Onion beer

[brewsochist]

I'm starting an onion patch this week and I was wondering if anyone has tasted or even attempted brewing an onion beer. If so what were your results/reactions to it. Do you have to like onions to like the beer? Anyways just rambling thoughts I had gardening this afternoon.

 

[brewsochist]

If I do it I'll probly only do one or two gallons just in case I don't like it

 

[ChickenArise]

I've had an onion/garlic beer at a festival. It wasn't good.

 

[turkeyjerky214]

I can't imagine onion being a flavor that goes well with any beer style.

 

[TopherM]

How about onions, green peppers, mushrooms, and canned provilone cheese in the mash. Philly Cheese Brew.

Seriously? Onions?

 

[magno]

I made a garlic beer a couple years ago. I drank a bottle or two for curiosity, but used most of it for cooking.

It was a simple low ABV, low IBU pale ale recipe (I think it may have been Pale Ale Malt and some light Crystal with bittering hops only... but I can look up details later) with fresh garlic added at the end of the boil and in the fermenter after fermentation had slowed. I also added a smashed clove to some bottles. I only made ~2 gal.

I liked it best as a chicken marinade and as a stir fry sauce when it was reduced first. I would do it again, but it is not a priority.

 

[geer537]

Pretty old but I remeber hearing mixed reviews on this

http://***********.com/events/maui-brewing-pushing-the-limits-with-onion-beer/

 

[Old-Ned]

I have an unhealthy obsession with onions. I'd like to know if anybody comes up with a good one, but the Philly Cheese Brew (Stout?) sounds awesome!

 

[Soma]

I've had an onion/garlic beer, it was truly terrible. I almost threw up.

 

[brewsochist]

Thanks old-Ned I'll let you know how my batch turns out

 

[bloodonblood]

I must say that the first thing that comes to mind for me would be onion wine if theres enough sugar, but the sound of that makes through up in my mouth a little bit.

 

[Zamial]

I had one. I am told the base beer wasn't all that bad but IMO the rest of it was. I prefer the term "wretched".

If you try one, I suggest a small batch of light colored/low grav beer and a little onion.

GL

 

[Prymal]

Pretty old but I remeber hearing mixed reviews on this

http://***********.com/events/maui-brewing-pushing-the-limits-with-onion-beer/

I had this beer when it was released for the Maui Onion Festival. It was the worst thing I ever tasted in my life, i felt bad because i spit it out on the ground right in front of the booth. I love onions in food but drinking onions just made me feel like I was drinking a steak or something it was not good in any way shape or form.

 

[Alphonso]

Had it. Brother in law made a batch with a friend. NB caribou slobber with caramelized onions added to boil.

It's not 'putrid', and it won't make you 'throw up in your mouth', but it tastes exactly like it sounds. Beer with onions.

And now we have a case of it hanging around. I've been slipping it to unsuspecting victims. I should start taking pictures of the reactions.

 

[jtejedor]

According to a few other threads you can just throw in a ton of summit hops into the beer and you get onion beer.

 

[tugbucket]

Good luck of course but, all I thought of was Magic Hat's Ale Of The Living Dead garlic beer. They quickly discontinued plans on brewing a second round.

Do a split brew. Half onions, the other half Tomato Basil. Pack them in split 6-packs and recommend blending.

 

[Dubliner]

I think Onion beer it more real then garlic.

My Idea use 2 kg on 5min boil and 1 kg for 1 min boil. Then leave beer for 20 minutes.

I think it will be nice beer with onion aroma.

Stile.... I think ... IPA with 50-60 IBU.

 

[ZmannR2]

Holy revived thread Batman!!

 

[passedpawn]

Anybody who makes onion beer after reading the comments in this thread has some serious confidence, or something...

 

[stella_tigre]

I kind of like the idea of an onion and-or garlic wine or beer for marinade, as previously mentioned. Our tomato wine, which is almost good enough to drink, but not a favorite, makes a wonderful white cooking wine....

 

[Yooper]

I judged a French onion stout in a beer competition.

Seriously. French onion soup stout.

After it gone done gushing, the smell of onions filled the room and I had to take a sip.

It was disgusting.

They did get a few points for the "clone", though- it tasted exactly like French onion soup, except cold and with beer in it. Absolutely revolting.

 

[JonM]

See, that's because it didn't have the croutons and melted Gruyere.

 

[Yooper]

See, that's because it didn't have the croutons and melted Gruyere.

Well, that was the beauty of it.

I think it did. It tasted exactly like a bowl of French onion soup, except with beer and cold and carbonated.

It gushed like a volcano when opened, and I ran to the sink (we were in a house, judging in one area of the great room), and the whole area smelled of it.

And lord help me, I said, "I think this bottle has an infection" and I had the steward bring the second bottle. And repeated the experience before forcing myself to pour what we left into some glasses (two or three other judges) and those brave enough took one sip.

Vile doesn't begin to cover it. I have a cast iron stomach, and have eaten in many countries and drank many weird beverages. I can eat deep fried crickets and wash it down with masato, but I"ll be damned if I'll ever take another sip of onion beer.

 

[JonM]

 

[brick_haus]

Not sure of my spelling....but bleckkk!!

 

[stella_tigre]

HWMO replies to this thread, "Just because I can, doesn't mean I should."

 

[Jon_TWR]

I'm actually mashing an onion beer right now! I roasted the hell out of two large red onions, and cooked down 3 more in a slow cooker with water, and added that to the mash. The slow cooked onions had turned a nice light brown, and the roasted onions were black on the outside with some carbonized sugar in the bottom of the pan, but tan to brown on the inside.

I added all the onions to the mash, with the hope that I'll get some color and flavor, but that the boil and fermentation will drive off the sulfury, oniony character and leave a much more subtle flavor behind in the final beer.

I will ferment with 2nd generation T-58 in the hopes that the yeast esters and phenols will blend with the subtle onion flavor, while a very active fermentation will help break down/drive off the overt onion character.

We'll see how it goes...hopefully well, since I'm brewing 5 gallons and kegging.

If not, I guess I have 5 gallons of marinade.

 

[triethylborane]

hmm i suppose this falls in the "friends dont let friends brew pumpkin beer" category

wew

 

[Jon_TWR]

I prefer to brew sweet tater beer over pumpkin beer!

 

[BrewZer]

I'm starting an onion patch this week and I was wondering if anyone has tasted or even attempted brewing an onion beer. If so what were your results/reactions to it. Do you have to like onions to like the beer? Anyways just rambling thoughts I had gardening this afternoon.

There's already a thread for "Don't Do That"...