Membership questions? Log in issues? Email info@brewersassociation.org

Author Topic: heather ale  (Read 1000 times)

Offline bernardsmith

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
heather ale
« on: August 27, 2014, 01:42:09 pm »
I don't have a copy of May/June issue of Zymurgy but in it was a recipe for heather ale. If my memory serves me aright the recipe calls for about 6 pints of fresh heather tips for a 5 gallon batch. My local HBS sells dried tips. Has anyone on this forum made a version of fraoch using dried heather and if so how many ounces or cups of dried tips should I consider using /gallon. The usual "rule of thumb" in cooking is 3 units of fresh = 1 unit dried but 2 pints of dried heather tips (in 5 gallons of ale) just sounds like a huge amount. Thoughts? Thanks

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: heather ale
« Reply #1 on: August 27, 2014, 01:52:58 pm »
it sounds like a huge amount but it's about right.

I used 12 ounces dried in 5 gallons last time. this is a moderately large sackful as you can imagine.

I was not using hops so I used about half at the beginning of the boil and half at flameout.

They are a mess to deal with so either bag them or prepare to filter your wort through something. I like a big BIAB type grain bag inside my bucket. then when you are done running off you can gently and slowly lift the bag out and get all the solids.

It's a delicate flavor and you get less bitterness and more mild tea like astringency from the early additions. it serves to balance the sweetness though so that's nice. The later additions are also very subtle. I have considered dry-tipping but I have read a fair number of reports of infections from dry-tipping so I have not tried it yet. Not that I'm particularly afraid of wild yeasts, in fact historically the microbiology of heather tips was prized for mead making in the celtic lands.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline bernardsmith

  • 1st Kit
  • *
  • Posts: 6
Re: heather ale
« Reply #2 on: August 27, 2014, 02:35:59 pm »
Twelve ounces. Wow! But this is very useful. Thanks. Very helpful. I am also thinking of making a metheglin with heather and I will assume that about 2.5 oz /gallon (just less) is what I should be looking for when working with honey.

Offline morticaixavier

  • I must live here
  • **********
  • Posts: 7781
  • Underhill VT
    • The Best Artist in the WORLD!!!!!
Re: heather ale
« Reply #3 on: August 27, 2014, 02:54:20 pm »
sounds like a good place to start.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce