fresh strawberries...?!?!

Strawberries are being harvested in my area right now... Anyone have any good recipes..?!?! Thanks in advance...

Jester

Just make any simple wheat beer and use safeale 56 or some similar nuetral yeast. then take 5 lbs of fresh strawberries...chop them in the blender...dump 'em in the secondary. MMMM good!!

Why don't you take a portion of your Wit and try adding the strawberries? I'd be tempted to freeze 10 lbs and make some strawberry-apple cider in the fall.

The Stone Winery in Wisconson used to make a strawberry wine by freezing the berries, then thawing them and adding yeast. Wonderful stuff! Ten years later, I tried their strawberry-flavored wine. couldn't have been more than 10% strawberry and was barely better than Boone's.

I made a strawberry beer a few months ago.
I would not suggest you put the strawberries in the blender because it will chop them up pretty fine and constantly get stuck in your racking canes. Just try to stuff them into your secondary. Also I had to use a third carboy to help clarify a little more after having the strawberries in the secondary only. I used 8#s of strawberries for 4 gallons and it is a little overpowering but has really made a good beer after about 2 months in the closet. Also be prepared for a veryt active fermentation in the secondary when you add strawberries. ( thats why I took a gallon out and Im glad I did because the first night the strawberries clogged my airlock)

Ive heard that when its dry strawberries are sweeter and not sure about you but it has been really dry up here.

david_42 said:

Why don't you take a portion of your Wit and try adding the strawberries? I'd be tempted to freeze 10 lbs and make some strawberry-apple cider in the fall.

The Stone Winery in Wisconson used to make a strawberry wine by freezing the berries, then thawing them and adding yeast. Wonderful stuff! Ten years later, I tried their strawberry-flavored wine. couldn't have been more than 10% strawberry and was barely better than Boone's.

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Strawberr cider is on my list already. You could also try a strawberry mead. A one gallon batch of either of these wouldn't use that many cherries.

Small hijack:
Why do people add fruit to the secondary rather than the primary?

It isn't really ideal to have a vigorous fermentation in the secondary, surely, and if you have to rack to a tertiary, you might as well just do a two-stage fermentation with the strawberries in the primary...

Rookie said:

Strawberr cider is on my list already. You could also try a strawberry mead. A one gallon batch of either of these wouldn't use that many cherries.

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I've been thinking about trying a mead lately... I've never tasted one nor know what really to do to make one.... any recipes ideas to help a mead beginner out..?? hehee.. thanks again everyone...

Jester