How to put strawberries in my blonde;)

Just curious here since I am a virgin with fresh fruit. Should I cut my frozen berries in half? How do I go about sanitizing them or should I even worry. I am planning on 3 lbs in a secondary. I just want a hint of flavor. Is that about the right amount?

Thanks,

You can pasteurize them by putting them in ~165 degree water for 10 minutes. But, don't boil. You'll get a pectin haze.

do you recommend cutting them in half or leaving them whole?

I would halve, or even quarter them. The good stuff is on the inside. I might even go so far as giving them a nice crush with a potato masher while pasteurizing them to get the juices going and break up the fruit some more.

I would agree, but I read somewhere that freezing, then thawing breaks down the cell walls (or something to that effect), releasing more sugar and flavor.

Wash, then halve or quarter them. Then freeze them in a ziploc freezer bag. When it comes time, thaw and pitch directly into the secondary. Thawing DOES break down the cell walls, making the flavor (& color) transfer much easier. In the secondary, by this time there should be a decent enough ABV to not have to sanitize the berries. Use a tertiary to clarify.

Also, i've found with strawberries 1lb/1gal gives a decent flavor. If you're looking for a more subtle flavor, cut back. Stronger berries (blueberries) or a lower profile brew would require less berries.

I've read that you should add pectic enzyme to reduce haze that the fruit could add to the beer. Only small amounts required.

Worth trying, though I doubt it'd do anything for/to the flavor. Everything i've added fruit to, one wouldn't be able to discern the haze from the fruit, due to the style of beer (hefe, stout/porter, etc.).

Click on Tres Frutas in my resipe drop down. You will find a link to a very extensive thread about my experience with brewwing with fruit.

You're a virgin to putting strawberries in your blonde?

My advice - be yourself and ask lots of questions.