What would these additions do to the beer. . . .

[rushrich]

I have a kit for a regular, American wheat beer (from Northern Brewer) it uses 1 oz of Willamette (60 min) and 1 oz of Cascade (15 min).

I was thinking of adding something to the boil to change it a little.

The only thing that I can think of/have on hand is rose hips and different/more hops. I have heard of overly hopped wheat beers, but I wasn't sure how much / what variety to use so it won't taste off.

I know that it is a guessing game, but any/all suggestions would be welcome.

[mpeterie1]

I haven't tried rose hips but I made that kit a couple of months ago (missed my OG but was saved by some DME) and I added about .5 oz centennial at flameout. It gave me a pretty clean wheat beer with a citrusy hop flavor in the finish. I think there's a bit more hop flavor than most wheats but BMC folks have really liked it. I plan on keeping something like it on hand since its so cheap to make.

Good luck, I look forward to hearing what you do and how it turns out.

[rushrich]

Thanks! Great suggestion. By flameout do you mean a zero minute addition?

[Blktre]

You could dry hop the rose hips in secondary. Put them in a sak and monitor it for a few days then yank them.
Sally (Travel by the Pint) has some great techniques using these type of spices.

[Travel by the Pint]

Sally (Travel by the Pint) has some great techniques using these type of spices.

Thank you, Andy! I stumble a bit here and there, but it's fun operating on the ragged edge, and even mistakes are a learning opportunity.

I have found a terrific resource in "The Homebrewer's Garden." It doesn't cover all the herbs and spices I'm interested in, but it does cover many - and includes rose hips. Per the book: "They impart a citrusy flavor and a red color to beer. Use 1/4 oz to 1 oz of rose hips late in the boil."

As it happens, I used .8 oz of rose hips at the five minute mark in my latest batch, Curse of Hathor, which is a fruited ancient wheat beer. Tasting it at bottling, the rose hip contribution was negligible, but there is a lot going on in that batch, so it's not a surprise.

Won't be able to taste the final outcome for another week.

Have fun!

Sally

[rushrich]

Excellent answers by one and all! Thanks for all the suggestions!

So happy to be a part of such a knowledgeable and caring guild.