Comments on: Brewing without hops: Suggestions wanted http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/ Sat, 11 Feb 2012 03:38:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nate http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-108412 Nate Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:05:13 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/#comment-108412 Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner is a simple comprehensive introduction into brewing with anything but hops (120 recipes). Hops is still in its infancy as a bittering agent in beer. Gruit was the ale of Europe for 700 years, then during the 16th and 18th centuries the world's first drug laws were established making the use of any other herb or seed besides hops illegal with severe penalties. Primary thanks for this goes to the Catholic Church, but this issue provided a spring board for the Protestant reformist, so we can not leave them out. This excerpt is from the book,"Gruit ale stimulates the mind, creates euphoria, and enhances sexual drive. The hopped ale that took its place is quite different. It effects are sedating and anaphrodesiacal. In other words it puts the drinker to sleep and dulls sexual desire." Like Todd said, hops acts as an antimicrobial agent, inhibiting any contaminents. I've done a few herbal beers, one had bayberry leaves (similar to gruit, effects were stumulating) and the other had sage, you've got to drink them fast or they get skunky. It has quite a few recipes for tropical brewers also. Their is one for Palm beer, drill a hole in a palm tree colloct a few gallons of its sap (sap is sterile when it comes out of the tree) put in primary fermenter and add some yeast. Ferment until complete add priming sugar, bottle and consume. Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers by Stephen Harrod Buhner is a simple comprehensive introduction into brewing with anything but hops (120 recipes). Hops is still in its infancy as a bittering agent in beer. Gruit was the ale of Europe for 700 years, then during the 16th and 18th centuries the world’s first drug laws were established making the use of any other herb or seed besides hops illegal with severe penalties. Primary thanks for this goes to the Catholic Church, but this issue provided a spring board for the Protestant reformist, so we can not leave them out.

This excerpt is from the book,”Gruit ale stimulates the mind, creates euphoria, and enhances sexual drive. The hopped ale that took its place is quite different. It effects are sedating and anaphrodesiacal. In other words it puts the drinker to sleep and dulls sexual desire.”

Like Todd said, hops acts as an antimicrobial agent, inhibiting any contaminents. I’ve done a few herbal beers, one had bayberry leaves (similar to gruit, effects were stumulating) and the other had sage, you’ve got to drink them fast or they get skunky.

It has quite a few recipes for tropical brewers also. Their is one for Palm beer, drill a hole in a palm tree colloct a few gallons of its sap (sap is sterile when it comes out of the tree) put in primary fermenter and add some yeast. Ferment until complete add priming sugar, bottle and consume.

]]> By: brett maxwell http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-108330 brett maxwell Sun, 16 Mar 2008 23:46:02 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/#comment-108330 you might be able to get some hop varieties to grow in the tropics. i know i've seen some recommended for hot climates, though they didn't say anything about humidity. you might be able to get some hop varieties to grow in the tropics. i know i’ve seen some recommended for hot climates, though they didn’t say anything about humidity.

]]> By: Todd http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/comment-page-1/#comment-108307 Todd Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:27:18 +0000 http://appellationbeer.com/blog/brewing-without-hops-suggestions-wanted/#comment-108307 Tom, You may want to start at www.probrewer.com and look at "alternative bittering plants". It mentions quite a few plants and books for brewing. Isn't the basic goal of an alternative bittering plant in beer to balance the sweetness of the malt with the bitterness of the plant and also to inhibit bacterial growth in the finished product? Perhaps a little tropical botanical education is a good goal to start with if you want to use local plants- cheat the learning curve and listen to locals. Education doesn't always equate to wisdom. Tom,
You may want to start at http://www.probrewer.com and look at “alternative bittering plants”. It mentions quite a few plants and books for brewing.

Isn’t the basic goal of an alternative bittering plant in beer to balance the sweetness of the malt with the bitterness of the plant and also to inhibit bacterial growth in the finished product?

Perhaps a little tropical botanical education is a good goal to start with if you want to use local plants- cheat the learning curve and listen to locals.

Education doesn’t always equate to wisdom.

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