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Hibiscus Addition...

bobo1898

Grandmaster Brewer
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Anyone have any thoughts on inputting hibiscus into Beersmith?

I use dried petals and add them at whirlpool/flame out. I've been inputting them under hops because I have the whirlpool option. I suppose I can input them under miscellaneous at 0 minutes in the boil, but I lose my whirlpool timer.

The problem with both of these options is that I can't impart color into the beer. Obviously hibiscus petals give a pink to reddish hue. I suppose that it isn't a big deal that the SRM in Beersmith isn't representative of what the final product will be, but what just inquiring what others do?
 
Probably as a Misc item as it does not add much body.  Not sure how to handle the color.
 
I've got the same problem. I do a big Hibiscus (its freakin' red!). I don't know how to get it to match the color, so I just don't worry about it. But it would be great if Brad would add color options within the misc category.

Now, how to analyze the Hibiscus SRM, that's a whole other question.

Incidentally, how much do you use? I used 24oz in 10 gallons at whirlpool (30 minutes), and as I said, it's freakin' red, red, red. It also gives a strong tart flavor at that rate.

Any idea at what rate it changes from red down to pink? I want to reduce my rate, but not to the point where it becomes pink instead of red. My goal is to reduce the tartness a little but retain the red color.
 
ipabrewer said:
Incidentally, how much do you use? I used 24oz in 10 gallons at whirlpool (30 minutes), and as I said, it's freakin' red, red, red. It also gives a strong tart flavor at that rate.

Any idea at what rate it changes from red down to pink? I want to reduce my rate, but not to the point where it becomes pink instead of red. My goal is to reduce the tartness a little but retain the red color.

24 oz!!!!!!!! That's a ton!!!! Doesn't that taste more like a tea? Well you said big, so I assume you have a lot of other components to balance it out.

I brew 5.5 gallons so for my hibiscus ale with just Pale, Wheat and Carapils, I use 3 oz and it's pretty red, given the grain bill. The yeast strips the color a bit but even at that amount, I'm pretty red. You definitely taste the hibiscus. My IBUs on that are around 19. I pop them in at flame out and steep for 30 minutes in addition to my cool down.

I just made a hibiscus gose, but cut the hibiscus in half just to see what I get from the lactobacillus. I also didn't steep before I cooled down. Again, I added them at flameout and immediately went to chill. Red still came through. We'll see what happens after the yeast cleans up. I imagine it'll be more watermelon color or pink.
 




This is 3 ounces (in 5 gallons of beer) of hibiscus dry hopped for 5 days in the secondary.  Red, red, red with a pink head!  It is also quite tart too.
 
Looks delish! Nice work. Mine looks similar but my head is white. Would that come from our different uses? Like I said, I whirlpool mine.
 
I have only put hibiscus in the secondary.  However, a friend of mine put it in the secondary, and his head didn't turn out pink.  So I'm a loss to explain it.
 
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