Rye IPA with hibiscus, any advice?
Hey Brewers! 👋 🇫🇷
We're brewing a collab rye IPA next month for the Paris Beer Festival 2026 at Kilomètre Zéro (brewpub in Paris) with Le Horla and Les Brasseurs de la Jonte (three french breweries). We planned Pale, Vienna, 9% rye, with Nelson Sauvin, around 6% ABV, ~10 EBC. And we want to add dried hibiscus flowers to it. 🌸👌
We've never brewed with hibiscus before in our brewpub, so I'd love some input on how to nail it. Current plan is 2.5 kg of dried flowers on a 640L batch (so ~4 g/L on boil volume), during hoop stand at 80°C for 20 min, in a bag to keep things clean.
Mostly looking for advice on:
- How much: Is 4 g/L a sensible dosage for a noticeable but not dominant character, or are we under/overshooting? Curious how it scales from homebrew ratios.
- When to add it: Whirlpool/hop stand, end of boil, post-fermentation as a tea? We picked hop stand but happy to be talked out of it.
- Temperature and contact time: 80°C for 20 min was our gut call to preserve aroma over tartness, but I've seen everything from 70°C steeps to full boil additions. What's worked for you? Thanks!! 🙏
Open to any story or "I'd do it differently next time" advice. 😊
Cheers!!🍻