Rise of the Gruit

[olephart]

I was thinking about brewing a 1 Gal. Gruit recipe that I found in, "Strong Waters: A Simple Guide to Making Beer, Wine, Cider and Other Spirited Beverages at Home.”by Scott Mansfield"
The herbs called for are;
1 tablespoon dried yarrow
1 heaping tablespoon dried Saint-John’s-wort
1 tablespoon dried mugwort .
I've found Saint-John's-wort, (in capsules that I can open as needed), but can't find the Yarrow or Mugwort locally.
I did find some wormwood at my LHBS....
I'm thinking of using 1.5 Tbs of Saint-John's-Wort and 1.5 Tsp of the Wormwood...
Thoughts anyone???

 

[Jc Tassa]

The use of hops also has the advantage, in perception or fact, that beer made with hops lasts longer and resists spoilage better than that made with gruit.

 

[MagooBrew]

Nice article. I am now read to try this distinct style of brewing. Thanks.

 

[HoosteezMorgan]

I got an idea I need people to chime in on this one I have several ideas about it , it will be something weird but hopefully delicious. I am thinking as far as my wort goes I have a pound of malted wheat flour and a pound of sprouted red rice ,10 lb of pearl barley some of which I have roasted to a dark brown color some of which I have roasted to a light brown color and a small amount I smoked in the smoker until it was yellowish, all together the roasted and smoked portion is about 3 lbs , also I plan to add apples not only for sugar and a little flavor but also for their amylase , and I plan to add between 3 and 5 lbs of white rice and some honey (more amylase available adding sugars and hopefully some more body to the mix, I plan to do a really long slow mash probably start at 144 or so for an hour then 148 for an hour then 152 for an hour then finally 157 for an hour(apparently to break down rice starches the mashing needs to be really long also I figure it will give plenty of time for what amylase is available to break down the pearl barley along with the malted wheat flour and sprouted red rice starches also, after a very long mash I plan to sparge it well and boil it all the way down to 4.5 gallons, I have coriander,juniper berries,cloves, and home collected from a friend's tree grapefruit peel (I figure also remember the apples which I know apfelwien has a bit of a weissbier like flavor at times) which I'm not sure how much of each I plan to add yet ,what I want people's ideas and opinions on is other herbs to add, how much of the current herbs and spices should be added I'm also hoping to make it somewhat of a lightly moderate body to it(which the rice I know will lighten the body a lot along with the apples so I'm not certain how to add body my plans on yeast will explain my relatively high carb in a moment) I figure I could add honey to boost the body and I don't mind it being nearly a gruit braggot(i am actually considering adding some rolled oats for body idk how that would effect it over all since it will not have high srm I like oatmeal stouts a lot but this will be a little different, and I don't want a big oatmeal flavor over powering the main part but I have 5 gallons of mead(all in secondary currently several flavors) I was considering only making a small wort after a lot of boiling cutting out the rice for the most part and adding a gallon or so maybe even more to the wort and letting it ferment that way just ideas ) I also have a whole vanilla bean I was thinking I might some how use in this gruit preparation as well maybe using just a little in the secondary on it I could just add honey if I could find a good bittering agent(i know hops is great and all but I am on purposely avoiding convention on this project so hops are a no no) I want ideas thoughts opinions I know I am going very low on atlases containing grains but I figure long mash with lots of rest plenty of sparge water and boiling it down quite far I don't know I mean I've brewed several beers so far all except one has come out great but this one in particular is meant to be both grocery store challenge worthy with a coriander grapefruit(in place of orange peel )peel with some sahti like notes(one of the reasons I got clove because I particularly like to do my secondary fermenter with quite a bit of pressure it makes my beer really effervescent and it keeps the yeast from going beyond where I want it to on various scents and taste(also I have in my last two brews used irish ale yeast then in secondary after a couple weeks I add a pack of bread yeast(which really ups the carbonation) I plan to either use bread yeast or a yeast cake I already have around(of course this is to prevent from breaking the rules of the grocery store brewing ) , I hope for it to have some spicy notes(a lot like a wit but also with the grapefruit like notes(i have gone mad about this wonderful beer tangier southern tier ipa it says brewed with tangerine peel but it taste so much like grapefruit in the best way possible I plan to attempt a clone within my next 5 batches) pretty much I am aiming for something unique that is hopefully delicious also I have fresh ginger sitting around if anyone has thoughts on that I want your ideas feed me your thoughts please

 

[cmac62]

I know to the forum, but have been brewing regularly for the past three years.
Hoos, I think the honey will thin it out more than add body. I know that's what candy sugar does in my Belgian ales and the two meads I have brewed were both very thin.
I plan on making a gruit with Frankincense and myrrh, and perhaps some additional perfume aromatics, perhaps rose oil and lavender. I've read somewhere that the myrrh is very bitter, I plan on using this for the primary bittering agent and the other aromatics for taste/aroma. What do you think?

 

[BowAholic]

how did the experiment(s) turn out? I have several nice herbs waiting to make some gruit...I just don't want to wast them or the beer by not following a tested recipe. I'm thinking I will use a brown ale base and just add the herbs...