Norther brewer Raspberry Wheat extract kit- how much raspberry flavor to add?

Hello all,
I'm planning out a few brews and I currently have raspberry wheat from NB as well as a few others... The kit has a 4 ounce bottle of raspberry extract to add at bottling and I've read that this May cause too much of a fruit/medicine like flavor to the finished beer. I prefer a slight taste of fruit but not overpowering.

My question is to those of you who have brewed it, what is the proper amount to add for that hint of raspberry and not have it punch you in the mouth with fruitiness?

I don't want to add anything to the kit like real raspberries or purée or whatever, just what NB sent me... Please advise! And thank you in advance!

danieldavid39 said:

Hello all,
I'm planning out a few brews and I currently have raspberry wheat from NB as well as a few others... The kit has a 4 ounce bottle of raspberry extract to add at bottling and I've read that this May cause too much of a fruit/medicine like flavor to the finished beer. I prefer a slight taste of fruit but not overpowering.

My question is to those of you who have brewed it, what is the proper amount to add for that hint of raspberry and not have it punch you in the mouth with fruitiness?

I don't want to add anything to the kit like real raspberries or purée or whatever, just what NB sent me... Please advise! And thank you in advance!

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I would add it all to be honest if you want to taste the raspberry!

bdsmoney said:

I would add it all to be honest if you want to taste the raspberry!

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Have you brewed this one or a different flavor wheat using the extract before? If so, how did it turn out when you used the entire bottle??

I have brewed it for my wife..
Only used half a bottle and the flavor was very miniscule.

bdsmoney said:

I have brewed it for my wife..
Only used half a bottle and the flavor was very miniscule.

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Good deal.... I will probably use it all then.... thanks for the info!

Next time you try making this brew, you may want to try using 2 oz of extract and 2-3 lbs of real raspberries... Works like a charm.

norsk said:

Next time you try making this brew, you may want to try using 2 oz of extract and 2-3 lbs of real raspberries... Works like a charm.

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Next time I brew it I may try it.... Is there any other preparation needed other than washing the raspberries before you put them in the carboy?

I did this recipe and used the whole bottle of flavoring. It was good. I would concur with those above that you wouldn't taste the flavor if you use less than the whole bottle. I recently made a blonde ale with real raspberries. I got a three pound bag of frozen berries at Sams Club.
To use real berries you have to sanitize them by making a purée and simmering them for ten minutes to kill off any nasties. This goes into the secondary which as you would think also restarts your fermentation. You will need to transfer again to a third vessel before kegging.
I found this on a thread on here I guess about six months ago. I'm trying to find that thread again now.
One thing to note, my wife likes it but it has a tartness that does mellow in time. The real berries are tart, but she was wanting a sweet and fruity flavor. My local hb store said I could add non fermentable sugars for sweetness, but my wife wants the flavoring extract in the next batch. At least this was fun to try. Good luck with it.

Interesting thread. I've currently got an Apricot Ale in secondary almost ready to bottle and I've got a 4oz bottle of extract to add at bottling. I was also wondering how much to add, if any. I've heard the extracts give a fake or chemical kind of flavor. Anyone experience anything like this?