Bay and Rosemary Beer

[Petrolhead]

I have been reading Booze for Free and tried the parsnip wine recipe which was fabulous even straight from the fv. I am thinking about doing Andy Hamilton’s Bay leaf and Rosemary beer but I am a little worried that it may taste a bit unusual.

The author said it is his favourite extract brew. Has anyone tried it?

 

[Drunkula]

On Jim's Beer Kit there's somebody saying it's famous on the Bristol homebrewing scene for being bloody horrible.

http://twohoundsbrewery.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/rosemary-and-bay-ale.html

In the comments there he says it's very refreshing.

Found some other stuff you might like here.

 

[BeerCat]

I like rosemary so i put some in bottles of mead. It was truly awful. Perhaps i should of not put the sticks in as well. It looked nice though.

 

[MrRook]

I brew a lemon-rosemary blonde ale that's pretty good.

 

[Brew_DD2]

Rosemary works great in a Saison. As others have said, use very sparingly.

 

[geigercntr]

My first ever brew was that recipe! It tasted very much like somebody's first ever brew :)

I should revisit it soon :)

 

[ballomar]

I did the rosemary and ale recipe from that book and it's great. It's so good, I think I might try it again. I used S33 iirc, which is fairly low attenuation.

However, it peaked after 12 months conditioning. At that stage it was very, very good. When it was young it tasted weird, but still drinkable.

I'd drink it 6-18 months after bottling.

 

[Petrolhead]

I am just nearing the pint where I have time to do this brew but just wondering if it would benefit from some hops being added.

Can anyone who’s brewed it comment?

Thanks

 

[Leon103]

I have brewed a rosemary and simcoe pale ale and it was lovely

 

[Petrolhead]

Well I did this brew rather belatedly on Sunday and the FV is going like a steam train.

I followed the recipe rather than be tempted by adding hops, probably best to always follow the recipe first attempt.

No real issues but the OCD in me struggled with what was a large sprig of Rosemary and what was an average size for a bay leaf.

Also used prob a 7 litre pot with 6 litres of water and it was a bit small in truth when everything was added. Purchased a bigger pot today.

Will report how it goes.

 

[Petrolhead]

Well I bottled it tonight.

It smelt amazing and when I accidentally swallowed a little siphoning it tasted good enough to drink now.

Can’t wait to try it properly, not a full bodied brew and maybe didn’t taste too strong, that always catches you out, but unusual in a good way. A bit like beer with a hint of ginger beer.

Will report on the final product but at the moment I would say give it a try.

 

[Petrolhead]

Supper a test bottle this evening. Needs a little more carbonisation but after only a week that may come good. Flavour very nice, still a touch of ginger beer about it in a good way, but a little thin on the mouth.

Perhaps it’ll develop.