Cannabis and Hops... Let's Make some Beer

[farmasensist]

i bottled mine yesterday. I had some untrimmed buds that i let dry and cure for about a wek and a half. didnt weigh it but had to be at least an ounce. Did a quick wash in everclear and let it evaporate over half way out.

I probably should have let it evaporate less. by the time i got to it there was a thick sticky film at the top that was impossible to work with. I mixed it with water and boiled for an hour hoping it would decarb but i don't know, the hash was oily at this point and didnt want to mix with the water, mostly just stuck to the pot but it think some of it was inthe water because i could smell it and the water looked kind of green, i mixed the hash water withthe beer right before bottling. I got 12 bottles with the hash and 24 without and two more 22 oz bottles without. Somehow i broke a third 22 while trying to cap it, the bottle just snapped at the neck. i'll let you know how it tastes in a few weeks.

 

[farmasensist]

These are the buds i used from some really nice bag seed i've run a few times already. I couldnt get all the oil out while it was still wet but it finished drying out and whats left is not oily at all, more of a crystal or powder consistancy.

 

[yktind]

Awesome! Farm!

Now I have to run another batch. I really like the idea of using ever clear.

What kind of style did you brew? Is it hop heavy? Mild?

Also, will be doing another taste test of the first batch soon. See if the alcohol flavor mellowed out at all.

 

[farmasensist]

I put this in the kolsch, described as

"a crisp, clean, easy-drinking ale. it has a straw-yellow hue similar to a pilsner, but less hoppy, a bit sweeter and uses pale malts and a small amount of wheat."

ABV=4.25% - 4.75%
IBU=25-28
OG=1.042-1.046 (actaul was 1.03)
FG=1.010-1.013 (actual was 1.02)

So, if i measured the gravity correctey, it will only have 1.3% ABV. Hopefully i just measured it wrong.

 

[farmasensist]

I know its been a while, ive been having issues getting RIUto stay on my phones internet but its working now. The kolsh tasted terrible. The kolsh with the hash tasted better but didnt taste like bud or get me stoned.

But... i was making some ice extract and noticed all the leftover water smelled really good so i used that as my boil water in a belgian tripel. I tried one the other day and it felt like i ate a weak edible. I think two or three of the beers would get the job done. You could taste the bud but it didnt taste too good. There was an alcohol taste, malt taste, and bitter hop taste but it isnt mixed together, its like you get a seperate taste of each flavor. Some more time in the bottle might fix that but i dont know all the other beers i made hade the same issue. It might be the extract kits just suck. I kind of want totry all grain to see if that helps but i also dont feel like wasting a bunch of time to make more crappy beer.

 

[Glaucoma]

I kind of want totry all grain to see if that helps but i also dont feel like wasting a bunch of time to make more crappy beer.

I'm surprised you didn't mention that the 1030SG/1020FG brew wasn't sweet. Perhaps your hydrometer is cracked? Check the calibration. It's hard to misread them, but I think the chances of you leaving out about a 1/3 of your extracts combined with a crapped out fermentation is equally low. Personally, I would have stopped as soon as I got a 1030 reading.

The only time I've had a batch that sucked was when I was chasing the beer/weed dragon. I let her go. You can add the kick with extracts, but the flavors just aren't compatible when trying to use it like hops.

I think we are just 400 years too late. Back in early colonial days when we were forced to use shit like Spruce tree tips instead of hops it might have passed.

Weed soda on the other hand.. is great! Using extracts, of course.

 

[Joedank]

Okay RIU!

Let me start by saying I am not a professional by any means.

I have been brewing beer for a while now and have about 5 brews under my belt (15 gallon batches). I just ordered a 6 gallon Carboy and 7 gallon ferment-er. We will be doing some brewing this weekend just to break her in and to get my sea legs back. This will be my first solo brew (usually it is my uncle + me). I'll have all the tools needed, hops, malt, stainless steel pot, etc, etc.

Just received my copy of "How To Brew" by John Palmer (basically this is the brewer's bible). This will be an ongoing thread so please feel free to post anything beer/ cannabis related.

What I want to do is replace the hops with buds, hoping to retain the smells and taste of the actual plant. When brewing with hops in the past I have always noticed that hops retain a lot of the smell and some of their flavor usually it mellows out a bit. Essentially I want to make an THC "beer".

During the brewing process you make what is called "wort". This is the building blocks of your beer. Add most ingredients, water, malt, hops (or in this case buds), sugar, orange or lemon zest, etc. This goes into a pot and boils for around 45 mins - 2 hours depending on size and flavor goals.

From my understanding this will be plenty of time to decarboxolate the THC. However there is nothing to break the THC away from the plant material and mix with the wort. Later on during the fermentation process alcohol will begin to form as a byproduct of the yeast. This will work as a solvent I suppose and help to dissolve the THC. The goal here is an even mix so that every beer is identical in potency.

Has anyone on here ever brewed beer? Better yet, has anyone brewed a cannabis beer?

I have a harvest coming in the middle of July so I plan to try out my little experiment at that time.

In the mean time please post away. I need advice, Stories of what has worked and what hasn't. Blah Blah, I'd love to hear some of your recipes for just beer as well.

I want this thread to be about Brewing... with the added benefit of trying a THC beer.

Here is the brew Kit:

View attachment 3181722

i was advised to make a tincure and add it into the beer once finished.

 

[farmasensist]

I'm surprised you didn't mention that the 1030SG/1020FG brew wasn't sweet. Perhaps your hydrometer is cracked? Check the calibration. It's hard to misread them, but I think the chances of you leaving out about a 1/3 of your extracts combined with a crapped out fermentation is equally low. Personally, I would have stopped as soon as I got a 1030 reading.

The only time I've had a batch that sucked was when I was chasing the beer/weed dragon. I let her go. You can add the kick with extracts, but the flavors just aren't compatible when trying to use it like hops.

I think we are just 400 years too late. Back in early colonial days when we were forced to use shit like Spruce tree tips instead of hops it might have passed.

Weed soda on the other hand.. is great! Using extracts, of course.

I just checked the hydrometer in some tap amd it was at 1.0. I must have messed something up. Im just going to try making good beer before doing any more experiments, so far its all been drinkable but i wouldnt say good.

Its a good thing they used to have beer purity laws or people like me would have kept screwing things up when there is already a right way to do it. A tincture probably would work but ill let someone else try it, im done for now.

 

[yktind]

I forgot to update.

I tasted one of the beers again. It was delicious! Very hoppy and satisfying. and yes it was only hoppy. Maybe I could taste the skywalker but the beer really just tasted like a double IPA. If I wasn't aware (being the person that brewed it) that there was cannabis in it, I would have never known.

Next test will be with a tincture of some sort. I think this will get the high we are looking for (we aren't looking for a one hitter quitter. I'd still like to drink between 3 - 5 beers. The goal will be about a bowl per beer, I think). I still want that flavor to shine through and I'm not quite sure that the tincture will give us that. Maybe a combination of tincture with a hop back of cannabis right before bottling. Not sure on the timing of this but will update once I do it.

Also, if anyone does their own batch or experiment please post away.

 

[yktind]

Make sure to save a bottle or two, let them condition a little longer, might mellow that "hops dipped in alcohol" flavor, mellow the bitterness, and let the back flavors come thru a bit.... we had that with our first attempt at graff, was much much better after another month or 2 of bottle conditioning. (clarity improved too)

Found a few @ my moms last month (6 month after initial finish) was fucking amazing.... n we were GIVING this shit away (thats how it ended up there) was bitter, then flat... empty tasting.... that 6month one.... omg...

You were right. The beer lost that extra alcohol flavor and became smoother.

 

[iwantpics]

GABF this year...

 

[iHearAll]

Consider dry hopping with the cannabis and using high gravity yeast. For instance.
Brew your beer with hops.
Ferment it. For 2 weeks only. Hold.
Heat your buds up to decarb temperature (now sterile as well)and dry hop them into your secondary carboy. Pour your alcoholic beer over top the buds and leave the yeast cake behind.
Wait 2 weeks again.
Filter/bottle. Drink in a week

 

[yktind]

Consider dry hopping with the cannabis and using high gravity yeast. For instance.
Brew your beer with hops.
Ferment it. For 2 weeks only. Hold.
Heat your buds up to decarb temperature (now sterile as well)and dry hop them into your secondary carboy. Pour your alcoholic beer over top the buds and leave the yeast cake behind.
Wait 2 weeks again.
Filter/bottle. Drink in a week

I've decided the best way, for me that is, is to make a tincture and add to your full batch. The only thing dry hoping is good for is flavor, but if you use hops I just about guarantee you will lose the flavor of "bud" and only taste hops. Also, I am convinced that if you dry hop for too long, using herbals, you will end up with a grass like flavor (try chewing on a bud versus chewing on a hop and you'll see what I mean).

I think I am going to brew this weekend. Thanks for reviving the thread, lol.

 

[iHearAll]

Valid point on the flavor. Might be tough to muscle down.

Cheers