Before hops were mandated for beer production by the Reinheitsgebot, there were centuries worth of alternative bittering agents used in brewing. Roots, spices and herbs not only flavored beers, they imparted their medicinal properties. In this recipe, I’ve blended bitter and herbaceous yarrow with the sharp and piney juniper berries, offsetting them with the aromatic aniseed to make an interesting and palatable gruit ale.
Try pairing this with a sourdough bread with salted butter, roasted neeps (turnip) and taters and a lamb chop to be transported back in time.
1½ gal (5.7 L) water
6 oz (170 g) caramel 60L malt
1 lb (455 g) golden light dried malt extract
½ cup (5 g) yarrow flowers
½ tsp (1 g) aniseed
⅔ tbsp (3 g) juniper berries
2 tbsp (40 g) honey
½ packet (2.5 g) dry ale yeast
1. Gather your ingredients and sanitize your equipment. You’ll need a 2-gallon (3.8-L) stockpot, a thermometer, a grain bag, a long spoon, a racking cane or siphon tube, a 2-gallon (7.5-L) brew bucket, a gallon (3.8-L) carboy and a bung and airlock.
2. Heat the water in the stockpot until it reaches 150 to 160°F (65 to 71°C). Pour the caramel malt grains into a grain bag, tie a loose knot at the top and steep them in the pot for 20 minutes while keeping the water temperature between 150 and 160°F (65 to 71°C). Remove the grain bag and let it drain back into the pot while you prepare for the next steps.
3. Bring your wort to a gentle, rolling boil. Add the dried malt extract and stir until the wort returns to a gentle boil. Add the yarrow and aniseed and boil for 30 minutes. Add the juniper berries and simmer for another 30 minutes. Near the end of this 30 minutes, fill a sink with ice water. Stir the honey into the wort. Cover the pot, remove it from the heat and place the whole pot in the ice water in the sink. Let the wort cool until it is near 70°F (21°C).
4. Use the racking cane to siphon the wort into the bucket, avoiding transferring the herbal sludge from the brew pot. Sprinkle the yeast into the wort and stir it. Put on the bucket lid, add the airlock, label your brew and store it in an area around 64 to 72°F (18 to 22°C) out of direct sunlight for 4 to 6 days.
5. Carefully transfer the beer into the jug, again avoiding the lees at the bottom of the bucket. Return the jug to the dark, warm place and wait for 2 weeks. Bottle when ready.
TIP: Traditionally, gruit ale was not carbonated, as modern beer is. Bottle some of this brew flat and bottle others with priming sugar (here) to see which you prefer.