[anje]

Wonder if you could bitter with citrus peels. Anyone?

[Jimmy K]

Wonder if you could bitter with citrus peels. Anyone?

The dry bitter orange at the HBS looks like whole peel. I've heard wit traditionally isn't orangy because the peel mostly provides bitterness.

[kramerog]

Wonder if you could bitter with citrus peels. Anyone?

The dry bitter orange at the HBS looks like whole peel. I've heard wit traditionally isn't orangy because the peel mostly provides bitterness.

True dat.  You could use regular orange peels for bittering.  If you wanted to eliminate the potential for any orange flavor whatsoever you could use a good potato peeler to remove the rind and just use the pith for bittering. 

I think bitter orange has more pectin than regular orange which would be beneficial if you want your beer to be cloudy too.

[brewlikeamonkey]

Thanks for all the useful info so far.  I want to brew soon, so spruce is out of the question since it is winter (I think).  Orange peel sounds like it may work.  What I am going to do is try to brew a batch out of just common ingredients that I can get at the store or find.  I am looking at Grape Nuts as a grain option because one of the ingredients in it is malted barley.   I am still wondering about things like flax seed, wheat germ, and other kinds of cereals.

[morticaixavier]

Thanks for all the useful info so far.  I want to brew soon, so spruce is out of the question since it is winter (I think).  Orange peel sounds like it may work.  What I am going to do is try to brew a batch out of just common ingredients that I can get at the store or find.  I am looking at Grape Nuts as a grain option because one of the ingredients in it is malted barley.   I am still wondering about things like flax seed, wheat germ, and other kinds of cereals.

I've said it before. And It's possible I will say it again... ovaltine!!!!! the plane flavour is just DME with a little anti clumping agent and maybe some kind of surfactant. perfect for making a grocery store brew.

[anje]

Wonder if you could bitter with citrus peels. Anyone?

The dry bitter orange at the HBS looks like whole peel. I've heard wit traditionally isn't orangy because the peel mostly provides bitterness.

True dat.  You could use regular orange peels for bittering.  If you wanted to eliminate the potential for any orange flavor whatsoever you could use a good potato peeler to remove the rind and just use the pith for bittering. 

I think bitter orange has more pectin than regular orange which would be beneficial if you want your beer to be cloudy too.

Ah, but I've got a small obsession with that orange flavor right now. With Amarillo in short supply, a bunch of peels might be the next best thing.

[hopfenundmalz]

Wonder if you could bitter with citrus peels. Anyone?

During the hop crisis Mike O'Brian (the eastern Brewguyver) made a colonial beer bittered with lemon peels (maybe something else). It worked.

[Jimmy K]

ovaltine!!!!!

That's intreguing.
 

good potato peeler

For wits, I use a potato peeler with serrated blades. It easily cuts nice thin slices off the rind.
 
 

[brewlikeamonkey]

I've said it before. And It's possible I will say it again... ovaltine!!!!! the plane flavour is just DME with a little anti clumping agent and maybe some kind of surfactant. perfect for making a grocery store brew.

Excellent!     Thanks for the recommendation.  I will definitely include some Ovaltine in the recipe.  And I really hate anything citrus in my food, but my beer is another story so I will probably bitter with orange peel.

[brewlikeamonkey]

Ok, I did the Ovaltine brew and... yuck!!!  The stuff smelled alright when boiling, with the malty cocoa-like flavor mixing with the orange peels, but now that it is fermenting it just smells like something awful.  I will let it ferment and then try it, and then I will probably just dump it.  And by the way, this brew was probably more expensive than just using DME.  Oh well, I wasn't planning on anything spectacular, I just like messing around to see what I can, and can not do.   

[morticaixavier]

Ok, I did the Ovaltine brew and... yuck!!!  The stuff smelled alright when boiling, with the malty cocoa-like flavor mixing with the orange peels, but now that it is fermenting it just smells like something awful.  I will let it ferment and then try it, and then I will probably just dump it.  And by the way, this brew was probably more expensive than just using DME.  Oh well, I wasn't planning on anything spectacular, I just like messing around to see what I can, and can not do.   

I didn't say it would be good! did you use the plane ovaltine or the chocolate? I am curious to hear how it actually turns out!

[weithman5]

at the lhbs last year they had a keg of peanut butter chocolate stout.  was okay for about the one ounce in the sample but after that not so much

[Slowbrew]

I have never (and likely, will never) use Ovaltine in a beer but I did make a Grape Nut Brown Ale once.  It turned out pretty well.  I really couldn't pickup much from the Grape Nuts but the novelty got people to try it.   

Paul

[Joe Sr.]

Ok, I did the Ovaltine brew and... yuck!!!  The stuff smelled alright when boiling, with the malty cocoa-like flavor mixing with the orange peels, but now that it is fermenting it just smells like something awful.  I will let it ferment and then try it, and then I will probably just dump it.  And by the way, this brew was probably more expensive than just using DME.  Oh well, I wasn't planning on anything spectacular, I just like messing around to see what I can, and can not do.   

Years ago I tried brewing a batch with whatever I could get at the local health food store (LHFS?).  They actually had (and maybe still have) a syrupy sweetener that was made from malted grain and rice.  If I recall, there were a couple different products like this.  But boy were they expensive.

I still have a jar of one of them somewhere.  If I can remember I'll snap a pic and upload it.  Obviously, they didn't make great beer or I would have fermented that jar long ago.

[brewlikeamonkey]

Ok, I did the Ovaltine brew and... yuck!!!  The stuff smelled alright when boiling, with the malty cocoa-like flavor mixing with the orange peels, but now that it is fermenting it just smells like something awful.  I will let it ferment and then try it, and then I will probably just dump it.  And by the way, this brew was probably more expensive than just using DME.  Oh well, I wasn't planning on anything spectacular, I just like messing around to see what I can, and can not do.   

I didn't say it would be good! did you use the plane ovaltine or the chocolate? I am curious to hear how it actually turns out!

I did use the plain malt Ovaltine, but it still has a sort of cocoa taste and smell to it.