BeerBorg

So I am still contemplating a cucumber beer, using my own cucumbers and CAL. I am looking onto some hops for it also.

I would make a cucumber water and use it as the base for the wort boil and in fermenter.

I am leaning towards Tettanger for a clean light taste.

Any thoughts ?

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FrozenInTime wrote:Yea... slice up the cuccumbers, sprinkle some salt on them, munch on them while your brewing the CAL. I like to slice them longways and put them atop sammys.

No quite the answer I was looking for. I am actually talking about brewing beer.....not sure how much that actually gets discussed around here...

I like citra's for a clean fresh taste as a late add. I an not sure it would work well against the cuc's though. The tett's may work, I think a late boil would be best no matter what since the cuc's flavor is so light.

Not my cup of tea, but if it were I probably would just use a clean bittering hop like magnum and wouldn't do any late additions for flavor/aroma. The cucumber will be pretty subtle, so you wouldn't want to have it competing with anything else for flavor/aroma. Since it appears you are using CAL as a base, I wouldn't use any additional hops. Just the cucs. Just my $0.02.

Edit: May also be good to garnish with a slice of fresh cucumber when drinking. Would help pull the flavor/aroma more.

Have you made and tasted just the cucumber water yet? I am curious how strong a flavor profile it will have. The hops in the hme may already be overly potent if the cucumber flavor is very mild.

Do you have any beer ready that you could mix with the water to get an idea of how it will hold up against a hop flavor addition?

It would be a shame to go to all that trouble and not be able to taste the cucumber at all.

If it will hold up to a flavor hop addition you have the opportunity to match a hop to your creativity in that you can seek out flavors, lemon, pine, pepper, mint, fruit etc., from a hop chart a pick one that way. With a ready supply of cucumbers you could try a bunch of different hops combos.

Agree with what others have said. I have not made a cuke beer but it seems to be a staple at a pub's Brew Ha Ha that I go to. The cuke taste seems to be very subtle so there is this fine line between taste and no taste.

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FrozenInTime wrote:

BeerRust wrote:

FrozenInTime wrote:Yea... slice up the cuccumbers, sprinkle some salt on them, munch on them while your brewing the CAL. I like to slice them longways and put them atop sammys.

No quite the answer I was looking for. I am actually talking about brewing beer.....not sure how much that actually gets discussed around here...

That was my sutle way of sayin..... Cucs and beer don't go togather. I don't like them on my sammy either when I'm drinking a beer with it for lunch. It's almost as bad as, well, dandy-lion wine.... not good! IMHO

Good luck with your experiments.

Actually Cucumber beer is very popular. Look it up!
There are many brew pubs where it is their most popular beer. I will bet to say next Summer there will be many Micros offer it too.

I believe the OP was seeking opinions and advice regarding a choice of hops. Some constructive input from the experienced brewers on this forum who are here to voluntarily offer assistance.

I'm not sure telling them that their brewing preferences suck are very helpful comments nor are they good for this forum.

Brewbirds wrote:I believe the OP was seeking opinions and advice regarding a choice of hops. Some constructive input from the experienced brewers on this forum who are here to voluntarily offer assistance.

I'm not sure telling them that their brewing preferences suck are very helpful comments nor are they good for this forum.

When you say OP I assume you mean original poster. I agree. There are many atime in the forum where I see some asking a question or seeking advice and the very first answer to their post is someone trying to be whitty or telling them that what they are doing is wrong, or making them feel bad. A person just in for some insight and then quickly becomes discouraged by these answers.

One of the things you will find out here is a variety of tastes and opinions (and humor). Over time, you will come to know the posters who like to poke fun from time to time. They'll even let you know if they don't like a certain style of beer. I'm not aware of anyone out here that would intentionally tear someone down. I didn't take FIT's comments as telling you your idea "sucked". Especially when he came back and added the IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). Just not something he cares for. You did get other responses to your question that were on point. Take the ones that you feel are helpful, and ignore the rest if you like.

No one is telling you that you can't brew what you like. Sometimes a brew that is popular in a certain area hasn't been introduced in another. All is well. Brew on.

If *I* was brewing a cucumber beer I'd do one of 2 things I think.

1) Use some kind of spicy hop. Spicy flavors and aromas will balance out the cucumber to my tastes.

OR

2) Brew a Gose (German salty sour beer) with some cucumber in it. It would not meet purity law LOL. But the salty and sour would be great with cucumber.

http://www.germanbeerinstitute.com/Gose.html

Brewbirds wrote:I'm not sure telling them that their brewing preferences suck are very helpful comments nor are they good for this forum.

YOUR words, NOT mine. I made NO reference to his brewing preference, I only said I would not like it. I also told him GOOD LUCK with it. LEARN to read.

gwcr wrote: I didn't take FIT's comments as telling you your idea "sucked". Especially when he came back and added the IMHO (In My Humble Opinion). Just not something he cares for.

No one is telling you that you can't brew what you like. Sometimes a brew that is popular in a certain area hasn't been introduced in another. All is well. Brew on.

BINGO! I love it when someone see's the truth and does not *jump* on the bandwagon of a clueless one, NOT refering to the OP.