A Sweet Brew

[MuseOD]

I made a batch of sage and liquorice ale. People in general really liked it, HOWEVER, they said it was to sweet. I want to perfect my ale, so what would you suggest adding, which would add complexity of flavour and depth?
(this is pretty much an "inb4 use less sugar")
I was considering adding two or three of the following
oregano, black pepper, citrus rind, coffee beans, cocoa beans. cranberries. gooseberries, chillis, lime leaves, betel leaves.
What do you think, HBF?

 

[Buzzing]

I might be wrong, but normally the bittering hops breaks down alot of the sweetness.

The addition of what you recommended, barring betel leaves, would add to the depth and complexity, yeas, but I don't think it would counter the sweetness you want to reduce.

If you don't waht to use hops, think about using another bittering agent, maybe nettle ?


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Apparently Hanbane was used prior to hops as a bittering agent in alot of German brews. On Erowid.org there is a recipe for a brew called PILSENKRAUT. According to researchers, this is an ancient pilsner using henbane instead of hops.

A beer brewed with henbane would be a fully psychoactive brew which you would not consume more than 3-4 of. The effect would also not be alcoholic alone, but a combination of alcohol and scopolamine and other tropane alkaloids, which can be a very dangerous combination.

It is noteworthy that the modern bittering agent, hops - Humulus lupulus, is the only other plant in the family of plants in which Cannabis falls, and hops is classified, pharmachologically, as a sedatve hypnotic, and is used as a replacement for valerian in herbal treatments.

Bittering agents, both traditional and modern variants, thus had more use then just breaking the sweetness . . .

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