Hop Water

[zach]

So I'm taking a month break from ethanol, starting in March, to give the liver an annual break.

I did the same break last year and tried a number of non alcohol beers and did not find many I liked. I tried a few hop waters that I liked, but the expense seemed unjustified.

So this last weekend, I heated 5 gallons of water with 250 ml of lemon juice . When it started to boil I turned off the flame and added 1 oz cascade and 1.5 oz of citra in a basket for about a half hour. I let it cool and added teaspoon of yeast that I harvested from a beer. I've not sure the yeast does anything but I've seen others include it.

I force carbed at 25 psi and now have it on tap in the keg fridge. The sparkling water taste like an IPA and is refreshing. Might become a year around thing as it less expensive than making soda with syrup.

[Twisted Brick]

I have never heard of hop water, but hopped sparkling water sounds really refreshing. I wonder if macerating a small amount pale or crystal malt would add some grain flavor to the mix. (I bet its been tried and if it worked would have been added to the tried and true recipes).

Nice job observing your annual break. I have benefitted from a Dec 31 - April 1 break for (mostly) 10 years now.

[NZChris]

I've done a hopped ginger beer that was very nice, not 0% though. Slices of ginger boiled with the lemon juice and sugar, then hopped.

[zach]

I toyed with the idea of making a 0.5% abv beer as I recently had a Hazy IPA (Rational Ale) that was really good.

1 lb of pale malt in 5 gallons would produce original gravity of 1.05 with 0.5% potential. It would be easy to brew in bag with only a pound.

[BlackStrap]

The hop water does sound interesting, for a nice non alcoholic refreshing drink and without the sugars.
Always looking for something new & may have to give this one a try.

Thanks

[zach]

I've done a hopped ginger beer that was very nice, not 0% though. Slices of ginger boiled with the lemon juice and sugar, then hopped.

That sounds interesting. I have more lemons than I know what to do with and I will have to give that a try.

[kiwi Bruce]

So I'm taking a month break from ethanol, starting in March, to give the liver an annual break.

Just a thought...try a tiny amount of Wasabi each day of your ethanol "fast"(as in the size of a match head) Wasabi reverses liver damage like sclerosis, if taken in small doses each day. It has to be real wasabi, not the fake horse radish/mustard shit you get here in the States...You can get it on-line. Not inexpensive but worth the coin. Don't take my word for it. Look at the research, which was done in Japan. Anyway...Just a thought. Kiwi