to "release" more aromas?

If so I can just make a tea first and add at bottling but won't the steam from the tea also dissipate the aromas?

If no heat is needed to get the most aroma out, then I'll go the cold route. But even then, which creates maximum aroma, soaking in vodka for a week before adding or just dry hop directly with it?

Thanks everyone.

 

[porterpounder]

Try it a couple of ways. The neutral spirit will dissolve the essential oils, but may be a bit heavy and concentrated, so be careful with additions. Dry-flowering will likely be more subtle and more variable with other aromas/flavors being brought out dependent on time in solution. Maybe a mix of both? Dry-flower for a few days then adjust with a spirit tincture at packaging.

 

[Tippsy-Turvy]

Good thinking, porterpounder. If I were to go the dry-flower route, how would you go about decontaminating the dried flowers?

 

[SanPancho]

i cant for the life of me find the old post about this type of stuff, but if i remember correctly i dont believe there is a way to do it without using heat or chemicals. heat you obviously dont want to use, so that leaves chemicals. starsan and the like are out, so you're left with alcohol. pack the flowers in a small container (old yeast tube? shot glass?) and add just enough vodka to cover. then dump all of it in your beer.

if your beer is already fermented it might be fine to just toss them in un-sanitized. if you bought them from a herb/flower company they're probly pretty clean. but if you picked them or grew them yourself then you've got a bit more of a decision to make as to whether sanitizing is necessary.

i tossed flowers in dry that i bought from herb/flower company, no issues. just used way too much and ended up drinking potpourri......

 

[Tippsy-Turvy]