Has anyone used hibiscus in a wit , or indeed any other beer?
I'm thinking 100g at 15mins would probably do it.
Hibiscus in a Wit
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seymour
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Re: Hibiscus in a Wit
No one else is answering, so I'll take a stab. I'll start with the disclaimer: I haven't personally brewed with hibiscus, but I'm planning to. I've tasted hibiscus in several beers I enjoyed, and it grows native all around my new home.
Some people add it to the late boil as you suggested, but it seems like more people steep a separate tea which is then added straight to the secondary fermentor, perhaps to avoid blasting away the delicate aromas.
From my reading, most brewers use whole flowers which were picked fresh then dried. Some people use dried powder from the health food store, or 3-4 bags of hibiscus tea (or a blend containing hibiscus such as "Lemon Zinger").
As you may know, "hibiscus" describes a diverse group of flowering shrubs. It is a mallow, as in, the original meaning of the word "mashmallow." Ancient people used the sap, inner bark, and roots to make various medicines and sweets. The flowers can be white, pink, purple, dark red, etc, so depending on the type you use it can lend your beer a very unusual tint.
Best of luck, and I look forward to learning from your experiment.
Some people add it to the late boil as you suggested, but it seems like more people steep a separate tea which is then added straight to the secondary fermentor, perhaps to avoid blasting away the delicate aromas.
From my reading, most brewers use whole flowers which were picked fresh then dried. Some people use dried powder from the health food store, or 3-4 bags of hibiscus tea (or a blend containing hibiscus such as "Lemon Zinger").
As you may know, "hibiscus" describes a diverse group of flowering shrubs. It is a mallow, as in, the original meaning of the word "mashmallow." Ancient people used the sap, inner bark, and roots to make various medicines and sweets. The flowers can be white, pink, purple, dark red, etc, so depending on the type you use it can lend your beer a very unusual tint.
Best of luck, and I look forward to learning from your experiment.
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Swoonara
Re: Hibiscus in a Wit
Thanks Seymour, interesting stuff. Well I've got 100g of dried, dark red flowers so I might put half in the late boil and half in secondary as a tea.
I heard they give out a strong berry flavour and turn the beer very pink!
I heard they give out a strong berry flavour and turn the beer very pink!
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seymour
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Re: Hibiscus in a Wit
Sounds good to me! Looking forward to hearing how it turns out.
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jimp2003
Re: Hibiscus in a Wit
BUMP...Did you get round to using the hibiscus? I just read a post of The Mad Fermentationist HERE and am intrigued by this ingredient.
I was thinking of getting some dried flowers, making a tea and adding small amounts to a fairly neutral lager (eg Bud Lite) to see if I like it and how much could be added to a full batch.
I was thinking of getting some dried flowers, making a tea and adding small amounts to a fairly neutral lager (eg Bud Lite) to see if I like it and how much could be added to a full batch.
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seymour
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Re: Hibiscus in a Wit
I haven't yet, but I've had several commercial examples which were very nice. I'm excited to report I have at least three hibiscus bushes surrounding my new home which are budding like crazy, So...fingers crossed for late summer!