Gesho Ethiopian Grut

[Brewer #399439]

I am brewing a beer now I have dubbed it SMaG (Single Malt and Gesho). Traditional Ethiopian beer is called "Tela", I think.

I am using 9.5 kg pilsner malt on a 40 litre batch.

I am completely replacing hops with gesho at a "chat gpt" recommended ratio of 5 grams per liter. Half for 60 mins half for 30 mins.

Will keep you updated.

Waiting to be berated in the meantime.

 

[Craigerrr]

There isn't any berating here on Brewers Friend
What is gesho?

 

[Brewer #399439]

Haha that's good to know.

It is a type of buckthorn found in Africa and is used not only as a replacement for hops with its antibacterial and bittering properties but also as a fermentable.

Is what I have read.

I have seen it used in a sort of mesopotamian method of brewing with a a pastry for developing yeast in which the Gesho is mixed in too.

 

[vinobrew]

Interesting ingredient. I was going to ask where one sources this, however I see it's available on Amazon, with some other suggested alternatives. It also doesn't look too expensive. The brief reading I did in a few minutes had it pairing in a mead. Great suggestion. I always like to do research on alternative ingredients. You will have to follow up with how it tasted.

 

[Sandy Feet]

I think we need Zambi on this one.

 

[Donoroto]

Just thankful it isn’t “Gecko”. Bitter, maybe, but No.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I am brewing a beer now I have dubbed it SMaG (Single Malt and Gesho). Traditional Ethiopian beer is called "Tela", I think.

I am using 9.5 kg pilsner malt on a 40 litre batch.

I am completely replacing hops with gesho at a "chat gpt" recommended ratio of 5 grams per liter. Half for 60 mins half for 30 mins.

Will keep you updated.

Waiting to be berated in the meantime.

I think Zymurgy or maybe Brew Your Own magazine had and article on the Ethiopian beer called Tej about 2-3 years ago?? That would be a good source of information.

 

[Brewer #399439]

Mixed reactions. Anyone who hadn't tasted tela before flat out didn't like it. People who had drank tela before loved it, they could recognise the flavours but it was different.

My initial reaction was I had nailed the tela taste but after tasting it alongside traditionally made tela I understood how far off I was. Tela has a much more earthy taste and is much more sweet.

Compared to EKG smash there are no similarities I used different yeast too so not a great experiment.

The taste of the beer I made...

35 liter batch I had an OG of 0.063 and FG of 0.028 using lal new England so after a week of checking with no movement I added some fermentis 256 trub and a week later a new FFG of 0.004 . The whole fermentation process was at 18°C.

I felt the final flavour was dominated by the gesho but as I became accustomed to the tela like taste and then especially in comparison with the tela I decided the yeast was the dominant flavour.

Earthy with some banana phenol not noticeably dry and considering low FG still there is a sense of body to the beer.

In terms of longevity there has been no noticeable change to the taste of the beer in the last month but so it goes on.