Pine extract?

Ingredients
1

I have an idea for a winter porter that would have a pine and nut flavor. 2 Questions:

  1. Have any of you ever used a Pine Extract Flavoring? I did a search and found several organic shops that sell it. I’m thinking that it would be wise to add it to the secondary, but how much? Any ideas?

  2. Any idea what nut flavor would go well with Pine? I was thinking maybe Hazelnuts or maybe Pistachio?

Any insights would be welcome!

Thanks!
Tony

2

Liquid extracts usually have a strong flavor. I’m thinking pine would be stronger than most. I’d go very easy on that. There are beers that have young spruce tips added for flavor. You might consider that as an option. Again, I’d say err on the side of caution when deciding amount to use.

3

Spruce tips don’t give the piney taste that you might be after, they are more fruity/citrusy.  Get some Alaskan Winter Ale if you can find it, they display spruce tips very well.  I love that beer.

4

I once tasted a beer made with pine instead of spruce…once.

5

Yea, pine extract is pretty strong stuff… I’d recommend using only 1/2oz to start with 5gal. But with the spruce tips, I found I had to use alot more than expected to get the flavor I was looking for but its still easy to overdo. How bout pine nuts?!

6

I thought about pine nuts but figured it might be easier to experiment with extract since i could control the amounts more accurately. I think i might brew a neutral porter first and test differing amounts of pine in small batches.

thanks for all the input!

Tony

7

Denny was it the pine flavor itself that turned you off or was it just overpowering?

8

Tubercle made beer with pine needles once.

Nasty resin stuff. Not like juniper. Plain nasty.

Threw in a double handful of needles on a whim.

Might have been too much.

9

Dogfish Head made that brown ale (Raison D’Etre-esque) which was boiled and aged with cedar wood.

Pignoli nuts would blend with pine, cause it’s from the pine cones, but pignoli is such a sublte flavor even when toasted and pine resins are devious.  Unsalted and roasted walnuts and pecans have a stronger taste compared to the other nuts. It’s going to be gentle balance.

10

I can sell you some white pine extract…Comes right out of the branches that overhang my driveway.

:wink:

I’d recommend pine nuts.