OP
OP
That's normal. Pretty much any beer will do that when you first crack open the fermenter like that.
Fruit Beer Strawberry Alarm Clock v3.0 (Strawberry Blonde)
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Dane
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I made this a few months ago, it came out fantastic. I fermented for 7 days, aged for 1 month in strawberry's. However, I did not use a strainer bag in the secondary so I got a lot of particles in the brew. Thanks for the recipe!
I'm drinking one that I made at the moment.. I fermented for a week, then racked on 4# of frozen then pasteurized strawberries for 1 week.. I tasted it after 7 days and liked the light strawberry taste that it had, so I racked off the strawberries, let it sit another week to make sure it was fully fermented (from the strawberries), then bottled.. It's been about 6 weeks since I brewed it, it's one of my favorites so far.. Very tasty and easy to drink w/ a light stawberry tart.
OP
OP
I don't. I wash them really well and store them in a sealed, sanitized container in the freezer.
midfielder5
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I am so making this with AHB's blonde kit!
edit- brew day tonite.
edit2- I used Windsor instead of S-04 (ran out.. oops!). Huge krausen.
edit- brew day tonite.
edit2- I used Windsor instead of S-04 (ran out.. oops!). Huge krausen.
toadfuller
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I brewed this yesterday.. it is sitting in the primary as I type. I will let you guys know how it turns out!
I brewed this 2 weeks ago, and just racked over to secondary on top of 4 pounds of frozen strawberries today. I undershot my OG (1046), but I'm fine with that given I was trying to make a nice summer session beer.
I have a question, though, about the taste of the blonde ale prior to racking on top of the strawberries ... I tasted my hydrometer sample after taking the FG (which was 1010), and noticed that it tasted quite tart. Not undrinkable, but much more tart than I was expecting considering I hadn't even begun the strawberry stage. Has anybody noticed this, or can anybody see something in the OP's recipe that might explain this? The only reasons I'm concerned is because I expect even more tartness to be added after the brew has been on the strawberries for 3 weeks, and I'm also concerned about the possibility that it's an infection (although I've never had one before, and the sample I drank certainly wasn't "undrinkable" ... just a more tart than any of my other beers).
Any input is greatly appreciated, and I'll keep this thread updated as the brew progresses.
I have a question, though, about the taste of the blonde ale prior to racking on top of the strawberries ... I tasted my hydrometer sample after taking the FG (which was 1010), and noticed that it tasted quite tart. Not undrinkable, but much more tart than I was expecting considering I hadn't even begun the strawberry stage. Has anybody noticed this, or can anybody see something in the OP's recipe that might explain this? The only reasons I'm concerned is because I expect even more tartness to be added after the brew has been on the strawberries for 3 weeks, and I'm also concerned about the possibility that it's an infection (although I've never had one before, and the sample I drank certainly wasn't "undrinkable" ... just a more tart than any of my other beers).
Any input is greatly appreciated, and I'll keep this thread updated as the brew progresses.
mustafakidd
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I can't remember if there was any tartness prior to racking into the secondary with the strawberries, but I do remember that this was tart after fermentation and bottling - certainly the strawberries contributed, but it could be that the base recipe had some of its own.
Sorry I can't be of much more help than that.
Sorry I can't be of much more help than that.
midfielder5
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My berries got some Brett, which I think is awesome. I kegged it and it is delicious. I just had to hide the secondary container so gf wouldn't see it & get grossed out. ha ha.
I didn't sanitize the berries real well (on purpose).. that and/or my siphon hose is contaminated from a prior Brett beer.
It also looks weird because some berries are in a bag & some are not.
I didn't sanitize the berries real well (on purpose).. that and/or my siphon hose is contaminated from a prior Brett beer.
It also looks weird because some berries are in a bag & some are not.
My berries got some Brett, which I think is awesome. I kegged it and it is delicious. I just had to hide the secondary container so gf wouldn't see it & get grossed out. ha ha.
I didn't sanitize the berries real well (on purpose).. that and/or my siphon hose is contaminated from a prior Brett beer.
It also looks weird because some berries are in a bag & some are not.
Did you happen to taste it before you racked onto the strawberries? I'm wondering if this recipe has any tartness in and of itself, before the berries. Although, I see that you used a different yeast than the S-04 so yours might be a bit different anyways...
midfielder5
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I saw your question above my post but I had nothing to add. Anyways, yes I did taste the hydro samples... nothing unusual/ just a regular blonde.
Just in case anybody else might be wondering about this in the future, I found an informative thread about S-04 yeast and sourness/tartness:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/s-04-sourness-228758/
I'm thinking I might try to make this with an S-05 if I attempt it again.
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f163/s-04-sourness-228758/
I'm thinking I might try to make this with an S-05 if I attempt it again.
It's all in the OP ("original post") ... You can see it by going to the first page of this thread, or look below (I've copied and pasted it for your convenience):
*EDIT* Sorry, thought you were asking the type of hops, not the form... I used pellets just because that's all AHS had, but like Midfielder mentions, I think any would be fine as long as you get the IBUs right.
midfielder5
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i think he was just asking: pellets or whole hops.
Answer: depends on what you like. Just try to hit the ibus stated in OP (4th or 5th line from top).
Answer: depends on what you like. Just try to hit the ibus stated in OP (4th or 5th line from top).
Sorry i should have been more specific on pellets vs whole hops. thanks for the quick replies!
toadfuller
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Just tasted the first bottle. Its only been in the bottle one month at this point. I don't really taste strawberries, but it is pretty good.. yeasty, and a little sour from the berries. Does that sound right?
mustafakidd
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I'd say that the aroma is definitely strawberry but the flavor is more fruity and tart than sweet.
toadfuller
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Hmm. I wonder if mine will even out over time. I realize a month in the bottle isn't that long. I am hoping for a little more fruit taste and less yeasty
midfielder5
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"yeasty" can be a function of how well you strain/dont suck up sediment into your bottlingbucket.. not the recipe per se. if the bottles are carb'd, stick them in the fridge for~ 7 days & try one again. hopefully the yeast will drop out!
toadfuller
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Sweet... will give that a shot. There did seem to be a rather thick yeast bed with this recipe.
Petho
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I have this recipe in primry now and it looks and smells great.
My Questions:
1)I was thinking about going to secondary after 7 days of primary. Is that ok or should I go on SG readings?
2)I have 4lbs of cleaned and quartered strawberries in the freezer now. I am going to dump them directly into my better bottle and rack on top of them and not use a grain bag. Any thoughts on this? Is there anything I should look out for?
This is my first fruit so I am being cautious.
Thanks!
My Questions:
1)I was thinking about going to secondary after 7 days of primary. Is that ok or should I go on SG readings?
2)I have 4lbs of cleaned and quartered strawberries in the freezer now. I am going to dump them directly into my better bottle and rack on top of them and not use a grain bag. Any thoughts on this? Is there anything I should look out for?
This is my first fruit so I am being cautious.
Thanks!
OP
OP
1. I would just wait until fermentation is done and then add a few days before you rack to secondary. If you need gravity readings to help you judge this, then use gravity readings. I feel like I get a cleaner base beer if I just give it 2 weeks or so.
2. I recommend against just racking directly on the fruit, and I especially recommend against doing it in a better bottle or carboy, especially if you are using a 5 gallon one. When you rack directly onto the strawberries you are going to get a billion little bits of strawberry in your beer that is very difficult to filter out when you want to package it later. You know those little tiny seedlings that are all over the surface of the strawberries? They just float around in your beer and are nearly impossible to get rid of completely, unless you invest in a filtering setup. For my first few batches of this I ended up with bits of strawberry in every bottle that ended up in people's glasses. A 5 gallon paint strainer bag can be bought at your hardware store, Lowe's, or Home Depot for a buck or two and significantly reduces the effort involved with managing the fruit.
Regarding the better bottle, the problem is that a) you won't be able to fit the fruit + beer in there, and b) when you rack the beer onto the fruit it is going to start fermenting again, and it will get EXPLOSIVE if you are using a 5 gallon carboy or better bottle. I am talking about painting strawberry beer on your ceiling, if you're lucky. I am speaking from experience in this matter.
If you use the paint strainer and a 6.5 gallon bucket, this is an extremely painless process from start to finish. If you use no strainer and/or a carboy, it becomes a pain in the butt.
2. I recommend against just racking directly on the fruit, and I especially recommend against doing it in a better bottle or carboy, especially if you are using a 5 gallon one. When you rack directly onto the strawberries you are going to get a billion little bits of strawberry in your beer that is very difficult to filter out when you want to package it later. You know those little tiny seedlings that are all over the surface of the strawberries? They just float around in your beer and are nearly impossible to get rid of completely, unless you invest in a filtering setup. For my first few batches of this I ended up with bits of strawberry in every bottle that ended up in people's glasses. A 5 gallon paint strainer bag can be bought at your hardware store, Lowe's, or Home Depot for a buck or two and significantly reduces the effort involved with managing the fruit.
Regarding the better bottle, the problem is that a) you won't be able to fit the fruit + beer in there, and b) when you rack the beer onto the fruit it is going to start fermenting again, and it will get EXPLOSIVE if you are using a 5 gallon carboy or better bottle. I am talking about painting strawberry beer on your ceiling, if you're lucky. I am speaking from experience in this matter.
If you use the paint strainer and a 6.5 gallon bucket, this is an extremely painless process from start to finish. If you use no strainer and/or a carboy, it becomes a pain in the butt.
makomachine
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What's everyone's thoughts in pairing this with some vanilla for a strawberries and cream beer?
lextasy23
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Just racked my Strawberry Summer Ale to secondary 
lextasy23
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Lactose for the milky mouthfeel. And way too many strawberries
. With the right grains, you could have yourself a tasty strawberry shortcake brew lol.
OP
OP
Just racked my Strawberry Summer Ale to secondary
So, uh...I couldn't help but notice that your carboy looks VERY full.
I would use a BIG blowoff tube, NOT an airlock, and keep a close eye on that carboy. And pray that your fruit doesn't clog up any openings or your carboy could explode. You are pretty much guaranteed to have a messy second fermentation on your hands.
makomachine
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My thoughts when I saw it was of my volcano science fair project in 7th grade. YIKES!
lextasy23
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Oh ya. Wayy full. I forgot to compensate for the volume the strawberries would take up, when i made the batch. I have a gallon in a growler also.
There's a blow-off hose on it, into a bucket of sanitizer.
OP
OP
Still, keep a very close eye on that thing. If it gets clogged up, even partially, you need to vent it immediately. And be prepared for beer to spray everywhere when you do that.
I had a glass carboy explode once during fermentation several years ago, and it was not pretty. It had a big blow-off tube, the the tube had gotten clogged up overnight. Not a fruit beer, just from the krausen.
If anyone had been in the same room they probably would have been killed. We were pulling pieces of glass out of the ceiling in 3 different rooms.
I had a glass carboy explode once during fermentation several years ago, and it was not pretty. It had a big blow-off tube, the the tube had gotten clogged up overnight. Not a fruit beer, just from the krausen.
If anyone had been in the same room they probably would have been killed. We were pulling pieces of glass out of the ceiling in 3 different rooms.
lextasy23
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The carboy plug has 2 holes, one feeds the tube and another has a cap. I'd be willing to bet that it would blow the second cap long before it would blow the carboy... what did you have for a cap?
OP
OP
No cap the blowoff tube was 1" directly inserted into the top of the carboy.
If you are using a carboy cap I personally would be a bit worried just because those holes are pretty small.
If you are using a carboy cap I personally would be a bit worried just because those holes are pretty small.
midfielder5
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Seriously full! I'd drain off 1/2 gallon into another growler.
makomachine
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What's everyone's thoughts with doing this recipe with WLP007 instead of the S-04? I have a tube of the WLP007 and love this yeast.
lextasy23
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Try it, and let us know! (Only one way to find out...)
Experimenting at it's finest
makomachine
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Try it, and let us know! (Only one way to find out...)
Experimenting at it's finest
I think the 007 will dry things out more than the S-04 and wasn't sure what the consensus was on how that would translate on this beer. Never done a fruit beer before, so it's all a giant experiment for me!
I was thinking of raising my mash temp a few degrees - say 155 - to account for the higher attenuation. Thoughts?
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