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Copyright www.petespintpot.co.uk 2008. First published 17 October 2008, last updated 28 January 2012.

 

Pete’s Pint Pot is dedicated to the home production & sensible drinking of beer, wine, cider & meads plus a little bit of china painting & a few bits of photograph tampering.

 

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           Herbs & spices play an important in role in the flavouring & keeping properties of beers & the flavouring of wines etc., especially meads. A few of them are briefly described here, along with some of their uses but first I must apologise for some of the units used - litres of flowers/leaves etc?

 

DEFINITIONS:

See HERBS & SPICES.

 

QUANTITIES

Assume a wort of 23 litres for beers & a wine/mead volume of 4.5 litres unless otherwise stated.

 

ALLSPICE (Pimenta dioica)

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

BALM

2.25 litre or 60g dried in wine.

 

BLACK PEPPERCORNS (Piper nigrum: Black, White, Green - all form same plant)

Used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

BOG MYRTLE (Myrica)

As has a strong flavour, try adding 0.5-1g for the last 15 mins. of the boil.

 

BORRAGE

Use the flowers/leaves at the rate of 1 litre fresh/60g dried of per 4.5 litres of wine.

 

BURNET

2 litres per 4.5 litres wine.

 

CARAWAY (Carum Carvi)

For 23l of beer, boil 5-15g for the last 15mins. Also used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

CARDAMOM (Elettaria cardamomum)

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

CINNAMON (Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

CLOVES (Eugenia caryophyllus)

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

COLTSFOOT

Try using 1-4 litres of flowers or 7.5-30g dried per 4.5 litres wine.

 

CORIANDER (Coriandrum sativum)

Some Trappist, Abbey, saisons & witbiers use up to about 30g of coriander seeds per 23 litres, added added about 15 mins from the end of the hop boil. A more practical dosage will probably be 5 - 15g, err on the side of caution. Also used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

CUMIN (Cuminum cyminum)

 

DANDELION (Taraxacum officinale)

Try 2.25 litres of heads (30 g dried) to 4.5 litres of wine.

 

ELDERFLOWER (Sambucus nigra)

625ml or three large heads or 60g dried  should be sufficient for 4.5 litres of wine.

 

GARLIC (Allium sativum)

Any one fancy a garlic beer? They are available!

 

GINGER (Zingiber officinale)

A good starting is point is 40-60g of thinly sliced/grated root ginger (15 mins.) & 15-60g of ginger in the secondary fermenter or you may try the ginger in the secondary only. “Ginger Beer” requires typically 65g of root ginger per litre & for ginger wine try 50-150g for 4.5 litres. Good for wine/cider mulls.

 

GRAINS OF PARADISE (Aframomum melegueta)

Also known as “seeds of paradise” & “melegueta pepper”, it comes from the same family as cardamom (Zingiberaceae).

Try ⅛ to 2 tsp per 23l of beer for the last 15 mins.

 

GRUIT (GRUT)

Gruit is a combination of herbs, some of the most common being bog myrtle, mugwort, yarrow, horehound & heather. Gruit recipes are not “fixed” & can include other herbs/spices such as black henbane, juniper berries, ginger, caraway seed, aniseed, nutmeg, cinnamon & hops. Steenbrugge Abbey beers include gruit.

 

HAWTHORN BERRIES

1.8-2Kg for 4.5 litres.

 

HAWTHORN BLOSSOM

1.8-2Kg for 4.5 litres.

 

HEATHER (Ericaceae family)

The Scottish Fraoch Heather Ale uses heather & bog myrtle in it’s recipe.

As a starting point add 200ml of fresh heather flowers (or 100ml dried) to the hops for the last 40 mins. of the boil + 200ml (or 100ml dried) for the last 15 mins.

 

HOPS (Humulus lupulus)

See the Hops Page. May be use in meads & country wines for flavour.

 

LAVENDER (English Lavender: Lavendula Angustifolia, French Lavender: Lavandula stoechas)

Use up to about 22g of leaves about 15 mins from the end of the hop boil. Be Careful.

 

LEMON GRASS (Cymbopogon citratus)

Fresh stalks can be “dry hopped”, use up to 90g for 23 litres.

 

LEMON PEEL

Similar use to orange peel.

 

LIME BLOSSOM

2 litres per 4.5 litres wine.

 

LIQUORICE (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Liquorice or licorice adds sweetness, colour & flavour to beers, 1 dried root stick (about 140-180mm long, 20-30g at a guess) will suffice per 23 litres, last 15-30 mins., time not critical. Surprisingly (?) not used for wines & ciders.

 

MAY BLOSSOM

Try using 4.5 litres per 4.5 litres wine.

 

MELEGUETA PEPPER

See Grains of Paradise.

 

MINT (Mentha spp)

A very versatile addition to many types of alcoholic & non-alcoholic drinks. Use for “dry hopping”, up to 30g for 23 l. Try 1 litre per 4.5 litres of wine.

 

MIXED SPICE

Typically a mixture of Cinnamon, Coriander seed, Caraway, Nutmeg, Ginger & Cloves is used. A rate of about 8 level 5ml tsp in 23 litres (equivalent) was used in my “Olde Wig Bender” & “Ginger IV” (2 tsp per 4.5 wine) recipes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NETTLES (Urticaceae family)

On this prickly subject, typically use 1Kg per litre of nettle beer boiled in about 2-2.5 litres of water for half an hour. Nettle wine can also be made but I am unsure of the quantities involved.

 

NUTMEG (Myristica fragrans)

Used in wine/cider mulls etc.

 

ORANGE BLOSSOM

60g dried per 4.5 litres wine.

 

ORANGE PEEL

Coriander is often used in association with orange peel in beers. Try 5-15g the last 10-15 mins. to maximum of 30g. Try equal quantities of orange peel & coriander for the same amount of time. The bitter peel of the Curaçao orange is often preferred when used in beer making, the green fruit is not allowed to ripen & the peel is dried. Curaçao Island is situated in the Caribbean where the peel is used mostly in the production of making Curaçao liqueurs (which are usually BLUE in colour). Also used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

PARSLEY (Petroselinum crispum - curled parsley)

Use 450-500g fresh parsley or 55-60g dried per 4.5 litres.

 

PEA POD

1.8-2Kg for 4.5 litres.

 

ROSE HIPS

For wine use about 1-2Kg fresh hips, dried can be used - replace by about 25% of the original weight. Rose hips are said to be better after frosts - if the birds have not got to them first!

 

ROSE HIP SYRUP (To make about 1 litre)

750g fresh rose hips

550g sugar

Water

 

Method

Vitamin C deteriorates very quickly in rose hips once you start mucking about with them, hence the relatively simplicity of the process.

1.  Remove stems, flower remnants or any damaged fruit & mince the rose hips up coarsely by hand or food processor.

2.  Put the hips in a large pan, add about 800ml water & simmer for about 20 mins, allow to infuse for 20-30 mins.

3.  Strain through a fine sieve into a graduated jug & return the pulp to the pan, adding water to make the total liquid up to 800ml & heat for another 5 mins. Cool for 10 15 mins

4.  Strain through the sieve into the graduated jug & collect 800ml.

5.  At this point you may wish to strain again through 1 or 2 pieces of muslin placed in the sieve into the pan (this helps to remove the tiny “hairs”).

6.  Place the pan on a gentle & stir in the sugar & once it as dissolved, turn off the heat.

7.  When still warn (not hot) pour into sterilised bottles & seal.

 

ROSEMARY (Rosmarinus officinalis)

For 23 litres, use up to about 55g of leaves & the associated stem, about 15 mins from the end of the hop boil. Also used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

ROSE PETALS

For 4.5 litres of wine add between 2-2.8 litres or 45-60g dried.

 

STAR ANIS (Illicium verum)

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

SWEET BASIL

For wines try 1 litre fresh or 60g dried per 4.5 litres.

 

SWEET GALE (See BOG MYRTLE)

 

TEA LEAVES

4 tbs or 10 bags for 4.5 litres.

 

VANILLA POD (Vanilla fragrans)

Fresh vanilla pods have very little taste or aroma, but once cured, they are much better!

Mainly used for wine/cider mulls etc.

 

VINE PRUNINGS

1-2.5 Kg for 4.5 litres wine.

 

WALLFLOWER (GILLIEFLOWER) (Genus: Erysimum, species: Cheri)

Use 300-500ml of wallflower petals as a starting point.

 

WOODRUFF (Galium odoratum)

Can be served with a dash of green woodruff in Berliner Weisse.

 

YARROW (Achillea millefolium - Asteraceae family)

Try 1.7 litres flowers per 4.5 litres of wine. The flowers & leaves can be used for ales, try 75-150g fresh or 50-75g dried, “late hopping” - 25g for last 15min.