Licorice, root or powder?

[Dave70]

Anybody has experience with these ingredients? How much to add and when? I was after the actual brewers licorice in stick form, but it seems a bit scarce. The powder or root (which I'm assuming you steep or make a tea from) is pretty easy to come by.
Going into a fairly big stout.
I doubt you'd have much success substituting with the confectionery stuff as it seems to be basically gum, sugar and anise oil.
That, and it would be lucky to make it into the boil round my joint..

 

[wide eyed and legless]

You can get the root from Chinese grocery stores, don't know the Chinese name, I think I still have some I will check, I made the Pontefract Stout, went overboard with the root so if you find a recipe stick to it.

 

[Jens-Kristian]

Depending on your tastes, avoid anything with anise. I have no scientific reasoning for that, but I find it astonishing that nearly all Australian licorice is laced with the stuff, rather than actually using licorice to flavour it. It means I find most Australian licorice vile. If you're into licorice in any real sense, anise is almost always an abomination. That said, I like a few where they have gone very, very easy on the anise.

I'd use licorice root; make a tea from it. There are some tea stores that actually sell it already shredded a bit, which makes the operation a bit easier than if you get the root sticks. When you've made the tea, reduce it and simply taste it as you go along. It imparts more flavour than you might initially think by just tasting the tea.

 

[Dave70]

You can get the root from Chinese grocery stores, don't know the Chinese name, I think I still have some I will check, I made the Pontefract Stout, went overboard with the root so if you find a recipe stick to it.

Do you recall how much was overboard?

 

[MHB]

There is a liquid extract available, most home brew shops have or can get it.
Not that I personally recommend licorice in beer, to me it always stands out like dogs balls, just doesn't belong in beer to my mind.
Mark

 

[wide eyed and legless]

Do you recall how much was overboard?

I put in about 150g when the recipe called for 50g for a 50 litre batch. Well I do like licorice! Had a look for the root chips but I may have eaten them.

 

[QldKev]

There is a liquid extract available, most home brew shops have or can get it.
Not that I personally recommend licorice in beer, to me it always stands out like dogs balls, just doesn't belong in beer to my mind.
Mark

I used some from work. As MHB said watch out it stands out super strong. I only used about 8ml and it def stood out in a milk stout.

 

[AJS2154]

Geez Dave. I can't believe I need to say this publicaly:

 

[Dave70]

There is a liquid extract available, most home brew shops have or can get it.
Not that I personally recommend licorice in beer, to me it always stands out like dogs balls, just doesn't belong in beer to my mind.
Mark

Not looking to poor a glass of all sorts here, but years ago I was lucky enough to be staying across from the Sydney hotel in Tas when they had a keg of delicious Moo Brew stout on. Now doubt it was plenty of late low co-humulone hops like Simcoe, but I was thinking licorice. Or possibly star anise. I'dunno. Moo Brew were somewhat coy despite me pestering them with e mails asking for the recipe.

I put in about 150g when the recipe called for 50g for a 50 litre batch. Well I do like licorice! Had a look for the root chips but I may have eaten them.

That would do it.

 

[wide eyed and legless]

What the others have said Dave it is an overpowering additive, I understand what you are looking for in some stouts you get a very subtle hint of licorice, without licorice being added, this is what I was aiming for with my Pontefract stout, so if you do try it just try maybe 20g for the last 10 to 15 minutes.flame out. (depending on the volume)

 

[TimT]

Coming in very late... how'd this brew go?

Licorice adds its own sugars I think, some of which are unfermentable.

It's a good ingredient but you don't need to add much.

I'd tend to go for it in the root form as that probably indicates it's been less processed but it probably doesn't matter much either way.

 

[Stouter]

I used root form in my first biab stout. 25g I think, and was added in the final ten minutes of the boil.
I do love licorice, but it was completely overpowering, something like medicine, but after about two or three months in the bottle, the edge had been taken off and it became very drinkable. I'd like to think that after 6 months it would be a lovey brew, but I couldn't wait that long and drank it all because I'm a greedy *******!
When I go another one of this brew I'll tone it down to 5 - 8g. I reckon that'll give it a more subtle edge, otherwise it's just masking all other ingredients.

 

[amarks6]

I throw in 5 grams of licorice root in for the last 5 minutes of a 42 litre batch of dry Irish Stout.

Seems to work just fine.