Yerba mate recipe

[Blanda]

It's 2011 and I drink Yerba on a rate that equals an Ecuadorian, Argentinian or a Paraguayian.. Yerba Mate should never be used in a liquid that is boiling. Should be 90 Celsius maximum. Besides ancient practices that state that boiled water is "dead" or "burnt" and shouldn't be used in a brew Yerba even when thus cooled, for the non-believer, at boiling temps, Yerba Mate will have an extremely tannic, bitter, foul taste.

So, if whether you drink it as teat or use it in your brew of beer, do NOT use boiling water. If used in a beer, soak your yerba in 80c - 90c water for several minutes and then add the add it to your primary, or whatever vessel you prefer. You can either add just the tea or the leafs/stems as well. I should note that Yerba is full of beer friendly nutrients and may help feed yeast.

Good Tip, it's very important not to boil the water. The perfect temperature for water (at least here in Argenitna) it's between 80º and 84º Celsius. As Denny's Evil said. Over that temperature it gets very tannic and binding (I think thats the term, I don't know how to describe well the taste in english, sorry). Also it gets very bitter, thats a foul taste for drinking mate, but its because it get very concentrate, and that would be good because you are trying to get a concentrate extract, but you dont want the tannic-binding taste.
Also note that the reason why the boiled water is useless for mate (even if you cool it down) is because the big loss of oxigen. This make the yerba to loose all of it nutrients and properties very quickly and get "lavada" (washed).
What I would recomend you to do is to test this. Just prepare three cups with a little yerba in each one, heat water to 84º celsius and pour in the first one, continue heating th water until it boils, and pour in the second one, then let it cool down a bit until it gets again to 82-84º celsius and pour it to the third one.
I tell you to test this because although boiled and cool down water is useless for drinking mate, it may be the best water for making an extract. But I can't assure you that you wont get the binding taste.

I hope this info helps you. Good luck.

 

[Sebowski]

I did it. It has been in primary since Monday night.
Yeast is kicking.
Really disappointed I forgot to take a sample. So I don't have the OG and I didn't get a taste. Oh well.
I used a pretty decent amount of of Yerba Mate. Almost a half gallon of strained tea.
I'll keep you guys posted.

 

[dpaul420]

Nice work! I am a week or two away of trying it. I tried a sample of mine this week and it definitely needs more time bottle maturing. Not as sweet as I wanted, and not nearly as hoppy from the dry hopping I wanted either. Hopefully the less sweetness means more sugar converted to alcohol. So far I has a pretty good punch if you have a couple, meaning if you have a heart condition, you should stay away!!!

 

[Sebowski]

Here are a couple pics of my french press process.
https://picasaweb.google.com/109877...hkey=Gv1sRgCNn6iL_opIKHDg#5597452302231364850

https://picasaweb.google.com/109877...hkey=Gv1sRgCNn6iL_opIKHDg#5597452525515645538

 

[GuldTuborg]

A question for anyone who has made such a mate brew, DEC or others: what recipe would you use now, and why?

 

[dpaul420]

I have done two, and I have gone with an IPA for both. I figured that any extra bitterness from the mate would lend itself better to an already bitter beer, rather than dominating another milder beer. Other stronger beers might work, like a porter/stout or strong belgian. Really my goal is to find a way to balance the mate, hops, and maltiness, if possible. Not sure what others are doing, but would like to hear from them.

 

[Sebowski]

I just transferred my "Bolivian Monkey Blood" (working title) last night. The sample tasted pretty good. Had most of what I was looking for. I know it still has some work to do so I don't want to judge too much right now. I am happy with it at this stage. I think I got the proportions right.

I'll report back when I bottle in two weeks.

 

[Cascadegan]

I just transferred my "Bolivian Monkey Blood" (working title) last night. The sample tasted pretty good. Had most of what I was looking for. I know it still has some work to do so I don't want to judge too much right now. I am happy with it at this stage. I think I got the proportions right.

I'll report back when I bottle in two weeks.

I used to drink an energy drink called 'howling monkey invigorating elixer' or something

We always called it monkey blood
Anyway.. I approve of the name

 

[Sebowski]

Monkey Blood is not a failure!

I need to drink some more of it before I really break down, but it is very drinkable (read: not the disaster I was afraid of). The 5 other people that have tasted it liked it. It is super unique. Tastes a lot like the brand I used that is unique to begin with. It has orange peels in it and that has come through subtly in the beer. Smells more like the Mate than a beer. If anyone wants to trade with their own versions let me know.

Next experiment: Yerba Mate Porter

 

[dpaul420]

I need to post this since it has happened a couple of times now. Has anyone, who has steeped their mate before adding it to the wort, noticed that after a couple beers that they can stay up all night? I am very used to the effects of yerba mate normally, but it still surprises me when I drink 2 matevezas in the evening, and then it is between 2-4am and I am not at all tired, but when I want to sleep, I can usually.

 

[jgilmour]

Wow it's stuff like this that I love. I'm looking to do a yerba mate recipe. I have so many friends who drink it regularly and have been asking about it ever since I started brewing. For anyone who has tried it, how did it turn out, and recipes are always welcome!

 

[mitchjjohnson]

I used a good amount of info from this forum for my "Yerba Mate' Black" recipe. I just wanted to say thanks first off, and share my recipe too.

http://newtraditionbrewing.blogspot.com/2013/07/yerba-mate-black-recipe-review.html

Mitch

 

[dpaul420]

Wow, that recipe looks great! Good idea with the roasted/chocolatey malts mixed with the hops and earthy/grassy bitterness from the yerba. I wonder what a little smoke would do? I would think that some residual sweetness rather than a dryer beeer would be helpful too! My last yerba mate beer used a 100% yerba mate dry extract, but in more of a lighter IPA style. I may try this one out, maybe a modded black IPA kit with extract!

 

[Ixtlanas]

An amletic doubt: if I want to add water infused with yerba mate in the second fermenter, when should I correct the pH, before infusing mate (temp < 80°C) or after the infusion? To say, to reach a pH of about 5.5 in the water addition...

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

An amletic doubt: if I want to add water infused with yerba mate in the second fermenter, when should I correct the pH, before infusing mate (temp < 80°C) or after the infusion? To say, to reach a pH of about 5.5 in the water addition...

Ok maybe i missed a post or two (and I really need to re-edit the orgiinal post) but i have to ask; why are you messing with the Ph of your yerba addition?

I would simply make a yerba mate tea and add it to the end of fermentation.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I was planning to make either a stout or porter next batch, and after rereading this thread ive decided ti make it a yerba mate version.

I need to pick up sone mate from my distributor (uhm yeah.. i drink it a lot) next week. Probably go with a Paraguay brand which tends to be smokier than Yerba from Argentina or Equidor.

I will update and post the all grain recipe once i have it concocted.

 

[Ixtlanas]

Well I used 'amletic' 'cause I don't know if correcting the pH is a right move or not. Generally speaking, I am curious about it: if introducing 'elements' in a beer strictly require a pH control or not.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Going to brew this soon. Need to get some yerba first. Hopefully brew Monday or Tuesday.

Not quite sure how much yerba to use. I roughly figured 120g for 40L batch. I want enough so that you there is a balance to the overall flavor profile but not so much that you get the jitters from drinking 2 or 3 pints.

The water needed to brew the "tea" isn't accounted for as I'm not sure how much that will be. My Efficiency is set low because I am adjusting to a new false bottom and new grinder, but I expect it to be higher than 72%.

I never weigh Yerba Mate when making it. I usually dump a bunch into a large mug, soak in a bit of cold water then infuse with hot water from a coffee maker that is only used for Yerba Mate water.

I'm going to use a large french press for this.

Any thoughts on the following Yerba Mate Oatmeal Stout recipe?

Recipe: Yerba Oatmeal Stout
Brewer: Denny Lajeunesse
Asst Brewer: 
Style: Oatmeal Stout
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) 

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 47.98 l
Post Boil Volume: 42.64 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 40.00 l   
Bottling Volume: 38.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.0552 SG
Estimated Color: 40.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 39.0 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 72.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.8 %
Boil Time: 75 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt                   Name                                     Type          #        %/IBU         
6.00 kg               Pale Malt, 2 row (Gambrinus) (2.0 SRM)   Grain         1        60.0 %        
1.00 kg               Munich Light 10L (Gambrinus) (11.0 SRM)  Grain         2        10.0 %        
0.75 kg               Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (60.0 SRM)   Grain         3        7.5 %         
0.75 kg               Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)           Grain         4        7.5 %         
0.50 kg               Carafa III (525.0 SRM)                   Grain         5        5.0 %         
0.50 kg               Honey Malt (Gambrinus) (25.0 SRM)        Grain         6        5.0 %         
0.50 kg               Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)                   Grain         7        5.0 %         
40.00 g               Phoenix [11.60 %] - First Wort 75.0 min  Hop           8        33.7 IBUs     
1.00 Items            Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)        Fining        9        -             
0.50 tsp              Yeastex (Boil 15.0 mins)                 Other         10       -             
20.00 g               Phoenix [11.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min        Hop           11       5.3 IBUs      
2.0 pkg               SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast         12       -             
120.00 g              Yerba Mate (Primary 0.0 mins)            Flavor        13       -             


Mash Schedule: _My 67c (152.6F) Med Light Body 3.0 L/KG
Total Grain Weight: 10.00 kg
----------------------------
Name                   Description                             Step Temperat Step Time     
Light body: 67c (152.6 Add 32.000 l of water and heat to 67.0  67.0 C        30 min        
Mash Step-Head builder Add 0.000 l of water at 72.0 C          72.0 C        15 min        
Mash out               Add 0.000 l of water at 76.0 C          76.0 C        15 min        

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (Drain mash tun, , 28.41l) of 75.6 C water

 

[Ixtlanas]

I used about 1.6 grams per Liter in an APA with 1,050 OG 36 IBU. In your opinion will the outcome be too bitter?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I used about 1.6 grams per Liter in an APA with 1,050 OG 36 IBU. In your opinion will the outcome be too bitter?

Probably be ok.