Had a crazy thought. We make and drink beet kvass regularly and was thinking wouldn’t a deep purple beer with a purple head be an awesome conversation piece? Has anyone ever tried this? Would beet sugar ferment? Input? Thx.
You could call it Smoke on the water.
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Yes beet sugar is 100% fermentible. It is widely used in Europe like in Belgian instead if cane sugar due to its availability
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Nice!!!
I make (and sell) a beet wine, so I can assure you it ferments well.
Note that sugar beets are different than the red beets that most people are familiar with. Sugar beet have much higher sugar content, but not such a nice flavor or color. The sugar processed from them is highly refined, and almost indistinguishable from white cane sugar.
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Would you put the beets in the secondary like you would for dry hopping?
I’ve never used beets in beer, but “dry hopping” might be the best way to get a really fresh beet flavor.
I wouldn’t count on getting much sugar out of them that way. You would probably need to have them in the mash (like you would with pumpkin) to extract much in the way of fermentables, but that would probably give you a different flavor also.
I made an attempt at beet wine and the color changed over time from a truly beautiful magenta to a kind of unattractive russet.
Well, I finally tried the beet thing and brewed a very nice beet red ale that I named “Beet ur Azz” It turned very nice. The finish is a very “earthly” beet flavor but subtle not overpowering. I peeled and chopped 2 pounds of organic(not necessary though) beets and dropped them into the secondary. It didn’t take long before the wort turned very red. The head is a beautiful shade of pink and quite a conversation starter.
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Wondering if there is a way to brew this or any berry type beer with a pure white head and just the color in the body. I think that would present nice. Good name by the way
I have had at least 3 commercial beet beers, 2 were at least national and one was local.
Magic hat used to make a summer ale called “whacko”… it was light pink or so, I loved it. Super bummed when it stopped being made.
Ballast point makes an oatmeal stout called “red velvet”. Super dark, reddish pink… but tastes just like an oatmeal stout. It was a cool experience.
A brewery in St. Louis made a beet beer that I frankly didn’t enjoy at all. It tasted dirty, and a little sour (I’m not a sour beer lover).
So, it’s not as crazy as you think. It can be done nicely and it’s a cool thing.
