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Has anyone used mint leaves in a beer?

Northern Brewer General
#1

I was thinking of making a porter or a stout and adding mint leaves to the secondary to achieve a little mint flavor in a beer. I would like to achieve a slight mint aroma and taste. Has anyone used mint in previous beers, if so how did you do it?

I have mint leaves growing in the garden in our backyard but did not know what steps to take for sanitizing them? I could put them in alcohol but was worried that may dull the flavor. Do the leaves need to be dried out first if I take them from the garden? Or is there a better place to get mint suitable for a beer?

Cheers!

#2

I’s suggest that before you brew an entire batch with mint, try putting a few mint leaves into a glass of beer. You may change your mind.

#3

I have seriously wondered at maybe a chocolate mint stout or something of that ilk… then again, we’ll see how I feel after the beer test suggested above.

#4

For the most effect I would imagine the later the addition the better. Secondary would work, or even right in the keg. Remember when making coctails or other food with mint you would tend to crush it first to really get the aromas going.

Some crushed mint in a pint of choclate stout sounds like it could be appealing to some. So even an addition right at the pour might be most effective.

#5

Just stumbled across this: http://www.northernbrewer.com/shop/brew … -chip.html

#6

Thanks for all of the responses and advice!

I had considered adding a mint leave to a bottle of beer prior to bottling to see if I like the flavor, and may try that as my first attempt. I have an imperial stout which I will bottle in October so I may try it with that.

Thanks for the neat link to the mint flavorings at NB. It reminds me of the Fulton Worthy Adversary which I tried at the Summer Beer Dabbler, they had it going through an infuser which had mint leaves, cocoa nibs, and oak chips; the beer tasted like chip and mint ice cream.

#7

let me know when you find some horehound to brew with. hahaha!

#8

I mafe a chcolate Mint stout in 2007 in UT. It was my third beer and I bottled it called for four ounces of mint in the secondary ferm. I hate mint my loves it so I cut it in half, it just enough mint to taste it not over powering but just right. My buddy made a mint stout it tasted like he put mouth wash in his secondary. So it could go either way.

#9

You could also make a simple syrup with mint… I would imagine that would dodge the issue most of my friends have had with plants and brewing: off flavors from the stems and such.

#10

I used creme de menthe in a stout as experiment at bottling time in '99. there are a lot of fermentable sugars. if you want to test a few bottles out, add a small amount (about 1/2 oz or less) to a 12 or 16 oz bottle BEFORE adding a priming solution. it really doesn’t take much to give a lot of flavor OR make a bottle bomb/gusher. if you go this route, use caution & serve well chilled to reduce gushing.

#11

2 ounces fresh leaves or 1oz dried leaves late in the boil.

#12

Got any wicca stores in your area? :lol:

#13

When bartending during the holidays I have had luck with a quarterounce of creme de menthe or peppermint schnapps in a pint of porter. Like mentioned above,though, be very careful because a little goes a long way

#14

Got any wicca stores in your area? :lol: [/quote]not in SW MN. I think people get burned at the stake for watching comedies on a Sunday here. I’d laugh, but it’s not funny.

ok, it kinda is.

#15

Thanks for all of the advice, maybe I will try a little peppermint schnapps and see how that tastes with a porter.

#16

I made a Mint Pils not too long ago. I “dry hopped” in the Keg with an ounce of fresh mint leaves. Even in the Pils you didn’t taste much of the Mint, but about halfway through a pint you would start to get a minty sensation in your mouth. Never very strong but you knew it was there.

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