Adding fruit to an IPA

Hey guys, so I made my first brew. It is a Brewer's Best IPA. I thought it was a good starting point since I love a good IPA. The local brewpub down the street brews a blueberry beer that my wife and I love as well. Do you know if the BB IPA would taste ok if I add blueberry flavoring when I'm ready to go to the secondary or would I be better off going with a lighter not quite as "hoppy" beer?

I found some blueberry flavoring pouches online and they are supposed to go in the secondary. I just don't know how an IPA would taste with the flavoring and I don't want to ruin my first beer.

Thanks!

Tim

Oh no! I love IPAs, but putting fruit it in sounds terrible. IPAs are bitter, and hoppy, and I think the blueberry would really be bad in an IPA! A wheat beer with blueberry might be terrific, but not an IPA!

Really bad IMO. Bitter and fruit doesn't play well. Fruit beers tend to be wheats or low-IBU stouts.

That's what I was thinking but wanted to confirm with the experts.

I'll start a second brew the day the IPA goes to the secondary and I'll put the fruit in that. I've got a couple Corny kegs on order so it'll work out great. Now I just need to get a double tap on my kegerator.



Tim

Yea, I can't see it going well.

I remember on one of his podcasts, Jamil talks about how he brewed a Pineapple IPA one time. He said it was absolutely terrible.

IMO, the only way to really find out is to make it.

I think that experimental batches are best in 1-gallon containers, that way if it ends up being really bad, you only have about 5 bombers worth of bad beer. Just remember to take notes on how you make it, so that if it turns out nice you can easily replicate in bigger batches .

Can one of you recommend an all inclusive wheat beer kit? I'm not at the point now where I'm buying individual items to brew.

T

I really liked DFH's Aprihop, but speaking only for myself, I would be afraid to try to brew it.

My next few beers will be fruit beers, but I am thinking Belgians. I have no experience with fruit, and it would make me cry to dump an IPA...

If you're willing to order over the Intertubes, go to www.austinhomebrew.com and search on 'wheat'. I've never been disappointed with one of their kits and they always have extract, partial mash and all-grain versions.