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On Topic - Gruit Like Beer Edition

It's been a while, so here's a new beer post.

My root beer is going in the secondary right now.  I doctored it up w/ a glop of root beer extract I found in the spices, and added some vanilla, licorice root, and roasted dandelion root, as well as some honey to get it up to 4.5%.  it's a medium brown now, and tastes like a less gingery version of my last one.

I got all of the ingredients for a gruit-like beer (unhopped, flavored w/ herbs and spices). I have a little over half an ounce of Mugwort, and have Spruce and Lavender growing in my yard, and Dandelion growing all around it.  I'd probably still get some Heather tips, Sweet Gale, and licorice root.  

Scotland, who has long been known for excelent malt beverages was also one of the last converts to hops.  All of the above herbs and spices are historically used in Scottish Beers.  So the beer I want to make is "Scottish" inspired.  I have a beer cooler made out of a 32 gallon garbage can I bought.  I have a large number of ice packs to keep it cold, and recently got a peltier which I want to install.  I still need a thermostat.   

I'm not actually properly setup for all grain, I'll spare burnin myself this time by using some extract.  

I picked up the following:

7 lbs Light Malt Extract Syrup

2 lbs British Maris Otter 2-Row Pale Malt

1.5 lbs Cara-Pils makt

12 oz Caramunich Malt

12 oz Victory Malt 

WYeast Irish Ale Yeast.

I still may get Sweet Gale, Heather, Ginger, and MMAAYYBBEE some honey.  This should be a decent "Ancient Scottish Inspired" beer.  

The gruit ingredients need to be figured out.  I was going to soak each ingredient in some Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey, which I picked up and drank a little, and is OK, not a good of whiskey as Dead Guy Ale is beer, and mix until I get a good flavor, and add in some of the bittering herbs in the boil (Heather).  I also may pick up a small bag of dried juniper berry to dry hop with.

My plan is to try and ferment at 60 and "lager" at 45ish which is normal for scottish ales.  I'm renting a uhaul to get some dresser drawers tommorow, if I can find a fridge on craigslist I'm all over it.  If not, the 45 degree lagering may not happen.  

If anyone wants to give input, please do.  The actual herb additions are up in the air, and still being researched.  

It'll be a 7.5% beer or so, some honey could boost it a hair more.  I normally wouldn't add honey to a beer, but "ancient inspired style" beers like gruit or my "early american small beers" (root beer), it makes alot of historical sense.  

I have Aha Toro Reposado Tequila and Rogue Dead Guy Whiskey, which are both recommended.  Aha is primo tequila, and Rogue's attempt at whiskey isn't half bad, it's no Wild Turkey Rare Breed, but it's at least smooth, has good flavor, and doesnt manage to taste too boozey.  I've been meaning to try it, and recently got around to it.  I've heard they make a spruce gin I want to try.

Another project I'm working on is a crock pot still.  If I can make some whiskey I may add it a small portion to the scotch ale to boost it a percent or so. .

Poll
If added only one of these, which one would you take.
Cherries
6 votes
Licorice Root
4 votes
Ginger
1 votes
Corriander
1 votes
Oak Chips
3 votes
Cloves
1 votes
Lavander
0 votes
Blueberry
4 votes

20 votes | Poll has closed

Comment 38 comments  |  0 recs  | 

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http://gruitale.com/

Gruit is beer before beer was hopped. Yarrow, Marsh Rosemary, and Sweet Gale were the most common ingredients, but all kinds of non-hopped herb beers have been made. I’d love to do a Braggot for example (Honey + Barley beer, a mead and beer mix). Sahti is a finish beer made w/ Juniper and Dry Hops, early american beers had Ginger or Cream of Tartar, Dandelion, Burdock, Sassafras, Sarsaparilla, spruce, and barks like Cherry or Birch. Scotch Heather Ale often has Heather to bitter and only aroma hops/.

I’ve done a Mugwort and Sweet Gale ale, and a Mugwort, Sweet Gale, and Heather Ale, as well as 2 “Root Beer-like small ales” crafted after early american beers.

Yarrow grows wild. Marsh Rosemary is not available, but Labrador Tea is the north american equivalent. I could try and find them to make a true gruit, but scottish beers often had the ingredients I listed, so Mugwort/Heather/Sweet Gale should be a good base, and Lavender, Dandelion, Ginger, and Licorice make good flavor and aroma additives.

Roots Organics made a gruit. I wish I could find it.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:07 PM PDT reply actions  

I can buy a good beer

I can’t buy a beer truly made like a beer of yore.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

More or less drink

I also hike, bike, sleep in the wilderness, and play guitar/sing.

Other than that I’m boring.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:20 PM PDT up reply actions  

Okay - no email I can find on your blog.

kevinXess [at] gmail.com. And although it’s not my sound dujour these days, www.myspace.com/trepan. I’m singing and playing guitar. I’m doing a solo thing starting soon. Also, Churchill (my buddy) is using my favorite song from our last album for his intro music on both KJR and KIRO until I can get into the studio and write and record a specific song for Prospect Insider. I’m honored he only thought of me. He’s got good taste!!

Illegible

by kevin_ess on Jul 25, 2009 11:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not my site

but at least your Myspace has something interesting (music) and not pictures of you in a tree and comments like “omg my cat too a fat dump and it reeks.” or whatever it is people comment about.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 26, 2009 8:58 AM PDT up reply actions  

Very cool

I had a studio in another life. Those days were fun.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 26, 2009 8:50 AM PDT up reply actions  

A couple things

I refuse to spam, but if you’re into Camping, backpacking, or Gold panning, I highly recommend clicking my name and following the URL. Last promotions, period.

My dog Earl and Me hammock camping. He’s 28 lbs and sleeps directly on top of me in the hammock. It’s weird but it’s not uncomfortable, oddly.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

Hammock + Tarp can be turned from anything

from the lightest summer shelter to a winter shelter, if done correctly. Hard wind is the only problem. My Dad and I are going out later this month, and both plan on getting new hammocks.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 11:07 PM PDT up reply actions  

I voted blueberry, but I'd bet either cranberry or even grapefruit would be nice.

And holy shit your ingredients sound good. Please ship me some!!!

Illegible

by kevin_ess on Jul 25, 2009 10:07 PM PDT reply actions  

Chinook Hops and Aged Cascade have a grapefruit-like flavor

I bet actual grapefruit would be good in a beer. Lemon grass is another idea I’ve had.,

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:08 PM PDT up reply actions  

I generally use Cascade and/or Amarillo w/ Chinook for most of my beers

It makes any style taste “american micro brewey” but is very a versatile.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:10 PM PDT up reply actions  

Any Eastside or Northend LLers

I have to work on the next USSM/LL get together, but would down to catch a game at a local bar. I live in Kenmore right now, so I’m open to travel as far as Lake City (or mmaayybbee not really in the u-district) OR Bellevue, but anything in between as well as South Everett, bothell, or woodinville would interest me.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 10:19 PM PDT reply actions  

Mathew

I’m wondering how the Delerium clone turned out, and if you could provide details :)

Any new brews since then?

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 11:08 PM PDT reply actions  

So sorry

Correction Matthew.

If we meet in public I’d take a non too-painful punch for that one. Stupid dead guy whiskey.

by chrisisasavage on Jul 25, 2009 11:09 PM PDT up reply actions  

Awesome.

I used to frequent the riverfront blues fest in Portland. Always a heap of fun. I used to hang out with the Hells Angels there and swill cheap beers and watch trouble happen. Usually trouble was one of them falling down the hill drunk. Otherwise, they pumped a good amount of money into that fest.

Illegible

by kevin_ess on Jul 25, 2009 11:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's on the royal argosay

Those are always fun way to spend a few hours

by chrisisasavage on Jul 26, 2009 8:54 AM PDT up reply actions  

Riverfront.

No lake in Portland. And they’re trying to de-scarify Old Town now, the U of O bought a building down there for a Portland campus and they’re trying to gentrify all of that area. The bums are hanging on, though, we’ll see if it works.

Nice Guys Finish Third - My semantics are a waste of time.

by pdb on Jul 26, 2009 9:20 AM PDT up reply actions  

I voted Blueberry

I’m a homebrewer myself, and enjoy Scotch style ales a great deal, particularly because I’m not in the least a “Hophead” like most of my local fellows. Blueberry makes just about any beer more tasty without turning it into a Bartyls and James.

by Jordan of Boise on Jul 27, 2009 7:58 AM PDT reply actions  

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