Hi all,
Thanks for joining us this week for the last of the major ingredients in our ingredients series. We’ve looked at Malt, Hops, Yeast and Water in previous weeks but this week is dedicated to anything else you can put in beer. I’m calling it specialty ingredients.
Last Week In New Beerginnings
Ok so let’s address the Elephant in the room here, it has been a month since the last post. I am truly sorry for that. I have had a few personal upheavals and changes of circumstances that have torn me away from brewing for some time. I’ve started a new job and until I get that all under control I may be cutting back the frequency of the posts. I have plans to expand and hopefully get some more contributors along the line but for now it’s just me and until I get on my feet at my new job I’ll still be posting only monthly or possibly fortnightly.
In terms of what I’ve been up to brewing-wise, I have a nice cascade/centennial hopped pale ale on at the moment that I’m hoping will be lovely and planning to brew a strawberry blonde ale soon. These are both test beers for Christmas so I’m only doing small batches until the recipe is tweaked enough that I’m confident to brew a full 23l batch that I know will be good and tasty.
Ingredient considerations
With this myriad of ingredients come a few considerations. Some of which I will cover in the individual ingredient descriptions later but will try to generalise here first as well.
When adding these specialty ingredients it is probably worth thinking of four things:
- What characteristic of this ingredient do I want in my beer?
- How much of that character do I want?
- How will it work with the other ingredients in the beer?
- Are there any downsides to adding this ingredient and how can I get around them?
- 1. What characteristic of this ingredient do I want in my beer?
- With things like fruit this may be obvious, a fruity flavour or sour quality. But this can be complex when thinking of other characteristics like smoke and spice it has potential to get a bit more tricky. You may have to use more than one ingredient to achieve the desired objective.
- 2. How much of that character do I want.
- Deciding how much character you want may be easy but having that translate into “how much of x ingredient should I put in my beer?” Is the hard question. As a general rule, I would think of how much you think you need to achieve the character you want and use about half of that as a starting point. The other thing to consider is the other characteristics of that ingredient such as sweetness that you may have to battle with, more on that in a second. One rule that’s followed quite often is the 1/2 a lb to 1 gallon of beer which roughly equates to 220g per 3.75l.
- 3. How will it work with the other ingredients in the beer.
- Most brewers are pretty confident at blending flavours when it comes to malts and hops, grouping citrus, floral, spicy or earthy hops together properly to get the right flavours for your beer. The same goes for blending these other ingredients. You would never really blend salted caramel and oysters together as a food pairing so why would you put them in your beer? Conversely, chocolate and salted caramel would go very well together in or out of a beer so go ahead and pair them, but maybe in a big porter/stout and not a Czech Pilsner. Just because ingredients go together does not mean they will work for your particular style of beer. When pairing all of this, go back to the first point here and think “what character do I want in my beer?” And build the entire beer around that so it is the star. It can work the other way around but it is much harder to get ingredients to fit into a great existing beer recipe that it is to design a beer that fits a particular ingredient.
- 4. Are there any downsides to adding this ingredient and how can I get around them?
- All ingredients have considerations to account for when using them. For specialty ingredients it can be anything from acidity and overpowering flavours to excessive sweetness or haze. What I would suggest is to look up any ingredient you mean to use and look at its previous uses in beer to see if there is a write-up on how it is best used and if there are any characteristics that are worth avoiding.
- For specialty ingredients I will cover a few of the downsides that may occur frequently and are worth considering when adding these ingredients to your beer.
- Acidity – This relates to a lot of fruit, which is generally acidic in nature, but all fruits are not created equal and some will have much more prominent acidity than others. Lemon and citrus fruits for example.
- Acidity will cause sourness which in some styles is desired but if added too early in the process can interfere with other processes in the brew like mashing or primary fermentation. Because of this, it’s generally advised to either only add any particularly acidic ingredients in secondary fermentation in place or alongside a dry hop or counteract the acidity if using in the mash/boil by adding ingredients like chalk (calcium carbonate).
- Sweetness – most of the items in the list of ingredients below will add either sugars, carbohydrates or both which can affect the specific gravity of the wort. You must account for this when adding these ingredients and make sure you are aware of how much sugar or potential sugar the ingredient has. There is a formula to calculate how much sugar an ingredient will contribute to your beer, this is taken from the Brew Your Own website (www.byo.com)
You can calculate how much a fruit addition will affect its specific gravity by using the following formula:
SG = [Wfruit X (Psugar/100) X 45]/Vbeer
In the equation, SG is the specific gravity increase due to fruits. It is given in “gravity points,” or the decimal portion of a specific gravity number.
Wfruit is the weight of the fruit in pounds.
Psugar is the percentage of sugar in the fruit.
The number 45 is the extract potential — in gravity points per pound per gallon — of simple sugars (such as fructose, glucose and sucrose).
Vbeer is the volume of beer in gallons.
For example, if you use 10 pounds of cherries in your five-gallon batch of cherry wheat, you would calculate the specific gravity addition like this:
SG = [10 (14/100) 45]/5 = 12.6, or about 13 gravity points.
If your wheat beer weighed in at 1.048 before the cherries were added, it would now have a specific gravity of 1.061
Knowing the percentage of sugar in a particular ingredient is very helpful too. See the table below taken from “The curious cook” by Harold McGee
For other ingredients not in this list, an internet search should be able to get you a good approximate value.
- Haze – Another attribute of adding ingredients, especially fruits to beer is their potential to contribute haze to the beer. They contain pectins, tannins and other peptides that are likely to cause haziness in the beer. These can be managed to a certain extent by using finings like Irish moss/whirlfloc in the boil or polyclar/gelatine during secondary fermentation to help drop these out.
- The only other consideration to make is when to add the ingredients.
- Mash – if you want the flavour or colour to be in there from the beginning. Bear in mind that the flavour or aroma will be lower than if you were to add it later. It can also have an effect on the mash pH so you may be less efficient than you were expecting or start to extract tannins unless you account for it with water chemistry adjustments.
- Boil – the boil is a very common place to add these ingredients as they will be very well incorporated into the beer, even if added as a late addition. Again, the pH will change and may have an effect on yeast viability. Adding ingredients like fruits in the boil may also produce haze as it causes the pectins that the fruit naturally contains to come out of the fruit and into the beer.
- Primary fermentation – This I would say is probably the least used stage for adding specialty ingredients as you generally want to leave the yeast to do its thing. Nevertheless you can add ingredients at this stage.
- Secondary fermentation – This is probably the most common stage as it is when you would also add your dry hops. Make sure the ingredient is properly sterilised as you don’t want to accidentally introduce any other microbes.
- Packaging – This is also done regularly, sometimes to add extra sugar to help carbonation and sometimes purely for the fresh flavour/aroma aspect. Again it’s vital to ensure the cleanliness of the ingredients to be added to keep some microbial stability, especially since it could make for some exploding bottle bombs when added at this stage!
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Types of Specialty Ingredients
Specialty ingredients are any ingredients you add to your beer that don’t fall into the Malt/Grain, Hops, Yeast or Water categories. Of course this is an incredibly broad range of possibilities and by no means would I consider this post to be a complete list, merely a suggestion of the most common specialty ingredients that people add to their beer.
Fruits & Vegetables
Lemon/Lime – These can be in juice, sliced, crushed or whole form and contribute that familiar sour/sweet citrus character but very little colour. Best added during fermentation alongside or in place of a dry hop addition as boil additions can turn quite bitter. Be sure to account for the high amounts of acidity these fruits will produce. High amounts of acidity can be detrimental to yeast and either produce off flavours or stop fermentation completely. Potential Beers – Mexican Lager, Cal. Common, Lighter Ales
Sultanas/Raisins – Can be used towards the end of the boil, Whirlpool or during secondary fermentation. Remember to think of these as concentrated grapes so the sugar content is very high when compared to the weight. Potential Beers – Porters & Stouts, Barleywines, Scottish Heavy.
Passionfruit – Being such a strong yet delicate flavour, I’d recommend not using Passionfruit during the boil but rather as an addition alongside or in place of a dry hop. This fruit pairs well with hops that naturally produce Passionfruit-like notes like Galaxy or Vic Secret, even Enigma which tends to blend well with fruity flavours. Potential Beers – Pale Ale, IPA, IIPA, DIPA,
Mango – Mango can be added in many forms at many stages but one of the most common would be during fermentation, as a purée. This will add the natural sweetness (as well as a small %ABV hit from the fructose) and flavour/aroma aspects of mango. It will blend well with other tropical fruit additions as well as some hops/esters that may contribute this tropical/stone fruit character. Potential Beers – Lighter ales, very lightly used in some lagers. May not blend well with strong/dark ales.
Figs – Whole, sliced or puréed figs work well when used in the later stages of fermentation. They contribute a dark complex character and slight sweetness. Potential Beers – Barleywine (a couple of commercial examples of this out there!), porter, English Bitter/Strong Ale.
Dates – Similar to figs in their use, Dates contribute much more sweetness and will actually pair very well with figs in beer. See above suggested beers for beers that will work well with dates.
Raspberries – These would have to be one of, if not the most common specialty additions to beer. They give an obvious, immediate sweetness and their high acid content make them an excellent fruit addition for sour beers. Most often puréed and thrown in the fermenter or used for a kettle sour (soured after the mash, boiled for 20 minutes and left to sour for several days before the final boil) They also contribute a reddish hue to the beer. Potential Beers – Anything sour, IPA, Saison, Light ales, Wheat Beers.
Grapefruit – Characteristically a very sour fruit, this aspect will be present in beer made with grapefruit also. May contribute a reddish hue to the beer. Potential Beers – Similar to Lemon/Lime or Raspberries.
Mandarins/Oranges – Can be used in puréed or zest form, typically either very late boil/whirlpool addition or as a ‘dry hop’ for flavour and aroma. Even a whole slice of orange in some beers when served is ok. Generally light Wheat beers like Blue Moon. Potential Beers – Wheat beers, Weissbier, Light ales.
Cherries – Another common addition for many styles of beer, can impart red or even blue’ish hues to beer. Cherries lend themselves nicely to sour beers or lighter/wheat styles. Can be used chopped or Puréed.
Strawberries – These berries contribute their signature colour and light flavour. Not as well suited to darker styles, Strawberries are another good addition to lighter ales, wheat beers or sours. Use chopped or puréed.
Blueberries – A good contributor to colour and flavour, Blueberries work well in light or dark beers but do not contribute the colour you would think. Although the pigment in blueberries themselves gives a blue colour, in the concentrations you find it in your beer it gives more of a reddish colour.
Blackberries – A great contributor of slightly sour flavours as well as some residual sweetness and dark red to nearly purple colours. Although they could be used in a lighter flavoured beer, they really shine in darker beers like a fruity porter. (I’ll attach a Blackberry Baltic Porter recipe at the end of this post).
Coconut – We taste coconut and we think tropical flavours, Although it won’t contribute much in the way of colour. Coconut will pair well with anything else tropical like Pineapple, mango etc since we’re used to tasting these flavours together. Potential Beers – Quite a wide range for this one, everything from tropical pale ales to stouts or porters, anything you want that tropical flavour in. Try some toasted coconut flakes in a porter/stout for a tropical flavour that really compliments the roast malt character!
Pumpkin – This is typically added to beers around the US thanksgiving time. Paired with spices to emulate the classic American Pumpkin Pie dessert, namely Cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg.
Beetroot – Beetroot will contribute its classic pinky purple flavour and a slight vegetable character. I would use this in any beer you want to be visually striking.
Herbs
Rosemary – A very earthy herb with a strong aroma and flavour. Use sparingly and only in beers that can handle or compliment the strong flavour such as some dark English ales or English/American Browns. Rosemary is so strong it has the potential to either partially or completely replace hops.
Mint – A lighter flavour but just as pronounced, mint can be added on its own or as a compliment to another ingredient, e.g. Mint and Strawberry sour.
Coriander – Coriander is used in various styles of beer but most notably German beers like Gose and it contributes nutty or even citrus notes.
Fennel – Adds a spicy and Aniseed-like flavour to beer and can be used as an additional bittering agent if used in the boil.
Spices
Ginger – Obviously this can be used on its own for a ginger beer but in regular beer Ginger contributes a strong flavour with a bit of spice. Suggested uses are chopped or puréed in either the boil or in the fermenter alongside or in place of a dry hop.
Chillies – Heat is a property rarely found in beer, other than alcohol heat that is! Chillies can be added to pretty much any beer that doesn’t already have a ‘hero’ element that’s designed to shine as it could be overshadowed by the heat.
Cinnamon – As mentioned before, this can be added along with other ingredients to create a typical American style holiday beer and adds an earthy spice to the beer. You can use whole or crushed, usually in the secondary fermentation stage.
Cloves – While this flavour/aroma is naturally produced by some yeast, that doesn’t mean that you can’t add them to the beer individually as well. Be careful not to overdo it as they can quickly overpower other elements of the beer.
Vanilla Beans – another common addition to beer of many styles. Vanilla is a familiar flavour that can make things appear sweet. Not because vanilla is sweet but I think it’s more because we associate it with familiar sweet things like ice cream. Vanilla is actually nice and pleasantly earthy, subtle in small amounts but don’t overdo it as it can quickly overpower other elements. Potential Beers – Stouts, Porters, many malty beers like butters and cream ales.
Hot sauce (like Tabasco) – this can be classed and used in a very similar way to chillies in terms of heat. The only different consideration to make for chilli sauce is the individual flavour of different sauces and how that may pair with the other flavours in your beer.
Sweets/Candy
Bear in mind with any sweets or candy that they will usually add some very simple sugars that are easily fermented so will add a little in terms of abv and may take away some body.
Liquorice – This flavour may be somewhat present in your beer due to some malt and yeast characteristics but other brewers choose to put it in separately.
Honey/maple syrup/golden syrup – Sometimes put in as a step in the boil, sometimes the fermenter, these very simple sugars break down and get consumed easily by the yeast. Because of this, you may find that there may not be as much flavour as you think for the amount you add. This is not to say add more as it will detract from the colour and body of your beer. Potential beers – wheat beer, English bitter, generally more malt-forward beers.
Chocolate – very different from using chocolate malt, which doesn’t actually contain any chocolate, adding chocolate to beer can add sweetness, a rich to almost slick mouthfeel and obviously colour. It can be added in various forms, from chopped up bars, whole dark or milk chunks, powder, essence and can be added at any stage, the most common being the boil or in the fermenter. Potential beers – generally anything dark unless using white chocolate. Will pair well with other sweet or salty flavours, a small amount of diacetyl may be acceptable in beers produced with chocolate as they may add this as a characteristic by themselves.
Salted Caramel – again, this may add a diacetyl-like quality to the beer and be careful with the saltiness of the caramel as it can add unwanted salt ions to the beer and affect the overall taste and head retention. Again, this would be used with generally darker beers, or at least beers that it’s acceptable to have a higher finishing gravity to be able to enjoy the sweetness of the caramel. I’m talking English bitters, Scottish heavy or mild, brown ales or even porters.
Cordials/fruit concentrate – most commonly used when making ciders, these can also be used in beer to add a fruity quality and usually are added in the fermenter either for primary fermentation or even as priming sugar. I’d be careful with this last option as you may not know the exact sugar content of the concentrate so you could inadvertently overdose the beer with sugar and create bottle bombs!
Hard candy (jolly rancher/big red/fantales) – sweets like this can add a wonderful flavour and colour to your beer. I’ve seen beers brewed with these and they have been striking in colour and the flavour phenomenal. Again, they are basically pure sugar, simple sugar that will ferment very easily so they may not add much in terms of body to the beer. Because of the wide variety of options, what you add to what beer is very much open to your own interpretation and personal taste.
Biscuits (Oreos/digestive biscuits) – Biscuits add, unsurprisingly, a biscuity character along with a subtle flavour of the type of biscuit you want to add. Generally suited to fuller body beers due to the amount of unfermentable carbohydrates in the biscuits, they can add a wonderful complexity. I like to use biscuits that have lots of different ingredients other than just plain flour, oats, other grains, as they all add a small degree of difference to what’s already in your beer.
Meat/Fish
Chicken – I’ll just leave this here.
Bacon – I’ve had people say they’ve added cooked bacon to beer, at phenomenal rates, I’m talking 1/2 a kilogram or a pound of bacon or more! Some reports were terrible, others said not too bad. Relatively uncharted territory here so tread carefully!
Oysters – a common ingredient in some places, most often in Stouts. They can be added anywhere from the mash through to the fermenter (although I’d be careful about adding seafood at any stage on the cold side). It is common to use any part of the oyster, from the shell, though to the meat or some even chuck whole live oysters in! Using shells was also purportedly introduced to add calcium carbonate to the mash and reduce the risk of astringency from tannins in the dark roasted grains. Although the flavour of oysters can be quite delicate, the salt and fishy component can quickly take over so I’d start out with a couple of whole or a half dozen’s worth of shells per 19l batch to be on the safe side and work your way back up from there.
Other
Coffee – this is an incredibly common ingredient, especially in dark beers. Coffee can add the obvious coffee notes but also an overall richness or even chocolate-like character. It can be overpowering so I would add no more that a single shot or equivalent to your beer at first and work upwards from there according to taste. It is almost always added in the fermenter as or in place of a dry hop. A couple of notes on it though. Firstly, I would decide if you wanted to use liquid coffee or ground coffee. If using liquid coffee, pour it in as evenly over the wort as you can and let it distribute itself. If using ground coffee, I would use a coarser grind and slightly more grounds as it will help them to fall out of suspension later.
Yoghurt – This makes a great natural souring agent due to the lactobacillus cultures it contains and acidity it produces. It also doesn’t add much in the way of body or colour so is great for lighter styles of sour beers like Berliner Weiße. it’s generally recommended to make a starter with the yoghurt and add it to a lightly boiled wort for a day or two then boil and continue as normal. See this page on souring from Milk The Funk.
Breakfast Cereal – this can be added at many stages, most common being the mash or fermenter. It will definitely add sweetness but also many other potential flavours from chocolate to fruit to even some honey-like flavours. Will work in any beer you can dream up but a recommendation is to pair the beer with a cereal that will compliment it. E.g. lighter cereals for lighter beers, dark/chocolate cereals with dark beers where you may desire a chocolate flavour.
Wood chips/bark/branches/tips – There are many ways to add these to beer, I’ve seen them in the mash, boil and fermenter, with the latter being the most common. Especially the case with wood, these ingredients are typically used to help the beer age and take on the character of the ingredient. It is probably more practical to put some oak staves in your fermenter during secondary and leave it for a month than it is to buy a barrel and age your beer in there! That said, if you have the money, space and desire to buy a barrel, nothing will simulate it better than actually brewing in a barrel! I along with most people however, do not have the money, space or desire to buy a barrel, so I’d opt for the oak staves every time.
Potato chips – This is an odd one I came across but I thought I’d throw it in. I guess if you have a favourite flavour of potato chip, throw it in! I would suggest the mash for these, or if it’s the smell you’re after, maybe add them as a flame out addition at the end of the boil.
Thanks for your patience with getting this post out. I hope it’s given you some good tools to start you on the journey of making your beer weird!
As stated before, I plan on being more consistent with post timings from now on. Yes they may still be spaced far apart at first but once things are a little more under control again my goal is to get back to the weekly posts.
If you are in any way interested in contributing to the blog I’m all ears, message me on here using the contact form on the site or reach out on social media.
Until next time,
All the best,
Sean
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