Lemon Basil Wheat???

[spencer]

I have a giant lemon basil plant growing in my garden, and I'm going to brew this weekend, so...

I always brew a lemon wheat around this time of year (see my Lemon Lingerie under the wheat recipe forum), so I figured I could incorporate this basil plant. The lemon basil is spicy with great citrus flavors, so I need to design a beer that jives with it. A couple of questions to discuss: (1) Hops. Best hops to compliment the basil? (2) Basil. When and how to add it? I was thinking of chopping a bunch up and using it like a dry hop. (3) Yeast. (4) Does not have to be a wheat beer. Any other ideas or anything else I should be thinking about?

[darylM]

I would use Corky's happy wife as a base and replace the aroma hops with the basil in the last 15 before flameout to sanitize the basil. Any bittering hop for 60 mins will do. if you want to use aroma hops, Williamette has the same flavor profile as your basil.

To find Corky's happy wife recipe, do a discussion search for "Corky's happy wife beer." There is an ag and a partial-mash versions in the thread.

[HogieWan]

I would add it to your lemon wheat recipe as a dry-hop (dry-herb?)

[larin1477]

Originally posted by HogieWan
I would add it to your lemon wheat recipe as a dry-hop (dry-herb?)

Ditto

[BrewDog]

My only suggestion is you try it out on a single pint (store bought or previously made HB) before you dry "hop" it into a whole batch.
It may be delicious, but you won't know until you sample it first.

If I were to guess what hops might go with this, maybe Mt. Hood or Liberty?

I'd go neutral to slightly malty on the yeast, 1056, WLP001, or WLP002?

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by BrewDog
My only suggestion is you try it out on a single pint (store bought or previously made HB) before you dry "hop" it into a whole batch.
It may be delicious, but you won't know until you sample it first.

If I were to guess what hops might go with this, maybe Mt. Hood or Liberty?

I'd go neutral to slightly malty on the yeast, 1056, WLP001, or WLP002?

I agree with all three of your suggestions

[markaberrant]

My local brewpub makes a fantastic wit that has a hint of basil in it.

[spencer]

Originally posted by BrewDog
My only suggestion is you try it out on a single pint (store bought or previously made HB) before you dry "hop" it into a whole batch.

How would I do that? I guess I could put a hop bag into a growler, fill & put the top back on. Or fill a 1 or 2 liter bottle with beer, get some basil in there & then cap it with that ball-lock lid & carbonate. I have a couple of those... What were you thinking?

[BrewDog]

Yes, that's something along the lines I was thinking. Are you talking about one of these Carbonator Caps (http://www.liquidbread.com/carb.html)?

You can fill a 2 liter soda bottle and pressurize it with C02.
Then you can do a small sample dry hopped with the basil.

[spencer]

That's exactly what I have. Ok, here we go...

[spencer]

On track! I picked up a 6-pack of Sam Adams wheat a couple of weeks ago. I shoved a bunch of the lemon basil into a plastic water bottle & dumped a SA wheat on top of it. Then I capped it with a ball/lock cap & hit it with some Co2. A week later I went to a party with lemon-basil SA in one hand and a bottle of the regular stuff in the other.

Aside from some filtering issues, everyone went for the lemon-basil wheat. So my lemon basil plant went from the size of a tent to the size of a beach ball, and 200+ leaves ended up chopped, bagged, and in the secondary...

Block pary 07.07.07... Details to follow...