13,703
edits
Changes
update to strawberries and source of plastic off-flavors
* Sea Buckthorn - Adds a lot of acidity; add less to more sour beers. Juicing tends to be the most popular approach. See quantities below <ref name="sea_buckthorn" />.
* Sumac - Provides a lot of "lemony" acidity. Can boil it, but don't boil for too long or the nice red color will turn brown.
* Strawberry - It is thought that the seeds might carry a lot of p-coumaric acid, which can transform into 4-vinylphenol and 4-ethylphenol in the presence of ''Brettanomyces'', which tastes like plastic. Some people have had luck juicing strawberries and removing any seed or vegetal material (or using strawberry juice) to avoid plastic flavors <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1300991233262421/?comment_id=1301153443246200&reply_comment_id=1301956473165897&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D Discussion with James Sites on MTF regarding strawberries and 4EP precursor. 05/09/2016.]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1599245436770331/?comment_id=1599288443432697&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D Conversation with Kyle Pittser on MTF regarding the use of strawberries. 03/01/2017.]</ref>. To remove pulp and seeds, MTF members have advised using a [https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flotte_Lotte flotte lotte], basket press, or Breville Juice Fountain Elite juicer <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1624796030881938/ Ingo Janssen, Thomas Creighton, and Ryan Adam Bickley. Milk The Funk Facebook group. 03/24/2017.]</ref>. There have also been reports that removing the seeds did not remove the plastic phenol with the hypothesis that the strain of ''Brettanomyces'' used might play a role <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1989785807716290/?comment_id=1990127514348786&reply_comment_id=1990140754347462&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R6%22%7D Tim Moriarty and Justin Amaral. Milk The Funk Facebook gropu post on removing seeds fro mstrawberries. 02/15/2018.]</ref>. See also this [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2653654431329421/ MTF thread]. Phillip Emerson of Almanac Brewing Co reported getting no plastic off-flavor when using freeze dried strawberries. He also reported ancedotally that white skin seems to correlate to plastic off-flavors <ref>[http://www.thebrewingnetwork.com/sour-hour-episode-119/ Phillip Emerson. The Sour Hour Podcast, episode #119. 02/14/2020.]</ref> (~40 minutes in).
* Tamarind - Provides an umami flavor that some people might not like <ref name="MTF_Thread"></ref>.
* Vanilla Fruit (Beans/Extract) - Organic/natural recommended for extract. Start at 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of beer, and add more to taste. For whole beans, cut long ways and scrape out the insides, add entire bean. Balances well with acidity, and some have reported that it adds some mouthfeel to ''Brettanomyces'' based beers <ref name="vanilla1" /><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1639312752763599/ Milk The Funk Facebook thread on vanilla beans. 03/05/2017.]</ref>.