has anyone out there got any experience with spruce or fir tip beer?
what is the difference I flavour?
what is the difference I flavour?
spruce and or fir beer
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Soulshine2
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No, but if I ever do I'd have to call it "Piney the Alder" ...get it? like Pliny the Elder?
Yes I have brewed with both this year. Using organically grown spruce and concolor fir tips from Edwards Hop Farm. In the same Honey Amber Ale recipe and they both were delicious.
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I added 4oz. spruce tips at 30 min, and another 4oz. at 5 minutes to my 'Nova Scotia' IPA last year. Harvested the tips early May, froze them and used them in September. Very nice flavor, although this year I'll probably do only 1 addition. They went well with what is a cross between a Scottish ale and a NEIPA.
Ok Vince, now you've got me thinking, give up the recipe!
@Billie both the Fir Tip and Spruce Tip recipes are available by downloading ezRecipe Design at ezHOMEBREWING.
brewstergalVT
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I used 4 ounces of new growth red spruce tips (because that's what I have in my backyard) in a 5 gallon batch of pilsner. Tasted similar to Rogue's Yellow Snow. I added 2 ounces at 5 minutes and 2 ounces at flame out.
It did quite well in competition with the BOS judges split on it having too much spruce tip and not enough spruce tip.
I had vacuum sealed the tips last spring and stuck them in the freezer and made the beer this past winter so freezing spruce tips does work well.
It did quite well in competition with the BOS judges split on it having too much spruce tip and not enough spruce tip.
I had vacuum sealed the tips last spring and stuck them in the freezer and made the beer this past winter so freezing spruce tips does work well.
What kind of hops did you use with the fir tips?
I made a wild ale with spruce tips that turned out great. I gathered a bunch of Norway Spruce and soaked it in gin for about a week, then I strained that liquid out and put it on even more spruce tips for another week. After straining that I had a pretty strong spruce tincture, which I just added to my finished wild ale in secondary. The flavor is very bright and noticeable, but not overwhelming or harsh in any way.
This was just posted today...
The method I like to use for a 10-gallon batch is to boil a gallon of water per pound of spruce tips, remove from heat and steep the tips overnight. The next day strain out the 'spruce tea' then reduce it down to about a liter of 'spruce syrup' by boiling it down. About ten minutes left to the boil add the spruce syrup to the kettle with a pound or two of local honey. I recommend using organically grown spruce tips that are free of pesticides.
Last year I brewed 20-gallons, 10 using Spruce tips and 10 using Concolor Fir tips adding Northern Brewer hops as a first wort hop addition. They make a drinkable beer that will be an instant favorite with family and friends.
Last year I brewed 20-gallons, 10 using Spruce tips and 10 using Concolor Fir tips adding Northern Brewer hops as a first wort hop addition. They make a drinkable beer that will be an instant favorite with family and friends.
Darwin18
Well-Known Member
I've used spruce tips from Spruce on Tap (https://spruceontap.com/) many times and with excellent results. I usually utilize these in a pale ale (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/the-spruce-is-loose-american-pale-ale.520553/) and it's done well in several competitions. It's definitely a strong flavor but one of my favorites especially when it's cold out.
