Fruit Beer Blueberry Wheat

Wheat Ale
6-D American Wheat or Rye Beer
Date: 7/21/2013

Size: 10.5*gal @ 68*°F
Efficiency: 80.0%
Attenuation: 78.0%
Calories: 146.88*kcal per 12.0*fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.045 (1.040 - 1.055)
Terminal Gravity: 1.010 (1.008 - 1.013)
Color: 3.09 (3.0 - 6.0)
Alcohol: 4.54% (4.0% - 5.5%)
Bitterness: 29.8 (15.0 - 30.0)

Ingredients:
8.0*lb (44.4%) Standard 2-Row - added during mash
8*lb (44.4%) White Wheat - added during mash
2.0*lb (11.1%) Rice Hulls - added during mash
2.0*oz (50.0%) Willamette (5%) - added during boil, boiled 60*m
2.0*oz (50.0%) Cascade (7%) - added during boil, boiled 15.0*m

Split this batch up and added 2 lbs of fresh picked blueberries to 3 gallons in a secondary and racked on top for a week. I rinsed the blueberries in the sink with water and froze them in a zip lock bag. After they were frozen I vacuum sealed them. I pulled them out of the fridge the night before I brewed. They crushed a bit from the vacuum bag when they thawed but I may crush them just a bit more if I do this again. Great color from the blueberries, and a small amount of blueberry in the nose. You can taste blueberry in the beer but it has a subtle tartness, but not sour, which I like. Kind of like blueberry pie. If you are expecting it to be sweet, think again. All in all I love it, just might crush them up a bit more next time or add more blueberries.

Curious on how your beer turned out. I plan on doing something very similar soon. I have a large amount of frozen blueberries I want to use in a 5 gallon batch. Did you like the amount of blueberry that came through? I'm trying to determine how much to add to my secondary.

JediMeister said:

Curious on how your beer turned out. I plan on doing something very similar soon. I have a large amount of frozen blueberries I want to use in a 5 gallon batch. Did you like the amount of blueberry that came through? I'm trying to determine how much to add to my secondary.

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It came out great. I am glad I used the us-05 yeast with this, as it let the blueberry shine through. Though, adding more blueberries definitely would not have hurt any. I had two brewers from two different local micro brewery's in my area try it and they said it was a great beer. Seems like a lot but I would add about 4lbs for a 5 gallon batch. I used 2lbs in my 3gal. carboy.