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<DIV><FONT size=2>I've been brewing with bog myrtle and find it to be a
wonderful taste in beer. We've also tried marsh rosemary, yarrow, mugwort,
and wormwood. Wormwood, in moderation is pretty good
also. I can't quite get excited about yarrow.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>We drank a bit of, actually, all of these brews - during
bottling, flat, but still tasty, and found that we had quite a different feeling
than we had gotten from hopped beers. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So... I really like these ingredients, and I have also read
people warning against using them - carcinogenics, abortives, etc. (I also
like sasafrass - and it is also on the bad herb list). Personally, I've
always been very suspect of these warnings. I suspect that it's much
easier to do a bad baby study, or have an experience that would cause one to put
this negative information out - but really is there any hard evidence? I
know that if I ingest too much aspirin I will die - and if I take too much over
time I'll get ulcers, but it's okay for me to take some. Isn't it possible
that these warnings are overrated? That it's easier to warn against
something based on incomplete information than to attribute positive attributes
to herbs. I find it hard to believe that an herb that was very popular for
thousands of years is so bad for me. Look at the really awful poisonous
drugs and foods that the FDA approves. When's the last time the FDA looked
hard at Hostess Twinkies?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>So, here are my questions to all of you wondrously
intelligent brew historians:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What are the warnings against each of the aforementioned
herbs?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What is the source of evidence that is behind these
warnings? How can I research these findings?</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Are any of these herbs banned by the FDA? (I had
heard mugwort is, but then I heard of 2 brewing companies that have sold
mugwort ale - so ??)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>What could be used as a substitute for these herbs if they are
really so bad?</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Does one really have to put hops in a beer/ale to sell it as
such in this country - and how much? I know, different subject.. oh
well.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>thanks!</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=2>Paloma Hill</FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>