I brewed a Lavender Tripel today. It's Dry Dock's Topsail Tripel recipe, but I added lavender (1 oz. for 10 minutes at the end of the boil). I'm wondering if anyone else has used lavender, and, if so, what style and what were the results.
I used 1 gram of lavender at flameout in a saison once. Took a couple of months in the bottle to stop tasting like soap (to me at least). Good luck.
Yeah, but you have to be sparing - I think I used 1.5 teaspoons in 15 gallons once for the priming sugar spices and it was strong. Turns out that human palates have a low threshold for linalool and linalyl acetate (lavender's two biggest components.
A local brew pub makes an herbal cream ale that has lavender (and probably other stuff) in it. I was not a huge fan when I tried it, but it has been in their rotation for about 10 years, so someone must be drinking it.
I've cooked with lavender before and I'll agree that I get a soapy flavor from it. Herbs De Provence ruins good marinara sauce for me. On a side note 1 in 6 people get a soapy flavor from cilantro. It's related to smell: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/14/dining/14curious.html?_r=0
My favorite retail beer I tried that was released this year uses lavender.... http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/25191/91618
When it comes to cooking with lavender, I feel a lot of it is how it is used. I love brining a quality chicken with herbs de provence and then roasting it. Also great with lamb, and when used extremely sparingly, it is great in custards. It provides a foil to rich things. I could definitely see it not going so well in something acidic, like a marinara sauce. To keep this beer related, I think a touch in a dubbel might work. The saison I brewed was actually quite nice once it calmed down a bit. So far as cilantro, I used to get the soap, but I've grown accustomed to it due to its prevalence in latin American and southeast Asian cuisine.
I made a saison recently with lavender. I outlined the process I used here: http://beeradvocate.com/community/threads/rose-petals.104427/#post-1605377 The lavender was a little potent, but not overbearing. I would probably cut it by 25% next time.
Thanks for all the insight, this was only my second brew, so maybe it was a little too experimental, but we'll see. I had to re-pitch the yeast yesterday because it wasn't actively fermenting. When I took the original gravity reading on Sunday, the lavender was way too strong, but when I took another reading yesterday, it had subsided nicely. I am eager to try this over the course of a few months. Thanks again!
Here in Utah Squatters had a seasonal called Bumper Crop that used lavender. The lavender flavor was quite strong. I know of one person who referred to it as Bumper Crap. I thought it was drinkable, but for me 1 pint was enough.
Had L.S.D. from Indeed Brewing Company, thought it was quite good for the style. The lavender was not overpowering but was definitely there in the taste. http://www.indeedbrewing.com/beers/l-s-d/
