Sasparilla Root?

[Mishraile]

I was given something that looks like a hunk of root, but was called Sasparilla, I want to say he referred to it as root, but it... looks like a piece of a branch, but smells great! I want to use it in brewing but was not sure how to...


Should I chip it up into pieces? Should I add it at the end of the boil? Should it go in primary/secondary fermentation?

Looking for the best way to use this. I can put it in any beer, but have a kit for a wee heavy I think it would do well in.

Thoughts?

 

[Revvy]

That's the oldschool base for Rootbeer....

There's a thread I just found on someone doing an Amber Ale with it.

 

[Newsman]

That's the oldschool base for Rootbeer....

There's a thread I just found on someone doing an Amber Ale with it.

I guess the OP could make a tincture of it by grinding (into larger bits, not powder) and soaking in vodka or something for a few weeks, and add that to the batch either at flame-out or directly into the fermenter???

 

[Revvy]

I guess the OP could make a tincture of it by grinding (into larger bits, not powder) and soaking in vodka or something for a few weeks, and add that to the batch either at flame-out or directly into the fermenter???

The tincture didn't occur to me... But probably. I was thinking in terms of in the boil at flameout.

I guess I didn't answer that part, I was actually still looking to see what beer recipes could use it.

 

[Revvy]

There's a discussion (a short one) one I found in google that talks about using it in dark ales like stouts....

I found this commercial example of a beer brewed with sasparilla.

There's also always Hard Root Beers, since Not Your Father's is so popular these days.

Actually a brown ale sounds interesting. But I personally wouldn't want a sweet brown with it (though I'm sure a lot of people who like hard root beers would probably love it, and I have a kinda of sweetish brown ale that would do great I think for this.) But myself I think I'd like a drier, nuttier brown ale with it.

 

[Newsman]

Hmm... Yeah... toss chunks of it into the boil at flameout would do good... hot enough to sanitize

 

[Mishraile]

Hmmm, the tincture sounds like it might work, but I doubt I will be able to wait that long (shoulda posted as soon as I got the root!)

Chopping it up and throwing in at flameout sounds like a good idea.

Thank you for the input guys!

 

[Newsman]

Hmmm, the tincture sounds like it might work, but I doubt I will be able to wait that long (shoulda posted as soon as I got the root!)

Chopping it up and throwing in at flameout sounds like a good idea.

Thank you for the input guys!

Just for extra sanitation, how about coarsely chopping and swishing in some cheap vodka before tossing into the boil... Most of the extra alcohol will quickly boil off