Adding Spices

6 posts / 0 new
Last post
JimChochola
JimChochola's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 days ago
Adding Spices

I know I can find this on HBT but wanted to canvas those brewers whom I know and trust.

I added spices to only one beer (one of my first, extract batches) and I don't remember how it turned out (yeah, yeah, I know: take good notes all the way through).

 

What are people's preferred methods of adding spices?

  • into the boil? If so, when?
  • steep in vodka to extract flavors and then add to keg/bottling bucket?
  • rack to secondary and throw the spices in there?
  • other methods?

 

Thanks!

StevenLane
StevenLane's picture
Offline
Last seen: 6 hours 2 min ago
Alchemist, member since
zest of tangerines?

zest of tangerines?

Eric Franklin said:

This calls to mind with a question. I'd like to spice my rye pa. I'm thinking ginger, but don't know. I'm using citra hops and don't know if the flavors go. Ideas?

JimChochola
JimChochola's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 days ago
My gut is telling me either

My gut is telling me either too similar or citra will overpower ginger taste. I think the most you can hope for is the zing *feeling* from the ginger like ginger tea; don't know if you'd really *taste* the ginger. I think a hoppy rye IPA is delish; why add more of anything?

Eric Franklin said:

This calls to mind with a question. I'd like to spice my rye pa. I'm thinking ginger, but don't know. I'm using citra hops and don't know if the flavors go. Ideas?

JimChochola
JimChochola's picture
Offline
Last seen: 3 years 2 days ago
Thanks! I think I'm going to

Thanks! I think I'm going to throw my spices in for the last 10 minute of boil and then, if the flavor i want still isn't there, at the end, I will steep the same spices in vodka and throw it into the keg after fermentation until I get the desired taste...

Eric Franklin said:

Not sure if this is spices, but I steeped some dried cranberries and raisins in mezcal and threw  just the rehydrated berries in secondary for a cider I did. REAL smokey out of the keg, but matured quickly after resulting a nice smokey flavor. 

I've also added mint to a saison, again in secondary. 

EricFranklin
EricFranklin's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 day 2 hours ago
Brewer, member since
This calls to mind with a

This calls to mind with a question. I'd like to spice my rye pa. I'm thinking ginger, but don't know. I'm using citra hops and don't know if the flavors go. Ideas?

EricFranklin
EricFranklin's picture
Offline
Last seen: 1 day 2 hours ago
Brewer, member since
Not sure if this is spices,

Not sure if this is spices, but I steeped some dried cranberries and raisins in mezcal and threw  just the rehydrated berries in secondary for a cider I did. REAL smokey out of the keg, but matured quickly after resulting a nice smokey flavor. 

I've also added mint to a saison, again in secondary.