With spring in the air and summer around the corner, home brewers everywhere have visions of sunny days and cold brews dancing in their head. Nothing says summer more than cracking a cold one on a hot sunny day. As you think about the next batch you’re going to make, why not give pickle beer a try?
What Is Pickle Beer?
Just like it sounds, pickle beer has a nice flavor of… well, pickles. Before you squish up your nose, think how refreshing cool cucumbers are and if you have ever had cucumber water, you know how tasty it can be. Pickle beer does not need to taste like hoppy melon water, the fermentation of the cucumber is what determines how sweet or sour pickles taste.
There are some different ways that you can make your own pickle beer, but we really think you should give it a try. The pickle beer trend is loved by many.
Pickle Beer Connoisseurs
There are some popular pickle beers out there that really pack a nice, sour punch. Some original pickle Beer connoisseurs enjoy this fresh ale that leaves the essence of biting into a crisp pickle and a briny finish. One particular beer style, called Gose, pronounced “go-suh”, is a centuries old style of brewing that comes from Goslar, Germany. This beer is made with 50% malted wheat, 50% malted barley, spices of coriander and fermented with yeast and added lactobacillus.
This is the perfect style for handling a briny pickle brew. Several brewing styles use a lactic fermentation, the spontaneous fermentation when cooling wort is left exposed to open air, floating bacteria and yeast. This imparts a sour tartness and the coriander provides the accompanying herbal characteristics. Some tart ales can take a long time to mature, Gose style beers go a lot faster, in a matter of days due to the lactic fermentation. What sets apart this briny brew is the addition of salt.
How to Make Pickle Beer
Some people go with the easiest method of making pickle beer which is simply adding pickle juice to your favorite beer. Although us dedicated homebrewers like the thrill of creating a concoction and turning it into a luscious libation. It is easy to make your own pickle juice by fermenting cucumber juice. After you make your own pickle juice, you can add it to the fermentation process of your homebrew for a nice taste and aroma.
To create the lactic acid sourness, you would first need to boil the wort, your unfermented liquid with sugars from the barley, for about 10 minutes to make sure it is sanitized. After that, instead of boiling another hour or so and adding hops, you can bring the heat down to about 118, pump in some CO2 to remove the oxygen, and add the lactobacillus culture. Let the bacteria do its job for about 48 hours, and then turn the kettle back on, add your hops and boil, then put your wart in the fermenter with yeast to turn into beer.
Perform the next, second step a week later. Run some cucumbers through a juicer to create some fresh cucumber juice and let it sit for at least five days so the pulp settles out. Add this fermented cucumber juice, in essence pickle juice, along with the favorite spices for pickle beer which are coriander, salt, and maybe even some chili pepper. Now you can really impress your friends and enjoy some tart yet refreshing pickle beer in the popular Gose style.
If you have any questions about upping your homebrew game, contact the experienced brew masters at RainMakers Supply. Whether you are just starting out making your own homebrewed beer or you are looking to expand your flavors and capabilities, RainMakers Supply has everything you need.
RainMakers Supply is your one stop for all your homebrew supplies and equipment to create your own tasty homebrew craft beer or wine. We offer quality ingredients including hops, yeast, malt extracts, flavorings, bottles, kettles, homebrew kits and more. Contact us today for homebrewing made easy and learn more about perfecting your style with new recipes like pickle beer in the summer.