Posted on September 9, 2017 in Drinks

Hops, which is a major part of the process of brewing beer, is one of the closest cousins to marijuana in the plant world. It only makes sense that we enhance this delicious beverage the right way by bringing family together again by making weed beer!

Brewing: A brief overview

To put it in terms which are easy to grasp you need a starch (like barley or another grain) which will be changed into ‘wort’ which is a sugary. The wort is then put through the fermentation process until all or part of the wort becomes alcohol. Yeast is needed in order for the process of fermentation to happen because the enzymes yeast contains are what convert the sugar to booze.

Hops and beer

Hops in its natural state has an aroma and flavor which have long been compared to that of pot. Hops is used in the beer brewing process to enrich the beer’s flavor, but it also provides stability to the brewing process itself. While other items can and have been used hops is the most common, popular choice. Hops also possess antibacterial characteristics which let the yeast do its job freely, and beer made with hops doesn’t go bad as quickly either.

Hops and Cannabis

Pot and hops have a lot in common, one specific trait being that both plants separate and develop into male and female plants. Since the presence of seeds is undesirable in most all cases when it comes to the use of either plant, the female plant is the one used in making beer among other things. While a number of various agents can be used for flavoring and stability, hops is the most well-known and used, but cannabis does an incredible job.

Pot Beer

If you are already a brewer making pot beer is an easy proposition. When proceeding through your beer-brewing steps you are going to replace the hops with your marijuana. Active home-brewers have different advice and perspectives regarding the addition of the weed to the brewing process since different styles and methodology vary from brewer to brewer. Over the years many have tinkered with trying to accomplish the perfect recipe and the result have been varied the world over. Below are some suggestions regarding the actual addition of the pot to the brew and when the right time to do that may be:

Soak the bud in filtered water first to remove tars and toxins

Most brewers agree on this point. There are going to be substances naturally found in marijuana which are less than desirable, and then there will be outside toxins which have cleaved to the plant. Soaking will loosen and dissipate much of these.

Some advise adding your weed to the wort when it begins to boil

While there are brewers who claim this robs the needed terpenes from the plant but others stand by adding your pot as soon as the wort is taken off the heat because you get the most THC and the best flavor.

Others claim only dried buds should be added to wort which has cooled

This is referred to in traditional beer-brewing as ‘dry-hopping’ and may will provide even better flavor, some say.

While there are different methods of brewing pot beer brewers seem to agree that the weed should only be added once fermentation is completely finished. This ensures that the sugars have all been successfully converted to the ethanol alcohol which is the goal. While you can find a number of delicious weed beer products, if you are a home brewer who enjoys using weed creatively take advantage of this opportunity to perfect the perfect pot potable by experimenting and developing your own individual and uniquely flavored beverage today!