Adjunct
Elderflower
A delicate floral addition used in pale summer beers, complementing citrus hop character.
Elderflower is delicate and volatile, and both facts govern how it is used: added late, cold, and in quantities that seem large for what arrives in the glass. Boiled, almost nothing survives.
The character overlaps with what certain hops and certain Belgian yeasts already produce, so it can vanish into a beer that was already floral. It shows best in something clean and pale where there is nothing for it to hide behind.
What it is for
Herb. Aromatic plant material, often a survival from brewing traditions that predate the general use of hops.
- Adds delicate floral aroma
Whether it ferments
| Fermentable | No — brewing yeast cannot take it, so whatever goes in stays in. It contributes flavour, and where it is a sugar, sweetness and body that survive into the glass. |
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What it contributes
The contribution of the ingredient, not the profile of a finished beer. How much of it reaches the glass depends on quantity, timing and what else is in the recipe.