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'''Sour Herb, Spice, and Vegetable beer''' is mixed fermentation, sour or brett beer with the addition of spices, herbs, or vegetables. These beers, along with [[Soured Fruit Beer|Soured Fruit Beers]] would fall into the [httphttps://www.bjcp.org/docsnews/2015_Guidelines_Beer.pdf 2015 bjcp-releases-2021-beer-style-guidelines/ 2021 BJCP style] of 28C - Wild Specialty Beer. Here we will discuss the use of spices, herbs, and vegetables in sour beers and give recommendations based off of those brewed by MTFers and commercial brewers.
'''Safety warning''': not all plants are safe to consume! Do your research first before incorporating plants into your beer. Be 100% sure of the identification of the plant. Just because a particular plant was consumed historically before science had an understanding of what the effects were doesn't mean you should disregard the modern understanding of health and medicine. See A major resource for this is the book, [http://wwwcup.theoreticalescolumbia.comedu/herbal-beerbook/the-resourcebotany-of--edible-plant-link-index.html Alex Seitz's resources and guide to ediblebeer/poisonous plants9780231554176 "The Botany of Beer" by Giuseppe Caruso].
For commercial brewers in the US, any ingredient not on the [https://www.ttb.gov/beer/exempt-ingre.shtml TTB exempt] lists needs to be approved by the TTB regardless of where the beer is sold. When seeking approval, it is helpful to show previous use and scientific articles supporting the safety of consumption of the ingredient being used. For example, if the item is on the [https://www.fda.gov/food/ingredientspackaginglabeling/gras/ucm083022.htm FDA GRAS] list(or potentially FDA approved [https://www.cfsanappsexternal.fda.gov/scripts/fdcc/?cat=FoodIngredientsPackaging&type=basic&search= Food Ingredient and Packaging Inventories]; see also advice from [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/4889765437718298/?comment_id=4889893777705464&reply_comment_id=4889906237704218 Andrew Zinn]), then providing this information to the TTB or possibly having the FDA GRAS department work with the TTB for approval can help. See also [https://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-idx?c=ecfr&sid=bd3ebd8d0f96086d22829fda14923623&rgn=div5&view=text&node=27:1.0.1.1.20&idno=27#sg27.1.25_153.sg4 ''Formulas for fermented products'' on GPO.gov].
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====Honey====
Honey should be dissolved in warm water before being added to beer, especially to oak barrels. Honey has a high osmolarity, meaning that it has a high sugar concentration and doesn't readily dissolve in beer. When added to oak barrels it will sink to the bottom and begin seeping out of the barrel staves, resulting in a mess and wasted honey (this might be due to the honey actually drying out the oak staves from inside the barrel, even with beer present, perhaps due to the concentration gradient between wood and honey) <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1924166434278228/?comment_id=1924493387578866&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Christophe Venot. Milk The Funk thread on adding honey to oak barrels. 12/19/2017.]</ref>. While honey is anti-microbial due to its lack of water content, it is not aseptic and can harbor a wide range of microorganisms (see [[Mold#Mold_Growth_in_Wild_Mead|the Mold page]] for more information).
See also:
* [https://www.masterbrewerspodcast.com/223 MBAA Podcast EP 223 "Brewing with Honey".]
====Mushrooms====
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1664639306897610/ MTF thread on experiences using hay/hulls/hops during mash.]
* [http://www.usaforage.org/products/straw-vs-hay/ A definition and explanation of the difference between straw and hay (www.usforage.org).] See also [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/2513716535323212/?comment_id=2513958798632319&reply_comment_id=2517674478260751&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%2335%22%7D this MTF thread with thoughts from Gail Ann Williams and Dave Janssen on straw vs hay in historical brewing].
==Antimicrobial Properties==
* [https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.586548/full A Systematic Review of Plants With Antibacterial Activities: A Taxonomic and Phylogenetic Perspective.]
* [[Kveik#Juniper_Antimicrobial_Effect|Juniper Antimicrobial Effect]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/posts/7238630689498416/ MTF thread on antimicrobial properties.]
==General Usage Suggestions==