Homebrew With CBD - Will It Work?

Good morning. With everyone watching the medal count rise in the Olympics, I am left wondering how awesome it would be if brewing beer was an Olympic sport. Could you imagine winning a gold for brewing the world’s best Porter? Summer 2036, here we come…

-Brandon Copeland

Homebrew With CBD - Will It Work?

In the United States, it’s currently still illegal to sell CBD infused alcoholic beverages, so any commercially available beers with CBD are non-alcoholic. However, as homebrewers those rules don’t apply - creativity can prevail.

The first question of “why would you add CBD to beer” is fair. There are a few reasons you may want to brew beer with CBD - there are certain health benefits of CBD including pain relief, inflammation reduction, and also a perceived relaxing effect. Adding CBD to beer can also give it the aroma of cannabis - an aroma some may like better than others.

The “how” of brewing beer with CBD is easy - find a water soluble CBD powder and it right at the end of your boil. An ounce on a 5 gallon batch is enough to have the aroma cut through and balance out the flavor. Check out this post from Clawhammer Supply where they make a hemp & CBD infused beer.

This all being said, consuming binge worthy amounts of CBD infused alcoholic beer could be dangerous and lead to alcohol poison. So in this case, it’s best enjoyed in moderation. Always use your best discretion, and like the big beer brands love to remind us, drink responsibly.

**Note - 100% CBD does not make you high - it’s the THC in cannabis that causes this effect.

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Beer Trivia Question

🍺 What was the first beer brewed with CBD oil commercially available in the US?

Read to the end to find out if you're right!

Brewgr Recipe of the Week

Dank Tank

Had to stay on theme, and with a name like “Dank Tank”, this recipe does not disappoint. This is an American IPA with primarily 2-Row pale malt as well as Citra, Cashmere, and Centennial hops. The unique aspect of this brew is that hemp oil is added at the end.

Credit: pkrischkak

Poll Results: Would You Rather Brew A Pale Ale Or An IPA?

I’m not going to lie, this poll surprised me a bit - the Pale Ale won in a landslide, with 49 out of 75 total votes. This is where my opinion has rested recently as well, for a lot of the same reason that was written in by the community.

Cost played a role - less hops in pale ales which makes them cheaper to brew. There was also a general sentiment that bitterness and hop flavor is important, however IPA’s can be too overpowering for drinking more than one in a sitting. Also, lower ABV enables Pale Ales to be more sessionable, making them more crushable and enjoyable.

Those in favor of IPAs just quoted how fun it is to throw an egregious amount of hops into a beer and see it come out with an unbelievable aroma, and a bitterness and flavor profile that rivals any sophisticated beverage out there. However, it does seem like the appetite is slowing for IPAs, maybe as a reaction to the oversaturation in the market.

And the Answer Is...

🍺 Dads and Dudes Breweria in Colorado brewed Sativa IPA and Indica Double IPA in 2015. These beers were both short lived with restrictions were put in place in 2016, disallowing the sale of alcoholic beverages infused with CBD. In an unfortunate series of events, Dads and Dudes Breweria closed its doors in 2019.