Gruits

[Dwtty]

Hi all. Most of you on here are more experienced at brewing than me, but I would like to make gruits. I've only done a lemon balm and mint ale before. Came out like a small beer but very palatable. Any advice? Thanks

 

[Dutto]

I used Rowan Berries as a bittering agent back in 2018 so I guess that means I used one of the gruits available.

Search for Rowan by Dutto for the result - which I think was highly drinkable,

Good luck in your quest.

 

[Sadfield]

I've used Yarrow as the sole boil ingredient in a brew. It gives nice bitterness and a citrusy, slightly piney and sage like flavour. I used leaves at the start of the boil and flowers heads at flame out (1.5g/L for each). That's one of the three main Gruit ingredients.

Although not typically used in Gruit, Juniper branches as an infusion in the mash adds cleaner and less herbal, pine and lemon flavour.

Elderflower is always a nice addition to a beer, floral, yet adds a peach, tropical fruit sweetness.

Can recommend this book if you want to dive into using alternatives to hops.

A rosemary ale is probably going to be my next foray into this.

 

[chthon]

Interesting thread, because I also would not know where to start with this.

My wife likes herbal beers too. I made a clone of Grolsch "Kruidige Tripel". While not completely gruit, it was with cardamom, ground coriander seeds and lemongrass. My brother is also experimenting with herbs and spices, and he also added juniper berries in a latest brew.

Do hopless beers keep less well than hopped beers?

 

[An Ankoù]

Hi all. Most of you on here are more experienced at brewing than me, but I would like to make gruits. I've only done a lemon balm and mint ale before. Came out like a small beer but very palatable. Any advice? Thanks

If you type gruit into the search - titles only, you'll find quite a bit of discussion.

 

[Sadfield]

Do hopless beers keep less well than hopped beers?

Good question. My instinct would be they can keep quite well, depending on the ingredients, as many herbs were likely used for their medicinal properties and natural antibiotic properties any.

 

[MrRook]

I've used Yarrow as the sole boil ingredient in a brew. It gives nice bitterness and a citrusy, slightly piney and sage like flavour. I used leaves at the start of the boil and flowers heads at flame out (1.5g/L for each). That's one of the three main Gruit ingredients.

Although not typically used in Gruit, Juniper branches as an infusion in the mash adds cleaner and less herbal, pine and lemon flavour.

Elderflower is always a nice addition to a beer, floral, yet adds a peach, tropical fruit sweetness.

Can recommend this book if you want to dive into using alternatives to hops.

View attachment 66591

A rosemary ale is probably going to be my next foray into this.

I sometimes brew a lemon-rosemary beer that's pretty good.

 

[MrRook]

From seven years ago.

 

[Dwtty]

Thank you. I have cleared out a shed to devote to my brewing and intend to go heavy with the herbs. I grow a lot of my own but Myrtle seems to figure a lot but i grow tons of Yarrow if anyone would like a plant in the post. I need to keep much better records of my brews this time round. I made a stonking hedgerow syrup last year but as i don't like wine just mixed it with vodka. I know, heathen.

 

[Jim Brewster]

Never done a beer without hops but I've experimented with a few herbs and spices like many here. Wonder what the shelf life like would be without hops.

I think a witbier would be alright without hops, with coriander and orange peel and mugwort for bittering maybe.

Did a Rosemary Saison once, a little goes a very long way!

 

[peebee]

... Do hopless beers keep less well than hopped beers?

While hunting for beers/ales brewed around 1650 (English Civil War) I overshot a little:

Apparently, King Henry VIII's troops (1500s) were supplied with Dutch inspired hopped beer (as opposed to gruit laden ale) because it kept longer. By 1650 hopped ales (and beer) were becoming more common and "gruit" less so. The (in)famous "Stitch" (18th Century) was a hopped ale, but the quantities of hops would still have been around gruit levels (i.e. less hops than used in beer, hops were effectively becoming the sole ingredient in the gruit). The other famous brew of the time ("Burton Ale" - it was an ale, not a beer) was more prestigious and "aged" so contained considerably more hops than "Stitch". The brewers at the time certainly understood more hops allowed longer storage time, but it can be assumed that many breweries were stuck with equipment that could only handle the lower quantities of gruit.

Today we understand much about spoilage microbes and have a range of chemical cleaners to deal with our brewing equipment and our brewing techniques will help keep bugs out. So, I'd say "no"; made and stored with adequate care hop-less ale should keep as long as hopped beer these days. And our beers these days contain a lot less hops than in the past.

 

[Sadfield]

I found a bottle of my 4% Yarrow beer in the cupboard. Fermented with Ebbergarden Kveik. It hasn't changed much since I brewed it in July last year. Perhaps some slight creep from the yeast, but not over carbed or any off flavours.

 

[MrRook]

Interesting thread, because I also would not know where to start with this.

My wife likes herbal beers too. I made a clone of Grolsch "Kruidige Tripel". While not completely gruit, it was with cardamom, ground coriander seeds and lemongrass. My brother is also experimenting with herbs and spices, and he also added juniper berries in a latest brew.

Do hopless beers keep less well than hopped beers?

How long a beer lasts is also dependent on alcohol strength. A 9% beer will last longer than a 3% one.

 

[fury_tea]

Thank you. I have cleared out a shed to devote to my brewing and intend to go heavy with the herbs. I grow a lot of my own but Myrtle seems to figure a lot but i grow tons of Yarrow if anyone would like a plant in the post. I need to keep much better records of my brews this time round. I made a stonking hedgerow syrup last year but as i don't like wine just mixed it with vodka. I know, heathen.

I'd really love a yarrow plant if you have one spare?

 

[Dwtty]

I'd really love a yarrow plant if you have one spare?

Yep no problem. Please message me your address.

 

[Jim Brewster]

I spent quite a lot of time getting rid of Yarrow from the lawn last year!

 

[Dwtty]

I spent quite a lot of time getting rid of Yarrow from the lawn last year!

Mine bolted and turned into a mat of plants as my soil is alkaline. I had to dig the monster out and am now dealing with it's babies. My Borage has done the same.

 

[Jim Brewster]

Well, the Yarrow in the lawn has returned the stubborn bugger, so might as well have a go at using it. Theres too much in the lawn for our rabbit to eat in one go.

We also have a weedy Strawberry Mint plant that tastes like it could be of use. Although it smells of both, it doesn't particularly taste of either strawberry or mint but more citrusy. I haven't found any reference to it being used in beer.