star anise... how much

[Deebee]

I am thinking of putting some of this in a stout i am planning to make just to spice it up a little. brew length will be around the 15-20 l mark ( in the FV.)

I understand from beersmith that i should add this for 30 minutes of the boil but how much would i use and would i crush it first?

i am looing for just a slight taste and nothing overpowering. hoping for something around the 4.5-5% mark ABV

Thanks as always

[EoinMag]

I am thinking of putting some of this in a stout i am planning to make just to spice it up a little. brew length will be around the 15-20 l mark ( in the FV.)

I understand from beersmith that i should add this for 30 minutes of the boil but how much would i use and would i crush it first?

i am looing for just a slight taste and nothing overpowering. hoping for something around the 4.5-5% mark ABV

Thanks as always

If you crush it you will overpower everything else, it's a very powerful spice, I'd only put in one or two whole anise, but I've never used it for brewing, just for cooking.

A tip from Heston Blumenthal was to crush two seeds from the star anis into a bolognese sauce to enhance the flavour of the beef and it works really well.

[Deebee]

I am thinking of putting some of this in a stout i am planning to make just to spice it up a little. brew length will be around the 15-20 l mark ( in the FV.)

I understand from beersmith that i should add this for 30 minutes of the boil but how much would i use and would i crush it first?

i am looing for just a slight taste and nothing overpowering. hoping for something around the 4.5-5% mark ABV

Thanks as always

If you crush it you will overpower everything else, it's a very powerful spice, I'd only put in one or two whole anise, but I've never used it for brewing, just for cooking.

A tip from Heston Blumenthal was to crush two seeds from the star anis into a bolognese sauce to enhance the flavour of the beef and it works really well.

ok, maybe i should just drop the idea then?

[jat147]

You can ruin stuff very easy with even a whole star. I made plum & port chutney, the recipe said 1 star which i used against my better
judgement - and it came out rank. Couldn't taste anything else through it.

I'd agree with Heston and only use a couple of the seeds, but not crushed.
or...maybe make a seperate infusion? at least then you can taste it before you add to the copper??

[lancsSteve]

or...maybe make a seperate infusion? at least then you can taste it before you add to the copper??

Top tip from Randy Mosher is to do infusions into vodka of any spice you;re considering (cinamon, star anise, liquorice root etc) then blend in to the secondary or at serving - a single shot or two of vodka in 23l ain;t gonna do any harm or up alcohol but it ensures against infection and allows you to do it to taste - e.g. take off a sample, add a drip etc.

[RdeV]

I'd stick with it, I quite enjoy Star Anise in a dry stout. I just used to add a few bits of star to the bottle, but that was before I boiled wort. Nowadays I would add a couple of stars towards the end of the boil, won't hurt to start small and increase if need be for later versions. Mosher's vodka infusion should work to get the rate right, but I'd go the boil, shouldn't be any need to crush it.
Not a fan of it in a sweet stout though, tasted like cordial/ Ribena, quite naff and just not right, so I'd suggest only use it in dry stout.