Spruce essence for branches?

[unionrdr]

The English gruit ale version of the German Mumme I'm fermenting would normally use 2ozs of fir branches in the boil. Couldn't find any when I ordered the gruits, but I do have 2ozs of the essence coming. I'm going to add it to the boiling water for the priming solution. How much of the spruce essence would I use in place of the tips?

 

[unionrdr]

I talked to one of the brew techs at NB earlier, & he said to replace 2ozs of spruce tips in the boil, about 1/4oz spruce essence should be added to the Mumme recipe. Just thought I'd post that.

 

[Weezy]

If you're kegging, I'd recommend using an eye dropper and dosing it into the finished beer. Say 10 drops, seal it back up, shake, let sit a while, taste taste, add more as needed.

If you're bottling, good luck.

 

[unionrdr]

I'm bottling 6 gallons (23L) & like vanilla in my porter, I wanted to put it in the priming solution. The vanilla worked out great that way. Since I didn't have the tips to put in the last 15 minutes of the boil, that is. The recipe calls for adding the gruits @ 4 days after fermentation starts. Boiling them to sanitize them. So I saved the last half gallon of top-off spring water for this. Using a 2 1/2 gallon nylon bag in a smaller SS kettle. I crushed the anise seed & cardamom pods before use.
The anise seed went in at the beginning of the 30 minute boil suggested for them on a site about teas from such things. The rest went in @ 15 minutes left in the boil. Just didn't have the tips. Covered & cooled before adding all per instructions to primary to 23L mark in my Cooper's Micro Brew FV. It has more head space for 6 gallon batches. So I was trying to imagine how much essence oil would be extracted from 2ozs of tips? It is a concentrate, & smells like wintergreen & pine. Not sure how much of it is to be tasted in the English gruit version of this German Mumme (Moo-muh)? Should it stand out, our mix with the flavors of the other herbs, spices & plant materials?

 

[Weezy]

Can't help you there. I don't know that style.