A Viking patriots juniper steam beer

[mashani]

Brewing this tonight or tomorrow night depending on timing of things.

Frankenbier to use up leftover stuff w/some of the 2-1 patriot deal stuff. If my Viking ancestors who sacked France and Belgium got bored with that and sacked San Francisco, this would be their beer LOL.

2.5 gallon batch

1 can Patriot Lager
1.1# pale LME (brewmax stuff, as part of 2-1 deal).
1/2# Amber DME
1/4# 170L Special B steeped 30 minutes

2/3oz Northern Brewer @20 in LME/DME
1/2oz ripe (purple) crushed juniper berries @15 in LME/DME
1/3oz Northern Brewer @5
Patriot @flameout

A jar of my freshly washed WLP810.

Should be somewhere around 1.052 / 37 IBUs / 13srm I think.

[mashani]

I brewed this, it came out at 1.053. I wandered off and steeped for 30 minutes instead of 20, so I adjusted my post above to reflect. The juniper and northern brewer tasted wicked together, which is what I suspected. I'm thinking a juniper simcoe IPA is in the making sometime soon. I can't imagine that I will taste any POR over top of these flavors LOL.

Also a Sahti is in my pipeline for the summer when I can get temps warm enough to make banana esters. A Sahti is a spicy rye/wheat/oat/barley beer fermented traditionally with finnish bakers yeast and juniper instead of hops, or more modern versions use a little hops and juniper.

One day if I can get over my smoke phobia, I'll brew a Dragöl and really honor my ancestors who rowed longboats. But I have to find a mellow smoked malt that doesn't make me gag. That or make my own so I can control the levels. (Dragöl is a hearty smoked malt and juniper beer).

[BeerRust]

Do you add any of the juniper berries after primary fermentation is done?

[monsteroyd]

Also a Sahti is in my pipeline for the summer when I can get temps warm enough to make banana esters. A Sahti is a spicy rye/wheat/oat/barley beer fermented traditionally with finnish bakers yeast and juniper instead of hops, or more modern versions use a little hops and juniper.

That sounds interesting. Where the heck do you get finnish bakers yeast? Or fresh purple juniper berries?

All this old fashioned beer makes me think you're channeling 'The Professor' Ancient or medieval or older beers have always been intriguing to me.

Monty

[Brewbirds]

Mashani, FWIW AHBS has strated offering a Mesquite smoked malt.

Haven't tried yet since I haven't been able to brew for a while so I don't know how strong it will be.

Mesquite is very popular in Texas for smoking brisket.

[mashani]

Do you add any of the juniper berries after primary fermentation is done?

It will depend on how one of my gravity samples tastes, but the juniper flavor was quite present when I put it in the fermenter, so I'm thinking it will not be needed.

For a very traditional beer you actually would rack the hot wort from your MLT into another vessel through a bed of juniper fronds with berries still attached. So you get a mix of the berry flavors and more from the sticky resin that coats the fronds. Or boil the fronds for a short period of time. Or both. But the whole fronds are used, not just the berries.

Where the heck do you get finnish bakers yeast? Or fresh purple juniper berries?

I'm going to check all the European/Russian/etc. groceries around here and see if I can find any or ask if they can source it. If not, maybe post on some social network sites and see if a kind soul from Finland will send me any. If not, my plan is to use T-58 fermented on the warm side. The beer tastes like it has a wheat yeast with banana and clove but with some extra saison like spicyness in the mix. I think T-58 warm could be close. I might use a mix of T-58 and a wheat yeast to get more banana.

I used dried berries in this. Fresh are harder to get, but what you really want to do it authentically are entire fronds with the branches/needles/berries intact, and that have not been treated with pesticides. (holiday decorations are not a good choice). Best way to do that around here would be to go for a hike in the woods. But if you do that make sure you can really identify Juniper, because similar looking plants can be poisonous. (Juniper is technically poisonous too but not in the quantities we consume).

Mashani, FWIW AHBS has strated offering a Mesquite smoked malt.

Traditionally the malt would have been "smoke dried" and probably too smokey for my bowling-alley induced smoke psychosis to handle. I think what I might do is a mixture of pils/wheat and a small amount of some mild smoked malt just to get a hint of it in there. That's probably all I can deal with and still enjoy.

[duff]

That sounds like a good recipe. I have been very pleased with the juniper beers I have had.

[Brewbirds]

I don't know what species it is but I am surrounded by junipers with purple berries (pollination just finishing now) so let me know and once the berries ripen any of you who want to pay shipping can have all they want.

I can check with the extension service and see what species we have, they are reviled in our area for yearly outbreaks of "Cedar Fever" for people with allergies.

[Kealia]

If I get stranded on a desert island I want mashani to be with me. He can brew beer with anything - he's like The Professor on Giligan's Island!

[mashani]

Bottled this at 1.014. It fermented 56-57 for most of it's time instead of in the 60s because it's been so cold here, and I likely overpitched the yeast on top of that, so it's actually a bit too "clean", more lager like. But it tasted quite good regardless.

I soaked another 1/4oz of crushed juniper berries in a little bit of vodka for a few days and threw them in late last week (along with the vodka) after pulling a sample. I decided it could use more.

The juniper and northern brewer go together really nicely. I would recommend that combo to anyone who likes the evergreen forest like profile of Northern Brewer. I'm thinking the juniper would be great with Simcoe or Columbus which is how I will use them next in an IPA.

[BeerRust]

I am going to use some of those techiniques that you used at the end.

[mashani]

Drinking my trub bottle of this. It's very clean, with a nice evergreen forest vibe. It is too clean to seem like a steam beer - it's missing the estery bits you get from fermenting in the 60s. It's more like a slightly malty amber lager with a bit of attitude. That said I will be happy drinking this.

I could have used more Juniper.

EDIT: Juniper might become a regular ingredient in some of my beers. I like the piney/resiny hops, and it will go really well with them.

[Ibasterd]

Hey mashini. Your Viking steam beer sounds great. I'm thinking of doing up an AG "Winter warmer" type beer using juniper. Still doing research, but I would like it to be on the dark side, with juniper and the piney resinous flavor of the Norther Brewer hops. I would like to try to find fresh juniper boughs if I can, and either do a quick boil or run the wort through them like you've mentioned. Any suggestions on a grain bill are welcome!

[mashani]

You looking for something roasty at all, or no?

I can tell you that Munich malt, 60L/80L/120L/Special B, 90L and 180L candi syrup all play really nice with the Juniper.

Hops such as Northern Brewer are great with it.

Also CTZ and Simcoe would be great if you want it even more intense on the hop front complement it. (a Juniper Simcoe/CTZ based Black IPA is being brewed by me this winter for sure).

German aroma/flavor hops work well too. Santium works well. Perle should be good too if I'd think, if you want it a bit more minty.

Bitter and Sweet orange compliment it nicely.

I could see a little bit of black patent or roasted barley or chocolate malt working well if you want the roasty bits, but I'd try to keep it subtle. Too much might get in the way. If I was going to try that, maybe 3-4oz max in a 5 gallon batch.

I'm not sure that you should actually boil a juniper frond - simply pouring the hot wort through a bed of them should be enough. They are coated with enough resin and the fresh berries, and you should get a lot of flavor doing that - it's how Sahti is done. Actually boiling them for any significant amount of time might release unwanted/more intense stuff. You don't want to end up with turpentine beer... If you do it, do it for a very short duration I'd say.

If you do it, make sure what you are using is actually juniper. Other pines might not be as friendly. IE turpentine beer.

EDIT: I have one bottle of that steam beer left btw. I've been saving it for the fall. It's really good stuff - you would not know I used any Mr. Beer ingredients in it. Everybody who has had some likes it a lot.

[Ibasterd]

Thanks for the advice. I don't think I want roasted or smoked malt. I'm still acquiring that taste. My main issue now is finding fresh juniper boughs in FL. I know I've sen them, but I don't want to get the wrong variety.