Strawberry Brew Recipe Advice

I want to do an AG Strawberry brew for SWMBO - I want to use 2-row and Strawberry puree - Has anyone done a brew similar to this?

I know you want to add the "fruit" either in the primary Ferm or the 2ndry Ferm...

But how much "fruit" for a 5 gal batch - and is Primary -or- 2ndary better?

Here's my newb recipe:

8# - 2 row
1-1/2 oz. Hallertau hops (at 60 min)
1/2 oz. Hallertau hops (finishing)
Wyeast #3278 Lambic Blend Yeast

This may be off and all wrong - please advise!

Thanks in advance,
Hops-4-Life

hmm, sounds interesting... think my SWMBO might like as well

Sound nasty to me!!!!

I'm planning on putting strawberries (and another batch with raspberries) in my saison. Here's my base recipe for this one.

I'm not sure how the lambic blend will work, but let us know how it goes! I basically wanted to make a lambic, but every thread I read about them seemed to say they take forever to condition and taste good. Instead of using bacteria/yeast to sour it up a bit, I'm puting some acid malt in. I may (someday) try the sour mash from Papazian, but I'm hesitant to intentionally infect my brew. Base ingredients wise, add an oz of corriander, and ditch the acid malt, and this is one kick arse saison without any fruit additions.


9.50 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 50.7 %
3.50 lb Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 18.7 %
3.50 lb Wheat Malt, Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 18.7 %
0.75 lb Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 4.0 %
1.75 oz Tettnang [4.50%] (60 min) Hops 16.3 IBU
0.75 oz Sorachi Ace [13.70%] (15 min) Hops 9.5 IBU
1.75 oz Saaz [4.00%] (20 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
1.00 oz Sorachi Ace [13.70%] (5 min) Hops 5.1 IBU
1.25 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 min) Misc
1.00 lb Candi Sugar, Clear (0.5 SRM) Sugar 5.3 %
0.50 lb Candi Sugar, Amber (75.0 SRM) Sugar 2.7 %
1 Pkgs Belgian Saison I Ale (White Labs #WLP565) Yeast-Ale

here's what I've been working on it's for a 3 gallon batch but:


Type: All grain Size: 3 gallons
Color: 3 HCU (~3 SRM)
Bitterness: 36 IBU
OG: 1.044 FG: 1.012
Alcohol: 4.1% v/v (3.2% w/w)
Grain: 3.5 lb. American 2-row
.25 lb. Wheat malt
.25 lb. American crystal 10L
Mash: 75% efficiency
Boil: minutes SG 1.038 3.5 gallons
.5 lb. Honey
Hops: .25 oz. Galena (13% AA, 60 min.)
.5 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 30 min.)
.5 oz. Cascade (aroma)



the honey is to up the abv but leave a light body...strawberrys (i'm thinking 1.5 lb) would be steeped then added to secondary....haven't made it but it sounds good to me (i think..)

take it easy

Why the lambic yeast? Just wondering. I would think that the strawberries would work well in a wheat. A friend & I did a strawberry Hefe and used the Strawberry extract and it didn't turn out too well, but that was from the extract, I can't say that I am a huge fan of the fruit extracts after that beer. I usually hear one pound of fruit per gallon of beer. I have done some & put the fruit in the secondary. I found that you need to use a large secondary, I used a 6 gal carboy and it worked ok.

In my limited expertise (two batchs) I learned that fruits need to be sweet to taste like fruits. First batch was way too dry, so the berries tasted 'chemical'. Next batch, I mashed hot and used pilsner and munich 6L to make sure I had residual sugars. Second batch was Much better.

Hops-4-Life said:

I want to do an AG Strawberry brew for SWMBO

Click to expand...

Have you considered a Strawberry Apfelwein?

I made a blueberry beer for the SWMBO and it was kind of weird. I didn't like it. SWMBO definately didn't like it at all. The blueberry was subtle. It was a 2.5 gal batch and I used 16oz can of Oregon Blueberry.

SWMBO likes cider. If I was to make to Strawberry Apfelwein I would do at least 1can for 2.5 and 2 for 5.

If your interested check Eds thread in wine section for the base recipe.

I brewed it today - It went really smooth and the wort tasted awesome (SWMBO was the taste tester).

I bought some strawberry extract and I'm going to add it at kegging time - the LHBS said to add it to taste - once you think it is almost there - stop - the carbonation will accentuate the flavor even more. I pitched the yeast at noon today, and its already bubbling away nicely! :rockin:

8# 2-row
2# Wheat
1oz Willamette at 60 mins
No other hops added

I used Wyeast 1056 (stored it from last weekends batch in a mason jar in the fridge).

OG 1.057

It should turn out to be a nice smooth brew. I'll let you know.