Inspired by Oyster Stout...

Ingredients
1

After reading this post about brewing with oysters, I’ve decided I’m going to try something bizarre with one of my next few beers.

So far, here are my thoughts:

(1) Some type of flavorful mushroom (morels, perhaps?) is near the top of my list.  I’m trying to decide what beer style would go well with this… I’m thinking maybe a brown ale or maybe an ESB.

(2) Shellfish of some sort, perhaps oysters.  Maybe clams or mussels?  Pretty sure this would have to be with a pretty rich/flavorful beer since my stomach turns a little at the thought.  But where’s the fun if you’re not taking a chance it’ll be disgusting?  Perhaps I’ll drive up to Jersey and taste that stout first…

(3) A strongly flavored root vegetable, like turnips or radishes.  Not sure what effects this might have on wort chemistry, but it sounds like fun.  Would probably be a pale ale or IPA, using the spiciness.

(4) Your suggestions?

This will be all-grain, a 5-gallon batch.

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I wish I could remember all the variations that he did, but at the Chicago AHA convention (2005?), Larry Bell had a few different stouts include one that included mushrooms. Another had a weird chinese placenta extract in it that he found in the hotel mini-bar on his honeymoon in China. Another was a Rocky Mountain Oyster Stout… so there’s definitely some room to mess around in there!

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Hah!  I guess nothing seems weird after placenta and testicle stouts.  I don’t intend to go that weird.

4

I “borrowed” an idea from Randy Mosher and have made a wee heavy with chanterelle mushrooms a couple times.  Absolutely delicious!

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Here is a link to NB forum where a guy used Horseraddish in a beer. He soaked it in everclear rather than mashing it.

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=78951&hilit=horseradish

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denny: any recollection as to what quantity of mushrooms you had to use to get a good flavor?

boulderbrewer: thanks for the link… I probably should have thought to search around on NB for stuff like that.  Looks like it could be tasty, but I think I’m leaning toward mushrooms for now.

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Denny’s Wee Shroomy is delicious!

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I used about 2.5 lb. chopped and added to secondary.  I tried soaking them in vodka on one batch and adding that, but didn’t care for the added alcohol heat and felt it diminished the aroma.  The next year I just brushed the duff off and put them right into secondary.  Fortunately, both were good years for chanterelles and I was able to gather them from my woods.  Otherwise it would have cost me a fortune!  And FWIW, the we heavy recipe was Skotrat’s Traquair House clone recipe which AFAIAC is the best wee heavy recipe I’ve ever run across.

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Thanks!

10

Howdy, I migrated here with you folks.  Thanks for the mention.  I need to dust off a bottle of that beer and see where
Its gotten to…flavor wise.  Yep I still think I have a couple bottles left.

11

This all sounds veeeery disgusting. Shellfish in beer? I’ll pass.

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I used about 2.5 lb. chopped and added to secondary.  I tried soaking them in vodka on one batch and adding that, but didn’t care for the added alcohol heat and felt it diminished the aroma.  The next year I just brushed the duff off and put them right into secondary.  Fortunately, both were good years for chanterelles and I was able to gather them from my woods.  Otherwise it would have cost me a fortune!  And FWIW, the we heavy recipe was Skotrat’s Traquair House clone recipe which AFAIAC is the best wee heavy recipe I’ve ever run across.

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Thanks!

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Hey Denny- 2.5 lbs in what volume of beer?  thanks!

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5 gal.

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I was browsing through Ray Daniels book “The Ultimate Guide to Brewing Classic Beer Styles”.

…and in the Stout chapter he talks about Oyster Stout in that it can be made with the actual oysters themselves, just the liquid, or only the shells. I guess one could add any combination thereof as well.