Basil beer? - Home Brew Forums

Yesterday, 06:10 PM	? #1
Senior Member ? Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Whitman, MA, Massachusetts Posts: 122	I have a nice looking basil plant with plenty of good healthy leaves. They smell absolutely wonderful, but I really don't have much use for basil. I was thinking that maybe a basil beer would be a good way to use a bunch of it. I did a quick search for basil beer and saw that some people have come up with recipes, but not much info on how they tasted or the best way to add it. If anyone can give me some direction or better yet, a recipe, it would be greatly appreciated! I want to have a nice warm weather beer to close out the summer months, and was thinking this could lend itself well to a pale ale with some lemon or honey. But that was just my thinking, I could go in another direction if it would be better. __________________ Primary - Cap'n Crunch ESB Secondary - Strong Scottish Ale Conditioning - Maple Amber Ale, Belgian Dark Strong Ale On Tap - Saison (7.6%), Belgian Golden Strong (10.9%), Citra Double Pale (8.9%) Bottled - 2010 Barleywine (8.8%), Frankenstein Ale (7.3%) RIP- Oktoberfest, Pumpkin Ale, Brown Sugar 2x IPA, Double Dead Guy, Amarillo Pale Ale, Banana Bread Dunkelweizen, Amber Ale, Winter Ale, Caramel Vanilla Cream Ale, Irish Red, Chocolate IPA, Honey Orange Wheat, Rye Ale
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Yesterday, 06:17 PM	? #2
Senior Member ? Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 436	I don't know about basil, but I've had beers brewed with other herbs in the Lamiaceae family. On Friday, at our local homebrew club meeting (SNAFU), someone brought a beer made with sage. I think he used 1 oz at the beginning of the boil and 1 oz at the end of the boil. I feel a little bit uneasy about consuming large amounts of herbs because of the chemical compounds found in many herbs, so I don't think I would drink more than 1 or 2 in one sitting, but it tasted pretty damn good! The base was just a pale ale, and it seems to go together with that style just fine.
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Yesterday, 06:19 PM	? #3
Senior Member ? Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 396	I am thinking about trying one. I have lemon basil tho. I have lemon verbena as well. Maybe a pale ale.
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Yesterday, 06:25 PM	? #5
Senior Member ? Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Medford, MA Posts: 2,037	ive tasted some honey & basil ale before and wasnt crazy about it. i love basil in food, but i think it can be too overpowering in beer, so just be careful. YMMV
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Yesterday, 06:30 PM	? #6
Junior Member ? Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Regina, SK Posts: 17	The latest issue of BYO has a clone recipe for Bison Brewings Honey-Basil Ale.
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Yesterday, 07:59 PM	? #7
Senior Member ? Join Date: May 2009 Location: Philly Posts: 139	Quote: I don't know about basil, but I've had beers brewed with other herbs in the Lamiaceae family. On Friday, at our local homebrew club meeting (SNAFU), someone brought a beer made with sage. I think he used 1 oz at the beginning of the boil and 1 oz at the end of the boil. I feel a little bit uneasy about consuming large amounts of herbs because of the chemical compounds found in many herbs, so I don't think I would drink more than 1 or 2 in one sitting, but it tasted pretty damn good! The base was just a pale ale, and it seems to go together with that style just fine. What?? I've never heard of any kind of health risk from herbs. As for what to do with extra basil, I'd do some pesto sauce if you still have a bunch after the beer. Throw it in the food processor with a little olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, pine nuts and maybe a squeeze of lemon.
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Yesterday, 08:00 PM	? #8
Senior Member ? Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Durham, NC Posts: 284	Local brewery here has a Farmhouse Summer Basil on tap that's amazing.. Last weekend I brewed a 1.055 OG rye saison and added a handful of basil from my plant with 5 minutes left in the boil. Smells heavenly right now. __________________ It is not certain that everything is uncertain. Primary: Oktoberfest, Barnyard Ale, Weizenbock Secondary: Goggle fogger, American honey diguised Mead, Bottled:Kolsch, weizenbock,APA, hefeweizen Gallons to date 2011: 56
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Yesterday, 10:14 PM	? #9
Senior Member ? Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 436	Quote: What?? I've never heard of any kind of health risk from herbs. Look up St. John's Wort, Ephedra, and Yohimbe. Or take a look at this list: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_herbs_with_known_adverse_effects I'm not saying that basil or sage is going to kill somebody. I'm just saying that I feel a little uneasy consuming large amounts of herbs.
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Yesterday, 10:15 PM	? #10
Member ? Join Date: May 2011 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 46	Quote: ive tasted some honey & basil ale before and wasnt crazy about it. i love basil in food, but i think it can be too overpowering in beer, so just be careful. YMMV Yes sir, a little of this stuff goes a long way. You probably won't need very much at all. With the rest... I agree with the other poster as well about a pesto. __________________ Thoughts: A dubbel of some sort Primary: Rogue Brutal IPA Clone Secondary: Empty Bottled: Stars & Bars Pale Ale, Sommergarten Belgian Wit
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