Gruit

[notung]

I am very interested in having a go at making up a nice gruit recipe, and think that using tinctures to adjust the herb additions in the glass would be a good starting point. If anyone brews with these ingredients, please take some nice records and describe your results. I do not have good records from using wormwood and yarrow, plus my sanitisation techniques were poor when I made those beers.

MurrayR - I am PMing you regarding myrica gale (bog myrtle).

 

[notung]

Marsh rosemary (Rhododendron tomentosum) is difficult to come by so gruit brewers tend to substitute its close cousin Labrador tea (Rhododendron groenlandicum). Labrador tea is pretty readily available on eBay for anyone interested in using this as an ingredient. Like here.

 

[Stuster]

Maybe have a look at this thread from the Brewboard. A guy there made a wormwood ale. Very bitter as was mentioned apparently.

 

[absinthe]

i had th thought from my absinthe making. the "normal" wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) should go NOWHERE near the cutting tools tanks or vessels used after the distillation as the oils are so bitter it make absinthe almost undrinkable....

the wormwood used after the distillation is "roman" or "petite" wormwood (Artemisia pontica)... much smoother and nicer

thats the guy i would try in gruit.. the only problem is its like hens teeth to find

(p.s tarragon is also in the same family (Artemisia dracunculus) as wormwood)

 

[murrayr]

that link you gave stuster is most interesting. he remarks greatly on how bitter it came out despite using only 20g in a brew starting at 1.070. my reading tells me not to use more than 10-15g and i'm thinking i'll go the lower end of this.
cheers

 

[murrayr]

finally got the ingredients together (mostly) and brewed my gruit yesterday.
the final recipe was:
marris otter: 4kg
caramalt: 500g
cara-aroma: 500g
light munich: 500g
crystal: 500g

90 minute boil with the following additions:
60- marsh rosemary: 20g
- yarrow: 20g
- bayberry (couldn't get myrica gale): 10g
30- wormwood: 8g
10- irish moss
5- marsh rosemary: 10g
- yarrow: 10g
- bayberry: 10g
yeast: WLP002

all seems good thus far. will have to let ya'll know how it turns out in about a months time
cheers, murray

 

[leiothrix]

How did this turn out?

Rob.

 

[murrayr]

not so fantastic. while its not terrible it is far too sweet and has a slight medicinal taste.
the malt sweetness isn't balanced, i should have used a far greater portion of herbs.
chalk this one up to experience i guess. might lie it down for six months to see if it gets any better.
cheers, murray

 

[~MikE]

murrayr, where'd you get the marsh rosemary for your gruit from? it and sweet gale i can't seem to source online...

 

[leiothrix]

Instead of sweet gale, you can get Myrica cerifera instead ($15.20 for 250g). (FYI, Sweet gale is Myrica gale.)

I don't know what the taste difference is, but M. cerifera is available in Oz, good luck finding the M. gale (err, and if you do, please let us know )

 

[murrayr]

first time i've been on in months, sorry mike.
the marsh rosemary i imported from an american site.
not sure if it was supposed to make it through customs (the myrica gale didn't), but it might be worth a shot.
murray