I am planning on using about 1/2oz. in the secondary after fermentation is just about done . Is there a concern about contamination, or is the Ph low enough at this point in the game?
No worries about contamination.
I would taste it often, though. Rosemary can get very strong very quickly!
I love the idea, though - I’ve had a few commercial beers with Rosemary and I’d like to try some in my IPA recipe.
What is the beer its going into?
Charlie P’s Delerium Oat Rosemary IPA. Zymurgy Jan/Feb 2012. I was walking around our herb garden with a homebrew last month and pinched off some rosemary and waved it around while tasting my pale ale. Seemed interesting, then i found this recipe and decided to give it a try. I’ll let you know haw it turns out.
I’m interested how it turns out. Rosemary seems so similar to spruce tips that I wonder whether they should be used in a similar manner. I recall that Gordon Strong had a nice page on how to use spruce tips (advice which he got from someone else) in his Brewing Better Beer book. Unfortunately I don’t have access to my copy at the moment to look it up, but I think they are best used in the boil like hops. I wonder if it would be the same with rosemary?
I think rosemary and spruce tips are radically different. Rosemary is so much stronger, I would use way way less and at most put it in at the end of the boil. Spruce tips are really very mild, and need to be boiled for about an hour to get the nice citrusy flavor out of them.
Well after dry hopping for about a week (after fermentation) I kegged. It is wonderful! The oatmeal gave it plenty of body and maltiness, while the hops seem to dominate. the Rosemary is there in the aroma and lingers through the finish but isnt all in your face. I cant wait to taste this after I carb. I bet this beer will pair well with grilled chicken Yum!
Wow! Good on ya!
Great idea. Love to hear to the results!