Expert: Ed Westemeier - 7/10/2006

Question
hi
i live in india (asia), tried a lot to get hops, to add to my brew, but not lucky.

are there any substitute herbs that i can use? like ginger / chickorey / coffee / herbal tea?

also my last batch developed a prominent sour taste, what could it be?

thanks for your time

cheers

srini

Answer
Those two problems are related. People used to use other herbs to make beer, but after hops were discovered, over 500 years ago, nothing else has been used. Hops act as a preservative in addition to contributing bitterness, flavor, and aroma.

The sour taste is probably from lactic acid. This is produced by bacteria that are in the air all around us. Very strict sanitation during the brewing process is required to eliminate this problem.

I know that there are some hop growers in India, so I suggest you search again to find a dealer. Good luck!