Off-the-wall home brew ideas

[Beer Martin]

My buddy and I have decided to compete in a friendly competition. We're going to have a home brew-off. We want to go outside the normal home brew categories. He's done this previously with his brother. They did a brother-killer competition where the goal was to make the highest drinkable ABV beer.

The competition we're entering is in November so anything that needs aging is out. Can you guys pitch some ideas?

One idea I've seen is a Gruit Ale (any beer without hops).
Or random fruits/vegetables would work, or an over the top beer style.


Thanks guys! It's much appreciated!
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[Mad Scientist]

For most anything that is high ABV will need extended aging, but an IIPA or some also similar lines might work for high ABV.

[Beer Martin]

I was just mentioning high ABV as something that has been done as an example. It wont work this time because of how close the competition is.

So, I'm looking for ideas other than High ABV.
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[MrNate]

I'd say a hot pepper beer competition, but I'd be a little worried about the timeline. Never tried it myself, but I hear they take a while to mellow out.

Come to think of it, any "Iron Chef" type of challenge would be cool... Pick one semi-crazy ingredient at random and both of you have to brew with it, with the gentlemen's agreement being that you have to be able to taste it in the finished product.

Could be a spice, like oregano or black pepper. Could be a fermentable like molasses or rye. Make a post here for us to come up with options and vote on them, then give yourselves a week or two to get the ingredient and come up with a recipe.

[iahebert]

I made a Black Pepper IPA that was absolutely Killer. One spice I've been wanting to try is Cardamom, I think that would give a very interesting and delicious twist to any beer.

[TeufelBrew]

One of the gals in home brew club who predominently makes mead did a black pepper allspice porter that I swear tasted like a cardammom infusion.

Maybe you could pick a spice that's not too common to the average US kitchen. Look into Greek or Mediterranian foods.

[MrNate]

Maybe you could pick a spice that's not too common to the average US kitchen.

Or maybe one that is, like ketchup.

[Fweezle]

Or maybe one that is, like ketchup.

...the main ingredient of prison hooch!

[Mad Scientist]

Well, don't forget the mustard either.

[Mad Scientist]

...the main ingredient of prison hooch!

Ahhh....here's the competition...make quality pruno....

[MrNate]

Or a grocery store beer competition... technically a gruit competition unless your grocery store just happens to have hops.

[nelstrodomus]

I've recently had a belgian wit that was spiced with heather, to go with the breweries scottish heritage...or so they say. The beer was excellent. If you go the herbal route, there's definitely books out there that will give you some advice...

[wortchillergoal]

I know of a guy who used A1 Steak sauce to flavor a beer. Or about a Rutabaga Bock.

[JayShaw91]

I had a chamomile infused brew at the Michigan Beer fest. Quite pleasant.

[TeufelBrew]

Do the stone soup parable and have friends bring stuff over and you to brew with what they provide.

[nelstrodomus]

I had a chamomile infused brew at the Michigan Beer fest. Quite pleasant.


Yeah at first I thought the beer had chamomile in it, which is apparently very similar to heather. Pleasant is definitely a good way to put it, soothing as well. The orange and coriander in the wit made a very interesting brew.

[emmjr]

I routinely put a small amount (1/4-1/2 tsp) of cardamom and bitter orange peel in my IPA's. It really adds an almost grapefruity flavor when combined with a 1099 Whitbread ale yeast. A little more cardamom would be an interesting flavor in a standard pale ale but you might have to use a heavier hopping schedule to balance out the sweetness of the spice. Just an idea.

-E.

[Beer Martin]

The grocery store beer would be a fun competition. No hops, no grains (at least not what we're used too), no brewers yeast. That would be off the wall indeed. I think it could be fun too.

It will definitely be a competition in the future, but I'll also pitch the uncommon spices. As for ketchup, I don't eat the stuff as it is, but mustard seed would be an interesting uncommon beer spice.

Thanks for the input. We're not going to discuss ideas until 8/31/08 so if any other brilliance comes to mind. I'll certainly take it into consideration.
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[Mad Scientist]

I'd allow brewers yeast...trying something else make result in nasty or otherwise sickening flavors....

[corkybstewart]

I'd allow brewers yeast...trying something else make result in nasty or otherwise sickening flavors....
I read a thread somewhere about a guy using bread yeast successfully, but it had a very high attenuation so you would need some unfermentables to keep it balanced.

[JimG]

I've been reading Randy Mosher's book "Radical Brewing". He talks about mushroom beers on pp. 184-187. Maybe you could have a mushroom beer competition. The wild mushroom season is almost here. Be careful picking your own!

[Beer Martin]

I've been reading Randy Mosher's book "Radical Brewing". He talks about mushroom beers on pp. 184-187. Maybe you could have a mushroom beer competition. The wild mushroom season is almost here. Be careful picking your own!

In Florida with all the cow fields we'd probably end up with something people probably shouldn't drink.

If we did a mushroom beer we'd definitely go store bought with our dire lack of fungi knowledge.
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[Mad Scientist]

In Florida with all the cow fields we'd probably end up with something people probably shouldn't drink.

If we did a mushroom beer we'd definitely go store bought with our dire lack of fungi knowledge.

My understanding is that the ranchers put something (like an antifungal) in the feed to combat the fun mushrooms that grows on cow poop. I actually do not know...I eat no mushrooms whatsoever.

[TeufelBrew]

...I eat no mushrooms whatsoever.

And miss out on all those wonderful culinary experiences???? Not to mention possible halucinatory experiences?

Being new to the brewing process, I look forward to getting my process down well enough to do one of these experimental brews. Let us know what you choose and what you each think of the results.

[darylM]

I was reading a Mushroom book and I found there are basically three things a mushroom can do to you:

1> Be tastey
2> Make you see things
3> Kill you from renal failure in 6 weeks

I want to keep my experiences to #1 so I buy from the store.

[TeufelBrew]

One of my fondest memories with my grandfather was hunting for morel mushrooms then cooking up a grocery bag of them for the family. Only time grandma let him in the kitchen and it was always a treat. Just need to know what your looking for and don't ever guess.

[darylM]

One of my fondest memories with my grandfather was hunting for morel mushrooms then cooking up a grocery bag of them for the family. Only time grandma let him in the kitchen and it was always a treat. Just need to know what your looking for and don't ever guess.

I don't have the experience to pick them out so I hit the store. No doubt that a sackful of morels would make a good treat.

[MrNate]

One of my fondest memories with my grandfather was hunting for morel mushrooms then cooking up a grocery bag of them for the family. Only time grandma let him in the kitchen and it was always a treat. Just need to know what your looking for and don't ever guess.

I remember those days. My grandmother knew a spot up in the woods, and the whole family would gather up at her house for a morel hunt.

My wife found some fresh morels at a farmer's market one time and bought them for me because she knew how much I loved them. She called me at work to let me know and I spent the rest of the day salivating. When I came home, I found them soaking in red wine. I nearly cried. What the hell, she didn't know any better.

[hooky]

I found them soaking in red wine.


Ouch!

That's certainly one of those times you have to choose your words carefully.

[TeufelBrew]

When I came home, I found them soaking in red wine. I nearly cried. What the hell, she didn't know any better.

I'm willing to bet she knows a little more now about preparing morels becuause you lovingly and patiently explained how you like them prepared.:D

I have done a beer batter for them before, but not wine.

[MrNate]

That's certainly one of those times you have to choose your words carefully.

I'm pretty sure all I could muster was, "you did what?" I probably looked like someone just ran over my puppy.

Grandma used to slice them, roll them in flour, and pan fry in butter. I'm still convinced most foods are best enjoyed in this manner.

[Mad Scientist]

I'm pretty sure all I could muster was, "you did what?" I probably looked like someone just ran over my puppy.

Grandma used to slice them, roll them in flour, and pan fry in butter. I'm still convinced most foods are best enjoyed in this manner.

You must be from the south

[MrNate]

Nah... My mom's family was from Western PA, up in the hills. Spent every summer there as a kid. I've tried to explain to my wife the differences between "hillbillies" and "rednecks" but I'm not sure she gets it.

Besides, I thought they deep fried everything in the South.

[Mad Scientist]

Deep fry yes, but rolling in butter and frying is almost just as good.

[MrNate]

Better if you ask me. I feel like a lot of things lose dimensionality when you batter it and plop it in hot vegetable oil. Like okra. The difference between pan fried okra and deep fried is night and day in my opinion.

Of course, some things just have to be deep fried. Like Coke, apparently.

[hooky]

That's how I learned to prepare sponges, flour and butter. I don't think it's south, so much as it is country.

[MrNate]

That's what I think, too... the South just has more of a widespread agricultural heritage than the north, so you tend to associate all things "country" with the south and all things "city" with the north.

[hooky]

Yep, it's a matter of perspective. Living in Indiana, I don't think of my self as Northerner (or Easterner for that matter), but rather Midwesterner. You can't get much more of an agricultural heritage than the corn belt. Just a different flavor of it, I guess.

[Beer Martin]

This is a little off topic, but we've decided to go for a spice/herb/vegetable beer. The only thing we're defining is the base style. We went with an English mild. We both decided we'd want more time to do some research on the grocery store brew off.

So it'll be Spice/herb/vegetable English Mild

As for what I'll put in it, I have no idea yet. I've only done spiced and fruit beers. I think I'll go with vegetable, but I don't know what vegetable would stand out.

Any ways, thanks for the input y'all. I'll let you know what i pick and how it turns out in the next few weeks.
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[iahebert]

I had a chamomile infused brew at the Michigan Beer fest. Quite pleasant.
Rogue makes a Chamomile ale simply called "Chamomellow". Don't know that it's available in Bottles, but they have it at the Issaquah Brewhouse just east of Seattle.

Tasty!

[MrNate]

beers. I think I'll go with vegetable, but I don't know what vegetable would stand out.


Asparagus.

[Mad Scientist]

Asparagus.

Artichoke.

[beerking]

Artichoke.

Eggplant!!

[Mill Rat]

Chaz - has anyone seen Chaz?

[looks around furtively]

BEETS!

[JimG]

Sweet potato pumkin ale

[TeufelBrew]

Jicama!!!!

[Mad Scientist]

Hmmm....how about a V-8 ale?

[Fweezle]

I've been playing around with a Pumpkin IPA recipe...could be absolutely delicious.

[Beer Martin]

Maybe I'll just make a beer with horrible DMS and say it's a sweet corn beer.

Or maybe a DMS-Diacetyl combo and say it's a buttered popcorn beer.
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[Mad Scientist]

Actually, that's not a bad idea....serve it mulled, and call it hot butter popcorn beer....

[beerking]

If you have ever been forced to judge a beer with high levels of either of those, you would not be contemplating such horrors!
Perhaps this is a Halloween beer?

[Beer Martin]

If you have ever been forced to judge a beer with high levels of either of those, you would not be contemplating such horrors!
Perhaps this is a Halloween beer?

I haven't judged one, but I tried one as a part of a BJCP certification class. Not the best tasting substances in the world.
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[darylM]

I was thinking about a Holloween beer that is the color of blood. I was thinking of using a mixture of Munich and Vienna malts to achive the right color.

[barleyburps]

tomato juice should do the trick . . . .