How to Brew a Cardamom Beer at Home

Cardamom adds an exotic, spicy, and citrusy touch to craft beer, making it a unique ingredient for homebrewers who want to experiment with flavor. Whether you prefer a spiced ale, wheat beer, or a bold stout, cardamom can enhance your brew with its aromatic warmth.

Let’s break down how to brew your own cardamom-infused beer at home! 🍻

🏡 What You’ll Need

🛠️ Equipment:

✔️ Brew kettle (5 gallons or more)
✔️ Fermenter with an airlock
✔️ Siphon & tubing
✔️ Sanitizer (for clean brewing)
✔️ Bottles or kegs

🌾 Ingredients:

🔹 Malted grains – Pale malt, wheat malt, or a specialty malt (depending on your beer style)
🔹 Hops – Choose a variety that complements spices (e.g., Saaz for a lighter beer, Cascade for citrusy notes)
🔹 Yeast – Ale yeast (for a warm fermentation) or lager yeast (for a crisp finish)
🔹 Cardamom pods – Crushed lightly for optimal flavor infusion
🔹 Water – Clean, chlorine-free water for brewing
🔹 Optional spices – Cinnamon, coriander, or cloves for extra depth

🍺 Step-by-Step Brewing Process

1️⃣ Mash the Grains

If using all-grain brewing:
🔥 Heat water to 150-155°F (65-68°C) and steep your malted grains for 60 minutes to extract fermentable sugars.

For extract brewing:
🫗 Use malt extract instead of raw grains and heat it with water to create wort.

2️⃣ Boil and Add Hops

🔥 Bring the wort to a rolling boil.
🌿 Add hops at different stages for bitterness and aroma.
🕒 Boil for 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3️⃣ Add Cardamom (Timing Matters!)

⏳ When to add cardamom depends on how intense you want the flavor:
✔️ During the last 5-10 minutes of boiling – For a bold, spicy kick.
✔️ During fermentation – For a more subtle, aromatic infusion (tie in a sanitized muslin bag and steep in the fermenter).
✔️ At bottling/kegging – For a fresher, slightly dominant cardamom aroma.

4️⃣ Cool & Ferment

💨 Rapidly cool the wort to 65-75°F (18-24°C) using an ice bath or wort chiller.
🔬 Transfer to the fermenter and add yeast.
⏳ Seal with an airlock and let it ferment for 7-14 days.