Fresh Blackerries for 5 gallon batch

Howdy, all.

My parents grow blackberries each year and I'd like to make a blackberry wheat beer this fall. I need to freeze some blackberries now for the fall . . . but how much?

I plan to call my local brewing supply house, which makes pre-packed grain + extract kits for 5 gallon fermenters, and ask them to put together something for me that I can make the usual way (heat and sparge grain; boil extract for an hour; primary fermenter for a week; rack into secondary for 3-4 weeks; then bottle). I'm thinking that it would make the most sense to add the blackberries raw to the primary once it's cool, b/c there isn't room in the secondary for more volume.

But anyway, I'm thinking that a gallon ziplock bag full of berries is about right. I'd guess that would weigh maybe 3-4 lbs? The couple of recipes that I've seen around call for 3-5 lbs of fruit.

Any advice? TIA, as always.

I don't think adding the berries to the primary without treating them with anything is a good idea. I've never made a fruit beer... but i have made lots of fruit wine. Fruit contains a lot of nasties that can make a batch go bad pretty quick. When making wine you treat the fruit with a metabisulphite for 12 - 24 hours before pitching yeast. I think that will have a bad effect on the flavor in beer. Like i said i have no experience will fruit beer so take my advice with a grain of salt.What if you put some in the boil with the last hop additions?? Maybe press them into juice and boil for a minute or 2.

I'd go with the metabisulphite. Freeze the blackberries a couple of times, (freeze and thaw them, in the ziplock bag) then dump them in a 1 gallon fermenter, and add a crushed campden (metabisulphate) tablet. Put on an airlock, and wait for 24 hours.

I'd suggest adding this to your secondary, and proceed like you are thinking. If you put it in a primary, and have an ACTIVE krausen like wheat beers are known for, it could blow off your airlock.

steve

Thanks for the advice. A little reading on my end suggests adding fruit to the primary after the primary's been going for a few days, so that any nasties on the fruit don't have a chance to get established. Another choice is to press the fruit and bring the juice to a quick boil just long enough to sterilize it.

Still reading . . . .

http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/index.php?page=20020823202232199

mgoldey said:

Thanks for the advice. A little reading on my end suggests adding fruit to the primary after the primary's been going for a few days, so that any nasties on the fruit don't have a chance to get established. Another choice is to press the fruit and bring the juice to a quick boil just long enough to sterilize it.

Still reading . . . .

http://www.bodensatz.com/staticpages/index.php?page=20020823202232199

Click to expand...

Bringing the berries up to 180 for 30 minutes will kill anything that you need to worry about. You don't need to boil them. Just get them hot enough long enough to kill the bad stuff.
I would also put them in the secondary and rack onto them.

boiling the fruit will create a haze in your beer. according to papazian it doesn't effect flavor just apperance. Do what FSR402 recommended by holding them at 180 to paturize them.

Deos it matter that the haze is there? After all it is a wheat beer. I am now drinking a blueberry wheat beer that I made with 3#s of farm fresh blueberries. I crushed them in a pot and brought them to 180*F for 30 mins. I placed them into the secondary and racked on top of them. My gravity dropped another 5 points due to the fruit. Wyeast AM 1010 is nice and hearty.

- WW

wilsonwj said:

Deos it matter that the haze is there? After all it is a wheat beer. I am now drinking a blueberry wheat beer that I made with 3#s of farm fresh blueberries. I crushed them in a pot and brought them to 180*F for 30 mins. I placed them into the secondary and racked on top of them. My gravity dropped another 5 points due to the fruit. Wyeast AM 1010 is nice and hearty.

- WW

Click to expand...

No it does not matter, unless you really care about it.