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Author Topic: Brewing with rose petals  (Read 8427 times)

Offline cfleisher

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Brewing with rose petals
« on: June 07, 2014, 11:22:46 am »
Does anyone have tips on brewing with rose petals? I'm making a saison, about 7-8 percent ABV, and would like to add just a hint of rose aroma. Should I make rose water and add it to the secondary or at bottling, or use them in the boil? If in the boil, for how long? And how much should I use?
Primary: Grapefruit IPA
Secondary: Berliner Weisse

Offline duboman

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2014, 11:49:52 am »
I would think that the rise petals would be similar to hibiscus flowers which is use in a Gose with great success.

I use about 2oz dried for a 5 gallon batch, I add them at flame out and they steep as the wort runs through my CFC, total time is about 20 minutes at so. This provides a really nice floral aroma and some flavor.

The Gose only has one bittering charge at 60 minutes for around 12IBU, I'd keep the hops to a minimum so as not to mask the rose addition, stick to a low bittering charge and skip the flavor and aroma additions
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Offline erockrph

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2014, 01:14:49 pm »
The oils that contribute the aromas from rose petals are many of the same ones that come from dry-hopping. I would either steep the petals like you would dry hops, or add the rose water as late in the process as possible. Adding it during the boil will likely result in many of the oils being boiled off. Adding them early on in fermentation means that the yeast may transform some of them during fermentation, potentially leading to a change in the character of the flavors and aromas.
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Offline Kinetic

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2014, 01:18:17 pm »
Triskel hops are supposed to have a big rose aroma.  Haven't tried them, but plan to.  I drank one pro saison made with rose petals and the aroma was faint.  That probably doesn't help you much. 

Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2014, 05:06:53 pm »
I say use a light touch with the rose petals. I've had desserts made with rose petals and rose water - you could easily have 5 gallons of perfume. Very strong stuff.
Jon H.

Offline pete b

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2014, 07:11:17 pm »
We make mead with rose petals every year (rhodamel). We collect rose petals all summer and freeze them. We always add raspberries. We put the raspberries and petals in a mesh bag in primary, pouring very hot, but not boiling, water mixed with honey on it before closing the lid on the fermenter, then yeast is pitched in the morning. We use a lot for the rhodamel and while it is perfumy in aroma, you get used to it after a few sips and it actually has a lot of complexity. For a beer definitely don't put it in the boil. I will try this some day myself, and by the way I think a saison is a good choice. I would use  about two cups of petals for 5 gallons in the same method you use  dry hoppingp and freeze some for bottling. Taste and smell at bottling, if the taste and aroma is not enough make a tea with a couple more cups of petals, don't put them in while the water is boiling, you want it as hot as you can short of boiling and cover as soon as you put the petals in. ( you could use your priming solution) then strain and stir in. Be sure to collect petals that are aromatic, not all roses are very aromatic. Ragosas work well, we grow some for this purpose. Also, be very sure the roses you use are not sprayed. I have been thinking that a successful rose beer will have a distinct rose aroma upon pouring then fade back a bit.
« Last Edit: June 07, 2014, 07:45:15 pm by pete b »
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Offline case thrower

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Re: Brewing with rose petals
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2014, 08:59:45 am »
I've never tried it but I have a recipe in one of my books for a Belgian blonde that uses rose hips and rosebuds "to get the full rose profile."  It calls for 5 teaspoons dried rose hips added after 20 minutes and 5 tablespoons dried rosebuds added at flameout which add "a heady floral aroma."  Like I say, I've never tried it but at least it's somewhere to start.  Good luck.
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