Is there a good fruit to grain ratio???

Hi all,

Tomorrow I'll be attempting my first partial-grain mashing with fruit - blueberries. I've got some wheat malt extract and 1/2 pounds each of Munich and wheat malts to steep. I was planning on throwing the crushed blueberries in the last 10 minutes of my boil, and letting them sit with the wort in the primary. (does this sound reasonable?)

Does anyone have a general guideline as to how much fruit to add to such a beer recipe? I'd like to have the blueberry taste, but not overly so!

Thanks in advance!

I've never done blueberries, but from what I hear, it's one that you usually have to add more than less. My apricot beer only requires 3.5# of fresh fruit, to give it an in your face taste, but I can see where that would not be enough with blueberries.

There are generally 3 types of categories that Ray Daniels lists in his Designing Great Beers Book. High, Medium, and Low. I think Blueberries are in the low (meaning you need more).

Also,

I put my fruit in the secondary. It's a personal preference, but I think it adds more fruit flavor.

**edit** I looked up Ray Daniels Chart. For Blueberries he recommends 2#/gallon.

Fruit is almost always better in the secondary. I'd recommend 4-5 lbs. of blueberries.

I think the cooked blueberry flavor might be good in this case. Perhaps put some in the boil as planned and some in the secondary. Cooking blueberries brings out some flavors that I like.

I believe you can also qoute Ray Daniels in saying that "adding fruit at temperatures at or near boiling extracts haze forming pectins". But, if clarity is an issue and you still want to boil it, you can add pectinase to help clarify. He also recommends 2#'s of blueberries per gallon even in a light beer to achieve a good blueberry flavor. He secondaries his fruit. But to each his own.

svraines said:

I think the cooked blueberry flavor might be good in this case. Perhaps put some in the boil as planned and some in the secondary. Cooking blueberries brings out some flavors that I like.

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Boiling blueberries in sweet wort would make beer with blueberry jam. When you boil fruit, you set the pectins. That's why fruit in beer and wine is not boiled.

My fruit to grain ratio has always been 0/1 (Reinheitsgebote).

EdWort said:

My fruit to grain ratio has always been 0/1 (Reinheitsgebote).

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lol
That's kinda what I was thinking.

EdWort said:

My fruit to grain ratio has always been 0/1 (Reinheitsgebote).

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This is the best fruit to grain ratio. Don't fruit the beer!

Originally Posted by EdWort
My fruit to grain ratio has always been 0/1 (Reinheitsgebote).

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Silly law. This is why the Belgians brew so much better than the Germans.

To the OP. I would use 2 lbs per gallon for blueberries. In the secondary.

Brewtopia said:

Silly law. This is why the Belgians brew so much better than the Germans.

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True Dat Brewtopia.

Ray Daniels said:

...there are many opportunities for home-brewers to make wonderful beers that commercial brewers will never be able to replicate. If for no other reason than this every home brewer should devote some of his or her brewing energy to the making of fruit beers.

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Is it ok to simply add thawed, previously frozen blueberries straight to the secondary? Would there be any infection issues?