# Using "the Other Member Of The Hops Family"



## facter (6/8/07)

A close friend of mine has very bad glucoma, and has taken to using "alternative" medicines as a way of helping their condition.

They love beer, and I have been toying with the idea of making them something with a bit of a herbal remedy included in it, its taking its toll on their happiness lately so I thought a present might be in order..

What Im wondering, is who has used this ingrediant before? The questions I have are as follows ..

- i would use the flowers rather than the leaf parts, how does this affect the bittering? Does it work as a bittering agent?
- how does the oil affect the head retention? Is it worse than hops?
- how would it be added as a flavour/aroma hop? What kind of levels would you use?
- what about npotency? Not being into such medicines myself I am unsure as to what kind of ratio it would need to be to properly help out with the condition (nor am i a medical expert or anything of the sort haha)
- what is the flavour like? I wont be wanting to test it myself very much ...
- what style would it go best with? Im thinking of a classic pale ale or Amber ale perhaps
- what hops would it pair up with best?

Anywas, odd questions I guess, but I really dont know much about its use! I did read that page a few weeks back thats on the net somewhere, about some american guys, but there wasnt really anything specific as to its actual useage ... just the stories behind it!

Thanks.


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## oldbugman (6/8/07)

I remember hearing a story of palmer being served (or maybe it was charlie) some unknowingly at a brew club night. he said it was quite resiny and made him want to go home and go to bed.


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## jimmyjack (6/8/07)

linky

This should fix ya up

cheers jj


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## KoNG (6/8/07)

interesting little read.... Dont think i'd brew one though.!
Might look into an Opiate brew.! :lol:


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## warrenlw63 (6/8/07)

:blink: Not for me... I eat enough beer snacks as it is. 

Warren -


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## Brewer_010 (6/8/07)

What about making a meal with it (chopped finely and added 10 mins from end), and washing it all down with some unadulterated bevvies?

Cakes and bickies work very well too, just add with dry ingredients as per recipe. Make sure it is all dried and chopped/ground finely. Sorry, I can't advise on quantities but I remember that it takes a fair time to kick in.


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## 0M39A (6/8/07)

A few things to keep in mind:

the main concentration of the oils you want are in the buds, not the leaf or flowers.

The main problem you will have though is that the oils you want arent very soluable in water. you get the best extraction in oil. most people do a double boil of the buds in butter and use this to cook other foods with (ie. the classic brownie).

It is moderately soluable in alcohol though, so you will get some extraction via the alcohol that forms in beer as it ferments, so the best way i can think of using it, is to think of it as a dry hop.

heres another linkey to a recipe:
http://erowid.org/plants/cannabis/cannabis_recipe6.shtml

btw, never tried this before. doubt it would be very effective imo, and you would need a pretty large amount of material. 

if your mate likes beer, then maybe the best way of enjoying it with beer would be to do the butter\oil extraction method, and make some nice beer snacks, and eat them while enjoying a nicely crafted homebrew beer.

also, as for style, something high alcohol would probably work best for extraction, but imo the two dont really mix that well when done separately, especially if a large amount has to be taken to get the effects he is after. also, i would say go with something with a strong flavour, such as a stout or ipa, so it can try and cover up the flavour of the mj.

sorry if thats a bit hard to read, just letting the ideas flow out.


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## Mercs Own (6/8/07)

Just like the worm in the Tequila bottle.....add a nice bit of head to the bottle and store for a few months - drink then eat! Dont know if it will actually do all that much but it is a good talking point.

A mate of mine did this and I cant say it had much if any effect - the beer was crap and the stuff was too wet to smoke :beerbang:

edit: just for the record I didnt inhale!


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## Bobby (6/8/07)

the synergistic effect may be dangerous. 
furthermore, anyone whom is experiencing depression of any sorts should not rely on alcohol or thc to 'make them feel better'. 


*sorry to sound like a wowser.


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## discoloop (6/8/07)

Here's a recipe I stumbled upon a while ago. Can't remember where....

Ingredients:
12 Lbs 12 ounces, lite Liquid malt extract
3 pounds, crystal malt
1-1/2 pounds, wheat malt
1 teaspoon, gypsum
1 teaspoon, Irish moss
2 ounces Hallertauer Hops (boiling)
1 ounce Hallertauer Hops (finish)
2 packages of Champagne yeast
pound - 1 pound of trim and bottom buds (little popcorn buds work well for this). (5 - 7 ounces is best)

Procedure:
Put your crystal malt and wheat malt into a grain bag and put it in to a pot with 2 gallons of cold water and bring it to boil. Once boiling commences take out the bag of grain, and add the malt extract, then add 2 ounces of Hallertauer hops and boil for 60 minutes, add the gypsum during the last 10 minutes of the boil and the Irish moss during the last 5 minutes of the boil at that time add the Last ounce of the hallertauer hops and cool as quick as possible and add to 3 gallons of cold water to make 5 gallons of wort.

Pitch the champagne yeast and let ferment for 10 days to 2 weeks at 70 degrees F.
Once the bubbling stops siphon it off into a secondary fermenter and add your Cannabis (put it in a nylon dry hopping sack) and let ferment until clear.
Siphon beer off into a sanitized 5 gallon bucket
Add cup of corn sugar to 1 cup of hot water and bring to boil, add it to your beer then siphon into bottles and cap and let set for 2 weeks. Beer should be carbonated in two weeks. Flavor gets better with age.

Brewers note:
Used 1 ounces of Sweettooth x Peak Flo trim and 3 ounces of White Widow trim in Secondary fermentation.
Beer was in primary fermentation for 10 days, then siphoned off into glass carboy for 2 weeks beer was clear and had a nice copper color and was more malty in flavor Hops were not pronounced, but were there in the background like an English version of barley wine. (flavor reminded me of Old Nick Barley Wine from England)
The cannabis in this beer creeps up on you over about 40 minutes and then it hits you full force. Nice buzz to it.
Alcohol percentage is around 10% by volume.
Made 60 12-ounce bottles.

My conclusion, It is possible to put Cannabis in beer the THC is Alcohol soluble, to do this, You need a high alcohol beer so that you have more efficient break down of the THC.

Also there is a book that Ed Rosenthal has wriiten along with the Unknown Brewer (Charlie Papazian) titled "Marijuana Beer" "How to make your own Hi-Brew Beer."


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## Hashie (6/8/07)

The only thing I would add to the advise already given, is to soak your buds in water for an hour or two before dry hopping into the beer. This will remove any bugs and debris and will also tone down or remove the 'grassy' flavour.


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## Fents (6/8/07)

Bobby said:


> the synergistic effect may be dangerous.
> furthermore, anyone whom is experiencing depression of any sorts should not rely on alcohol or thc to 'make them feel better'.
> *sorry to sound like a wowser.



where did he say anything about depression ? :huh: 

marijuana has helped thousands of terminally ill people in some way since way back in the day. B)


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## Fents (6/8/07)

oh and i think the hops are a member of the canabis family and not the other way round.. i think.


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## Bobby (7/8/07)

Fents said:


> where did he say anything about depression ? :huh:
> 
> marijuana has helped thousands of terminally ill people in some way since way back in the day. B)





> its taking its toll on their happiness lately so I thought a present might be in order..


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## Fents (7/8/07)

hmmmm, self owned. maybe i should lay off the hooch a bit more hahaha.


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## facter (7/8/07)

I think that was misunderstood - the special hops is for the glucoma, its the making of the present itself that is to make them smile.


:|


Thankyou everyone for your suggestions - not knowing anything about this stuff, it is good to see some input from others who also dont know ... anything ... about it ... right? hahahaha 


Some great suggestions though


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## Weizguy (7/8/07)

Ed Rosenthal had a book entitled "[email protected] Beer" as brewed by the Unknown Brewer, with tips and recipes (with a lot of Yank crystal malts that we cant get here). Send me a pm and I'll see if I can borrow the book and post U some copies.

Also, as the active ingredient is soluble in alcohol, a friend of mine from Kanberra (now in NZ), suggests a bottle of the "Green Dragon", which is a large bud inserted/soaked in a bottle of good Vodka. The vodka turns green as the plant material (and chlorophyll) integrate into the liquid, and it becomes "magic" (active).

As mentioned before, the synergistic effects (more than additive) must be carefully anticipated.

Ah, the things U learn at Uni...

Seth out


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## wildschwein (7/8/07)

Mercs Own said:


> Just like the worm in the Tequila bottle.....add a nice bit of head to the bottle and store for a few months - drink then eat! Dont know if it will actually do all that much but it is a good talking point.
> 
> A mate of mine did this and I cant say it had much if any effect - the beer was crap and the stuff was too wet to smoke :beerbang:
> 
> edit: just for the record I didnt inhale!



LOL: What are running for office?

But to the question. I knew someone who used to do this (years ago) and I don't think it had any real effect on me, although I thought it tasted okay. Seems like a waste if you're doing it just for taste. Another member of the same family that has a history of use in beer is stinging nettle which also has some mystical health properties but reportedly produces beer which is a tad salty. Just to flip things over: I've actually tried smoking hops pellets and it does give you a mild short buzz, after which you feel quite calm and sleepy.


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## 0M39A (7/8/07)

wildschwein said:


> LOL: What are running for office?
> 
> But to the question. I knew someone who used to do this (years ago) and I don't think it had any real effect on me, although I thought it tasted okay. Seems like a waste if you're doing it just for taste. Another member of the same family that has a history of use in beer is stinging nettle which also has some mystical health properties but reportedly produces beer which is a tad salty. Just to flip things over: I've actually tried smoking hops pellets and it does give you a mild short buzz, after which you feel quite calm and sleepy.



Hops, when smoked, are known to be a mild sedative. they are sometimes included in natural sleep aids as well.


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