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Spruce tips and juniper berries

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  • Spruce tips and juniper berries

    Going to brew an Old Ale for Winter this year, and use some spruce tips and juniper berries as well as age it on oak. Any ideas on spruce tips or juniper berries as far as weight per barrel? I am looking for a hint of each, not overpowering. It will be 12 Bbls of beer, 18.2 plato, 45 ibus if that helps any.

    Thanks!
    Paul Thomas
    Brewer
    Sockeye Brewing
    www.sockeyebrew.com

  • #2
    I used 11 lbs of Redwood tips in 14 bbl. Many people didn't know it wasn't hops at that level, no one could guess what it was. More pronounced as the glass warmed. Perfect for my tastes. Don't know much about Spruce, but hope this helps.

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    • #3
      Spruce Tips

      Try calling Paul Wheeler with Haines Brewing in Haines Alaska. I tried an ale he had done with spruce tips and was quite nice.

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      • #4
        What spruce tips?

        Are you talking fresh frozen spruce tips from early summer '08 or dried or what? What variety? How about the Juniper berries, fresh or dried?

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        • #5
          A brewer in our area harvested a bunch this spring, I hope to trade hops for a few pounds from him (are you reading this Dave?). I don't know how he stored them, I would assume frozen. The berries would be dry, probably from ye olde Brewers Garden supply.
          Paul Thomas
          Brewer
          Sockeye Brewing
          www.sockeyebrew.com

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          • #6
            Use what you can get

            If you're only talking a few pounds sprucwe tips for 12 bbls use as much as you can get. Add 'em like hops to the kettle with long, medium and finnish boil times. Drop your ibu's significantly if you want a hint. Dried Juniper berries need pre-soak time if you're going to put 'em in the kettle. A little in the ferment/cellaring adds nice character as well over time, especially in oak.

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            • #7
              I've extracted juniper berries and separated the oil and water fractions. The water fraction tastes like a very sweet, sugary syrup with a bit of juniper flavor. The oil fraction is something I'd never put in my beer.

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              • #8
                Old gin ale

                OK, I didn't end up with any spruce tips. I did get 5# of blue juniper berries from San Francisco herb. I was going to put them all in a spice bag and add to kettle during last 15 mins. of boil, where they will sit for the 5 min. whirlpool, 10 min. rest, and 30 min. cool-in(one hour of hot contact time). I should net 9.25 Bbls. in the fermenter for this batch. After fermentation, I will soak about 7# of oak chips in gin, toss them into the brite, and filter then age for 2 weeks on the wood/gin mix. Is this too much juniper? Am I nuts, or does this sound like something you wish you could drink? It's going to happen on Monday, so stop me now or come out for a visit this winter.....
                Paul Thomas
                Brewer
                Sockeye Brewing
                www.sockeyebrew.com

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                • #9
                  The resins in both the berries and the needles are pungent, as you know. This is mostly due to the pinene oils and some linonene oils. These are both very aggressive essential oils and will be much more concentrated in dried berries than fresh. General rule of thumb is to use 1/4 the amount of dried material compared to fresh, or rehydrate the dried material before adding.
                  James Altwies
                  Director/Horticulturist
                  Gorst Valley Hops
                  www.gorstvalleyhops.com

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