wormwood in beer

[ColinKeb]

Ive read that ale made centuries ago was bittered using wormwood , wormwood being the stuff tha absinthe is made from Ive also found suppliers of wormwood so am interested in brewing such a beer. has anyone done this yet ?

[fivetide]

I also have an enormous amount of fresh wormwood but found absinthe recipes just too difficult and involved with varying results reported.

Any ideas of how to knock up something maddening out of it and I'd like to know too.

[mysterio]

Before the Reformation spices such as wormwood were used in a "gruit" mixture to flavour ales almost exclusively. In the fifteenth century hops became more prevalent and these drinks were designated "beer" rather than ale. The three main gruit herbs are Bog Myrtle, Wild Rosemary and Yarrow. Apparently these were used in varying proportions with other herbs and spices like juniper, ginger, wormwood and so on.

I'd have no idea how to knock out a gruit beer using wormwood though, let us know what you dig up.

[ColinKeb]

Ive found a couple of recipes using wormwood on the net but apparently it doesnt have the same effect as it does in absinthe because the chemicals responisble arent released as they are in a high alcohol drink like absinthe. there are some recipes for making a vodka type absinthe though which apparently doe sthe business . although you may end up in a psychiatric ward as a consequence .

[johnmac]

Isn't absinthe banned in some countries?

This mentions the possibility of renal failure due to drinking wormwood extract: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe#Absinthe_kits

[ColinKeb]

so you didnt catch the green fairy then Daab

[ColinKeb]

[WelshAl]

Van Gogh was drinking absinthe when he cut his ear off...I suppose it's better than giving up a rib, but i think i'll stick to beer if it's all the same

[delboy]

Van Gogh was drinking absinthe when he cut his ear off...I suppose it's better than giving up a rib, but i think i'll stick to beer if it's all the same

I beleive he was drinking cheap adulterated absinthe. To match the green colour from the proper stuff unscrupulus sellers would bung some copper sulphate into cheap poorly distilled alcohol, it was copper posioning and methanol etc that drove you bonkers (or just old-fashioned alcoholism) and not the wormwood. The 'active' compound in wormwood thujone was thought to mimic THC but as far as i know this hasn't held up to any scientific scrutiny whatsoever.

All this nonsense about limiting people to two shots is just a marketing ploy, lets face it it stinks, one is enough for anyone but then that would be like only eating two shredded wheat instead of the more manly three. People will routinly order the two shots therby reaffriming their manhood .

If anyone is interested in making the proper drive you bananas stuff i'll send you some copper sulphate from the lab, only joking i don't want to be held responsible for a glut of one eared homebrewers strutting around the countryside with easels under their arms

[ColinKeb]

..yes but they would be RICH one eared artists , is it worth it i wonder .....

[WelshAl]

Ah, but they only make money once they are dead...

A big drawback for doing proper art. That's why Emmin and Hirst did things so differently

[ColinKeb]

hmm .. beer art ? yeast sculptor anyone ?

[mysterio]

Ive found a couple of recipes using wormwood on the net but apparently it doesnt have the same effect as it does in absinthe because the chemicals responisble arent released as they are in a high alcohol drink like absinthe. there are some recipes for making a vodka type absinthe though which apparently doe sthe business . although you may end up in a psychiatric ward as a consequence .

Maybe you could steep the wormwood in vodka and add it to the finished beer?

[ColinKeb]

good idea ! i shall have a go at this in the next month or so then post the results (unless ive been sectioned of course)