Sanitizing additives (herbs)

Question

I’m brewing Albea Cerevisiae - an old polish recipe for a white beer with herbs.

I added some herbs to the boil, but didn’t get much of the flavor and aroma I wanted. Now I want to dry-herb my beer in the secondary.

I’m thinking of 3 ways to sanitize the additives:

1. Pasteurization - but I’m worried that the essentials oils are too volatile and will loose them.
2. Soaking in high percentage alcohol and adding the solution to the fermenter - but I’m worried of having a flavor of a strong alcohol.
3. As above but in Star San - but I’m worried about pH drop and unwanted flavors.

What would you recommend?

Answer 1

Make a tea with the herbs and use the tea to dose. You can pre-taste this and dose as needed, and the steeping process (~180F) will pasteurize the herbs. You can also filter out the herbs this way to prevent any extra matter in your wort.

Answer 2

I would only do 2. Soaking in high percentage alcohol and adding the solution to the fermenter - but I’m worried of having a flavor of a strong alcohol. I have done this by using vodka, which is 40% alcohol and dried orange peels. I did not get an alcoholic flavor, but the dosage was 180ml of orange peel vodka tincture for 20L of wheat beer. It turned out great.