Brewing herbs - lemon and bee balm

Ingredients
1

I’ve grown my own hops and used them in an annual harvest ale.  I’ve been thinking about expanding the scope from just simply hops to other items I’ve grown.  Not doing barley - tried and too much work :wink:

I’ve been reading The Home Brewers Garden by J and D Fisher and inventoried by yard for brewing plants options.

I have a lot of options, as I have a pretty diverse urban garden, but am settling in on lemon balm and/or bee balm for this year’s brew.

Anyone use these lemon or bee balm?  Will “dry hopping” with lemon balm offer any aroma? success, failures, tips, styles?

2

I would say that a neutral, low IBU beer would be best.  I know of some that have used Lemon Balm as a dry hop.  It’s really open to experimentation.  It’s nice to be able to use your own ingredients that you have grown.  I currently have a mead with mint from the garden going now.  The key is to balance the flavor of the herb with the beer.

3

http://daviswiki.org/Lemon_Balm
Might go well with an American Wheat or Blonde Ale.  Small amounts–the mint family is super potent.

Speaking of mint–it goes well with a stout–just bruise macerate a single leaf or two for a 12 ounce glass and soak the leaf (or leaves) in the beer for a few minutes and then remove the leaf/leaves.  Incredible and complimentary flavor and aroma.

4

I made a Tripel with these herbs and it was way over the top.

Spices: lemongrass 1/6 stalk, lemon balm 2/3 leaf, lemon verbena 2/3 leaf, and dried lemon peel 1/6 oz added at end of boil

5

Good ideas all.

Was this for a 5gal batch?  so you used 2/3rd’s of a lemon balm leaf?

I’m thinking of doing a 2 beers as I have enough homegrown hops and lemon balm.
 
A lower end IBU pale ale and adding .5 oz of lemon balm leaves 5 minutes from end of boil, and then maybe 1 oz to “dry hop” during secondary.

And a blond ale, with a lemon balm amounts based on how the pale ale comes out.

6

I’ve made wine with Lemon Balm, and it takes a fairly large amount of balm to get a pronounced flavor - 2 qts in 1 gallon - if using fresh herbs. Of course YMMV

Also worth remembering that prolonged boiling will cause you to lose aroma and flavor from your herbs.

7

Yep, 5 gallon batch.