Strangest ingredient?

[sanders5x]

I know you can use a lot of different things to brew beer with, but what is the most unusual one that you have used in a batch? or heard of someone using? I think it might get interesting if this hop shortage takes full effect, we might see people trying different stuff for bittering beer.

[Ó Flannagáin]

I've used ginger: makes beer REALLY bitter, so could replace bittering of hops. That's about as strange as I've got though. I guess black peppercorns is kind of strange, but they are AWESOME in belgians that have a spicy hop flavor

[mdd134]

Yeah that belgian that I tasted with black peppercorns was different, but it grows on you. I would never think that I would like beer with pepper lol

[DrunkenSatyr]

Strangest I have ever heard of is a Chicken......


"Take 10 gallons of ale and a large cock, the older the better; parboil the cock, flay him, and stamp him in a stone mortar until his bones are broken (you must gut him when you flaw him). Then, put the cock into two quarts of sack, and put to it five pounds of raisins of the sun - stoned; some blades of mace, and a few cloves. Put all these into a canvas bag, and a little before you find the ale has been working, put the bag and ale together in vessel.

In a week or nine days bottle it up, fill the bottle just above the neck and give it the same time to ripen as other ale."

[Ó Flannagáin]

chicken... hell yea. Cock ale. I like it.

[MrMarbleHead]

COCK ALE! Hahahaha

I have used all the standard saison spices, Anise, cardamom, coriander, Fresh orange/grapefruit zest, bitter orange peel, the usuall. I haven't ventured out into the world of useing REALLY strange ingredients. Although a friend of mine and i keep planning (but haven't yet) a hopless Gruit Ale, for his fiance, she is alergic to hops, Poor girl.

[sanders5x]

I thought the Cock Ale was just a joke in Charlie's book, but would be pretty rank if someone tried it

[MrMarbleHead]

I don't see how cock ale could be all that bad. Basically you are just combining chicken soup and beer. Two cure-alls in one!

[Ó Flannagáin]

I'd rather stick my cock in a blender.

[Lerxst]

Scrumpy anyone?

http://hbd.org/brewery/cm3/recs/11_13.html
Ingredients:

* 12 pounds, mixed apples (make sure they're clean with no blemishes)
* 1/2 pound, raisins
* 1/2 pound, raw meat
* 1 gallon, water at 70 degrees
* champagne yeast (tradition calls for bakers yeast)

[sanders5x]

WTF!

[MrMarbleHead]

Mmmmmm Raw Meat Cider!

Some people just need to be slapped.

[sanders5x]

I think I will pass.

[DrunkenSatyr]

""Prison hooch can be made in your cell toilet (as long as you don't mind using other people's toilets or finding some other solution), or more often, in plastic trash bags. The recipe is simple: make a strong bag by double or triple-bagging some plastic trash bags and knotting the bottoms. Into this, pour warm water, some fruit or fruit juice, raisins or tomatoes, yeast, and as much sugar as you can get ahold of (or powdered drink mix). Now tie off the top of the bag, letting a tube of some kind protrude so the thing won't explode while it gives off carbon dioxide. Now hide the bag somewhere and wait at least three days. A week is enough.

One of the problems you have right away with making wine in prison is the difficulty getting yeast. It's a strictly forbidden item and you might not be able to get any. In this case you can improvise the by using slices of bread, preferably moldy (but not dry) and preferably inside a sock for easier straining.

If you choose to brew your wine in your cell, you'll need to hide it behind your bunk and do what you can to hide the smell. Burning cinnamon as incense is one way. Spraying deodorant around is another. Normal wine takes at least a month if not six weeks to make at all properly -- but in hell, this is all you get.""


http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.php

[sanders5x]

Mmmm sounds tasty!