Homebrew Gruit Recipe - Alternative to Hops

Alt Kruyt

All-grain, 5 gallons, OG 1.070

1. Mash at 150 degrees F for one hour: 2 pounds Munich malt, 2 pounds brown malt, 5 pounds Pilsner malt, 2 pounds flaked oats and 1 pound Caramunich III malt
2. Collect wort, bring to a boil for 30 minutes, then add 1 ounce each of marsh rosemary, bog myrtle and yarrow
3. Boil for another 30 minutes, stir in 1.5 pounds dark or wildflower honey, chill and transfer to the primary fermenter
4. Add 1 ounce of each botanical to the fermenter
5. Ferment with Wyeast 1007 or 2565, or White Labs WLP003 or WLP011

Summer Gruit

Extract/steeped grain, 5 gallons, OG 1.055

1. Bring brewing water to 155 degrees F and steep 0.5 pounds Carapils malt for 20 minutes
2. Add 3 pounds wheat DME and 2 pounds light DME and to the brewing water
3. Bring to a boil for 20 minutes and add 1 ounce Saaz hops
4. Boil for 20 minutes and add 1 ounce lemon balm and add 1 ounce grated ginger
5. Boil for 10 minutes, stir in 1 pound light honey, 1 ounce lavender flowers and 2 ounces heather flowers
6. Turn off the burner and allow the botanicals to steep for 15 minutes with intermittent stirring before chilling wort
7. Ferment with saison (Wyeast 3711), witbier (White Labs WLP400), Belgian (White Labs WLP570) or German (Wyeast 1007) yeast

For all-grain, substitute 6 pounds Pilsner malt and 3 pounds wheat malt for the DME, and mash at 152 degrees F for one hour

Recipe by K. Florian Klemp