Spruce Beer Recipe

Experience a taste of history with Homemade Spruce Beer, a refreshing beverage infused with the natural flavors of spruce tips, renowned for their high Vitamin C content. Traditionally enjoyed by sailors and First Nations people to ward off scurvy, this drink can be crafted as either an alcoholic or non-alcoholic version. The piney, citrusy brew brings a unique twist to your culinary repertoire.

Ingredients

🌲 2-3 cups fresh spruce tips, foraged in the Pacific Northwest
🍚 2 cups granulated sugar
🍋 1 whole lemon, sliced and juiced
💧 Several liters of water, fills a large pot
🍺 1 packet of brewing yeast
🍯 1 tablespoon dandelion honey, for secondary fermentation

Instructions

1- Combine Ingredients:

• In a large pot, combine the granulated sugar, spruce tips, and sliced lemon.
• Fill the pot with water, ensuring all ingredients are fully immersed.

2- Boil and Steep:

• Bring the mixture to a boil on your stovetop. Stir occasionally to help dissolve the sugar.
• Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and allow the mixture to steep for several hours, extracting the flavors of the spruce tips and lemon.

3- Strain:

• Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean mixing bowl, discarding the solids.

4- Cool and Measure Gravity:

• Let the strained liquid cool to room temperature.
• Use an Accupro refractometer to measure the specific gravity, gauging the sugar content and potential alcohol level of the brew.

5- Pitch Yeast:

• Once the liquid is at an appropriate temperature for yeast fermentation, add the brewing yeast and stir gently to combine.

6- Primary Fermentation:

• Transfer the liquid into 1-gallon glass fermentation jugs, fixing each with an airlock on top.
• Allow the mixture to ferment for approximately 4-5 days.

7- Measure Final Gravity:

• After primary fermentation, take another gravity reading to ascertain the alcohol content.

8- Prepare for Bottling:

• Dissolve one tablespoon of dandelion honey in the mixing bowl.

9- Siphon and Mix:

• Carefully siphon the fermented beer from the fermentation jugs into the mixing bowl with honey, mixing gently.

10- Bottle:
- Using siphon tubing, transfer the beer into brown plastic bottles, filling until just below the cap level.

11- Cap and Age:
- Securely cap the bottles and store them in a cool, dark place for at least two weeks, allowing natural carbonation to develop.
- For optimal flavor, age for up to a few months.

Prep Time: A few hours
Cook Time: 4-5 days (primary fermentation)
Total Time: A few months (including aging)
Servings: Not specified
Calories, Proteins, Fats, Carbohydrates: Not specified
Equipment:

• Large pot, dark gray/black metal (no brand)
• Knife, standard kitchen knife (no brand)
• Lemon squeezer, yellow manual handheld (no brand)
• Fine-mesh strainer, stainless steel (no brand)
• Mixing bowl, stainless steel bowl (no brand)
• Refractometer, Accupro
• Glass fermentation jugs, two 1-gallon (no brand)
• Airlocks, two for fermentation (no brand)
• Stovetop, standard (no brand)
• Siphon tubing, clear (no brand)
• Plastic bottles, brown with black caps (no brand)

Cooking Tips

• Ensure proper identification and safe foraging of spruce tips.
• Allow longer fermentation for richer flavors.
• Handle bottles carefully to avoid excessive carbonation.

#homemadedrinks #sprucebeer #forage #fermentation #historicalbeverages #naturalcarbonation

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Homemade Spruce Beer

Posted by Waivio guest: @waivio_hivecooking