Using Pine

[foonder]

I recently discovered how delicious Rosemary is and had a brief idea as to a recipe called 'Pine Needle IPA' (since rosemary is related to pine) and have it be moderately hoppy, but with less aroma hops to accentuate the rosemary. I'm starting construction on a spice / herb garden primarily for brewing which will have a bunch of basil, lemongrass maybe, roasemary, etc etc. Long story short, I ended up taking some pine tree limbs and stripping the bark off & sharpening them to use as steaks to keep some logs in place, and I thought "Hey, Pine is Awesome smelling". Has anyone used Pine in beer before? I was thinking I could take some fresh pine off of a tree, strip it, and cut it into small pieces, then soak it in super hot / boiling water long enough to kill anything in it, then drop it into the 2ndary. Anybody have any experience / input with pine usage?

EDIT: I would probably supplement the piney flavors with traditionally piney hops, like Cascade, Challenger, & Chinook.

 

[Revvy]

Well there is beer made with spruce tips....Isn't Spruce a form of pine?

Spruce was used long before hops evidently.

 

[blacklab]

Have you considered using Juniper? Rogue makes a Juniper ale which is quite good. I'm working on making something similiar. You can buy Juniper berries in 2oz packs at the LHBS. My plan is to throw 1oz in with 10 mins left in the boil and 'dry hop' with the other oz.

 

[the_bird]

I want to say that there's something in pine that you really don't want to be consuming... I know I was reading something about soft woods in the context of smoked beers recently. I sure wouldn't want the sap in my beer. Using spruce tips I think will get you where you want to go.

 

[Revvy]

I want to say that there's something in pine that you really don't want to be consuming... I know I was reading something about soft woods in the context of smoked beers recently. I sure wouldn't want the sap in my beer. Using spruce tips I think will get you where you want to go.

Remember pinesol cleanser? I don't know if they still make it...but man that was some nasty stuff. I can't imagine enjoying a beer like that.

 

[zoebisch01]

Funny, I am planning on a Hemlock Beer for the holidays. I have tons of Hemlock (not field nor water Hemlock, the tree) and so I figured what the heck. I made a tea from Spruce tips and Juniper Berries this weekend and it was rather pleasant. I am planning on 4 oz total in a 5 gallon batch and letting it age into Christmas. Remember to pull back your bittering addition of Hops, or eliminate them altogether as the tips will provide bitterness.

 

[brewt00l]

http://www.alaskanbeer.com/winter.html

http://www.yardsbrewing.com/ales_poor_richards_tavern_spruce.asp

 

[foonder]

I've never tried (or actually smelled / tasted) juniper. My idea / question of using pine was kind of aimed at wood aging, but with a different wood (although I guess the end result is the same, beer that tastes like what you put in it)

 

[BigKahuna]

+1 on Juniper berries.
one time...at Band Camp...I got drunk...and put a few pine needles in a ZIMA. It actually helped.
I do however think that the juniper berry would be a more "Civilized" version.

 

[brewt00l]

I've never tried (or actually smelled / tasted) juniper. My idea / question of using pine was kind of aimed at wood aging, but with a different wood (although I guess the end result is the same, beer that tastes like what you put in it)

The Rogue brew mentioned is pretty tasty. I highly recommend this:

http://www.sheltonbrothers.com/beers/beerProfile.asp?BeerID=197

 

[BierMuncher]

Here's a recent discussion on using spruce tips...

 

[Revvy]

one time...at Band Camp...I got drunk...and put a few pine needles in a ZIMA. It actually helped.

ZIMA? You drank ZIMA!?!


I thought you had a penis?

 

[pjj2ba]

It's the Botany police again! Rosemary is NOT related to pines, not even close. Pines are gymnosperms, rosemary is an angiosperm (true flowering plant). Rosemary is actually in the mint family along with many herbs including basil, sage, oregano, thyme, horehound, savory, lavender, and of course mint.

Speaking of pines, spruce is in the pine family, but juniper is in the cyprus family.

 

[foonder]

It's the Botany police again! Rosemary is NOT related to pines, not even close. Pines are gymnosperms, rosemary is an angiosperm (true flowering plant). Rosemary is actually in the mint family along with many herbs including basil, sage, oregano, thyme, horehound, savory, lavender, and of course mint.

Speaking of pines, spruce is in the pine family, but juniper is in the cyprus family.

Must've misread somewhere. Maybe it said "Rosemary isn't related to pine" and I was all like "Hm. It's related to pine. That makes sense."

 

[pjj2ba]

It does look kinda pine-like, and is often trimmed up nice like pines. I can easily see the confusion. Just setting the record straight.

 

[idkid]

I've never tried (or actually smelled / tasted) juniper. My idea / question of using pine was kind of aimed at wood aging, but with a different wood (although I guess the end result is the same, beer that tastes like what you put in it)

Never had gin? It's flavored with juniper berries. It has a VERY STRONG pine taste in my opinion. Which is exactly why I didn't like it when I tried it. But I'm sure the taste your looking for is much more subtle, but you can definitely try it to see what it smells/tastes like. Imagine drinking a liquid Christmas tree. That was my impression.

 

[foonder]

Never had gin? It's flavored with juniper berries. It has a VERY STRONG pine taste in my opinion. Which is exactly why I didn't like it when I tried it. But I'm sure the taste your looking for is much more subtle, but you can definitely try it to see what it smells/tastes like. Imagine drinking a liquid Christmas tree. That was my impression.

After I read up on it, I realized I'd had gin. So I have 'had' juniper berries. I still might use some small pieces of pine in the 2ndary.
EDIT: Try Tanquerey's (spelling???) Rangpur gin with tonic. De-f***ing-licious

 

[blacklab]

, horehound,

Looks like I just found the name of my new brew.

Horehound Ale

 

[Philip1993]

Never had gin? It's flavored with juniper berries. It has a VERY STRONG pine taste in my opinion.

Very interesting! When we were teenagers, we would chew green pine needles to hide the fact that we had been in the wood smoking. Never hurt any of us, but it tasted like crap Very bitter. And yes, a pine flavor*exactly* like gin....

 

[lynnmassguy]

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/80/243/

I've had this. It was damn fine.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I had a pine flavored tea in Korea. It was strange and the novelty wore off before the bottle was empty...