Coopers Stout kit + Liquorice Flavour ??

[Robd]

Im on my third batch of coopers original stout and just love it. I normally use 1kg Muntons Enhancer and also add a tin of black treacle. This latest 40 pints is still bubbling away nicely after 3 days but im now thinking "can i add some star anise" to get a liquorice flavour?

Ive recently done a Wherry and added hops after 4 days so can i do the same with Star Anis and if so how do i prepare it? how much do i put in and when would you add it? I love Liquorice so would like to give my favourite brew kit and extra kick.

Your thoughts please.... :-)

 

[simon12]

I think adding liquorice is much more common but I suppose its a very similar flavour. Sorry no idea how to prepare it though.

 

[568ml]

I brewing a crimbo beer atm with star anise and other spices. The recipe called for the spices and some hops to be boiled for ten mins and stand to cool for 30min or so. Before sived and poured into the FV along with the rest of the brew kit. Don't know if "dry hopping" star anise would do the trick.

Being Danish I have been breast fed liquorice, nice strong salty stuff. UK and Dutch liquorice is mild compared. But I have never had a beer with a liquorice flavour. So let me know how it goes and I might copy you :-)

 

[cheshirehomebrew]

other stout threah I have used liquorice in my stout, I boiled up some sweets in about a cup of water and added this in at the end of boil.

wont know how it fared till christmas though

 

[568ml]

My secret in an emergency stash, that only I can eat*, is extremely salty so I wouldn't boil that up and put into my beer.

*Ain't it great to have a treat that is only yours, that you know is safe from prying hands, because everyone else in the household detest it :)

 

[FatCol]

I think you need firstly to decide whether you want to impart a liquorice or aniseed flavour - the 2 are quite different.

I've heard of Pontefract Cakes (soft, flat liquorice sweets) being added to stout, but Star Anise will impart an aniseed flavour, which may not be what you are seeking.

I'm showing my age here, but you used to be able to buy "liquorice root" from chemists, which is the actual root from the the plant and you chewed it to get the liquorice flavour. If you could track down some of that, it would be the more "pure" liquorice taste. Also, around the same time, chemists would perform blood lettings and apply leaches to cure insanity!

FatCol

 

[568ml]

You are only showing that you are the same age as me. The last time I saw liquorice root I went : Oh look remember them, I used to chew on these for hours. Only to have people around me look weirdly at me :)

 

[FatCol]

You are only showing that you are the same age as me. The last time I saw liquorice root I went : Oh look remember them, I used to chew on these for hours. Only to have people around me look weirdly at me :)

Could you imagine these days taking away a child's Haribo and giving them a twig to chew instead...

Our chemist had the root in a jar, Chuppa Chupps and the weird "vitamin C" fruit lollies, which were flat, about an inch wide and 2 1/2 inch long, all on the counter. I nearly always chose the root, because it lasted longer.

Glad to hear I'm not the only one that remembers it!

FatCol

 

[FatCol]

Im on my third batch of coopers original stout and just love it. I normally use 1kg Muntons Enhancer and also add a tin of black treacle. This latest 40 pints is still bubbling away nicely after 3 days but im now thinking "can i add some star anise" to get a liquorice flavour?

Ive recently done a Wherry and added hops after 4 days so can i do the same with Star Anis and if so how do i prepare it? how much do i put in and when would you add it? I love Liquorice so would like to give my favourite brew kit and extra kick.

Your thoughts please.... :-)

If you search on Google for Liquorice root, you can still buy it. Liquorice is made by extracting flavour from the root by boiling water, so it might be the perfect answer for you.

FatCol

 

[Slid]

If you search on Google for Liquorice root, you can still buy it. Liquorice is made by extracting flavour from the root by boiling water, so it might be the perfect answer for you.

FatCol

You could cut the root into thin slices and add it to water.

The obvious choices are then either boiling it for a while or adding boiling water and leaving it to cool (steeping), then adding it to the wort.

Should work well.