Adding flavour in the glass

[Simonh82]

Last year I brewed a plum porter. I added several KG of stewed plums at the end of the boil but got very little plum flavour from them. I ended up using this natural plum essence, adding 100 drops at bottling time, which worked incredibly well.

I recently brewed another porter, mostly for my father in law, who likes dark beers. I kept a couple of mini-kegs for my own consumption but they were a bit too roasty for my tastes.

I've started to add 2-3 drops of the plum essence to the glass when pouring a pint and it makes an incredible difference. The flavour is great and works really well with the porter, it brings out the sweetness and smooths out the dark roast flaour. I'm now thinking about trying some of the other flavours with other beers, maybe passion fruit or pineapple with a NEIPA. By adding a few drops to a glass you can assess whether it would be a good idea to try adding to a whole batch, or it might just pep up a dull beer. One good thing about these flavours (at least based on my experience of the plum porter) is that the flavour lasts very well. Maybe a low dosing could help maintain a fruity character in a hoppy beer that you knew wouldn't get drunk before the hops start to fade.

Has anyone else tried this? Any suggestions for beer/flavour combinations.

 

[Irishwizard]

Last year I brewed a plum porter. I added several KG of stewed plums at the end of the boil but got very little plum flavour from them. I ended up using this natural plum essence, adding 100 drops at bottling time, which worked incredibly well.

I recently brewed another porter, mostly for my father in law, who likes dark beers. I kept a couple of mini-kegs for my own consumption but they were a bit too roasty for my tastes.

I've started to add 2-3 drops of the plum essence to the glass when pouring a pint and it makes an incredible difference. The flavour is great and works really well with the porter, it brings out the sweetness and smooths out the dark roast flaour. I'm now thinking about trying some of the other flavours with other beers, maybe passion fruit or pineapple with a NEIPA. By adding a few drops to a glass you can assess whether it would be a good idea to try adding to a whole batch, or it might just pep up a dull beer. One good thing about these flavours (at least based on my experience of the plum porter) is that the flavour lasts very well. Maybe a low dosing could help maintain a fruity character in a hoppy beer that you knew wouldn't get drunk before the hops start to fade.

Has anyone else tried this? Any suggestions for beer/flavour combinations.

I used their Elderflower essence once and its top stuff. Certainly better than all the other products around.

 

[BeerCat]

Simon thanks for posting this. I remember you tallking about these flavouring before and had intended to buy some. Coconut, vanilla in anything. Was thinking of chocolate and hazlenut for a stout or licorice. The banana may be good for wheat beer. Mango in a NEIPA.

 

[Simonh82]

I remember someone on a podcast I listened to saying that the best way that they had found of making a chocolate orange stout was using a chocolate essence like this. They had tried cocoa nibs and cocoa powder but didn't think it worked as well as the essence.

Coconut could be amazing in a stout or porter.

 

[BeerCat]

Yeah i love ther idea you can dose up an individual beer. :)

 

[Leon103]

I have just made a porter, the plan is to split it and do half plum and half vanilla, using flavouring.

I have previously made a vanilla porter using expensive pods but didn't get hardly any flavour