Coriander is an ancient and storied spice that has been found in numerous archaeological digs across the world. As a spice, you know you’ve made it when the ostentatious King Tutankhamon decides to keep you around for eternity so as to ward off evil spirits (or at least the rotting corpse smell).
In brewing, coriander seed, the dried fruit of the Coriadrum sativum plant, is most commonly associated with Belgian wits, but can be found in saisons, goses, and even richer Belgian beers (Rochefort 10 uses just a touch for a light citrus complexity). For an ingredient that is used in such a small portion, it can contribute huge flavors, but—if not handled with care—it can ruin a perfectly good beer. So, let’s look at how to select, prepare, and use coriander to its best advantage in your brewing.
The common refrain from “homebrew experts” is to avoid grocery store coriander. I’ll repeat this advice, despite my questionable “expert” credentials, because it’s rooted in several reasonable notions.
First, whole coriander seed is not always offered in some grocery stores, so the backup would be the pre-ground offering, which should never be used for beer. The instant McCormick crushes that seed, a timer begins, and with every passing moment, the volatile terpenes that are responsible for all that bright citrus flavor rapidly degrade. At best they disappear, but at worst they oxidize and transform into those off-putting celery and ham flavors you hear about so often.
Second, coriander (whole or crushed) isn’t exactly a high turnover product, so there’s a distinct likelihood that the container in the grocery store has been sitting on the shelf since before anyone in the United States could pronounce gose. Either stick to your local homebrew shop or seek out a specialty spice shop for fresher options.
There are two common varieties of coriander that most homebrewers will be able to source: European and Indian. The underlying flavors of the two are similar, but there is enough of a difference that it’s worth choosing the right one to produce a desired effect. In my experience, the Indian coriander comes off almost singularly citrusy, with intense lemon and lime zestiness and some background orange flavors. The European variety (the most common and often simply referred to as “coriander”) has some citrus notes, but they are complemented with wonderfully spicy and herbal aromas, with distinct peppery and rosemary notes.
“Experts” suggest using no more than 1 oz (28 g) of freshly cracked coriander in the last 10–5 minutes of the boil, so far be it from me to disagree. Coriander should be treated similar to a late hops addition, because less time in the boil results in a more pungent aroma. With a beer style such as a wit, the delicate balance of so many flavors rewards those brewers with a soft touch, so avoid the temptation of over-dosing with spice. Also, coriander as a “dry-spice” addition in secondary fermentation should be avoided because it will add such a dominant coriander note that will wash out all other flavors.
However, if you want to experiment more with the coriander, here are some suggestions. First, take a cue from Indian cooking and quickly dry-fry the seeds in a hot pan for several minutes, before crushing and adding to the boil. The light toast on the seeds opens up a lot more of the natural flavors held within the kernel, which can provide a unique spice depth.
Second, for the homebrewer/gardener who is growing cilantro this summer, allow the plant to go to seed and try using some of the fresh, green coriander berry. It will be a bit more difficult to use because the added water content will confound measuring the weight, but it can add some nice floral, citrus, and herbal notes.
Between the different varieties and different treatments, there are a host of options to explore within coriander and brewing.