Blueberry Ale Recipe

I was recently at a local bar here in Athens and they had, on tap, a blueberry ale, I was a little tipsy so the name of it escapes me, but my girlfriend was so excited about it I decided to make some for my third batch, a hefeweiss will be my next. I found recipes online but they asked for real blueberries, which I'm sure is the freshest way to do it, but I was at a gorcery store and found smucker's blueberry syrup, I thought this would be a great addition to the wort at the end of the boil, giving the beer both more flavor and more alcohol. Is this a bad idea? Should I just go with frozen/fresh blueberry puree? Let me know what you think. Also, does anyone have a simple blueberry ale recipe for an intermediate brewer?

Thanks

but I was at a gorcery store and found smucker's blueberry syrup

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Most syrups aernt much more then a sugar syrup with some color and extract added in. I would check the ingrediants on it and watch out for preservatioves and such.

Personally I would go with the real berrys, doesnt mater if they are frozen, fresh or puree, hell I used dried when I added mine to my wheat.

Of your making 5 gallon batches take your hefe and when you go to bottle rack half of it to you bottling bucket, then dump some berries in the other half and let it sit another 2 weeks. Then let SWMBO know her beer will be ready in 2 weeks after yours is ready

Haha, thanks man.

I used raspberry extract from my HBS to make a raspberry ale and that worked out well. All extract, no added sugar. Next time I make a fruit ale I am going try using something like Polaner's All Fruit, a jam-like spread that is, well, all fruit, though not necessarily all of the flavor you want. This idea has been kicked around in other fruit beer threads and it seems plausible.

I was thinking I would use frozen, preservative-free blueberries from the grocerie and puree them a bit in the blender and then adding it at racking time from primary to secondary. I figure this will allow the berries to release more flavor quickly into the beer while it is still fresh, although I'm sure it would affect the color of the beer. What do you guys think?

Also, I tried some homebrewed Banana-Rhubarb wine at my local HBS and it was damn good. So, I post this question as well: bananas, not just for wine, but also for beer? Might be good with a wheat extract...

Fruit puree in the secondary is what most people recommend (since I used extract I went straight from primary to bottle). Any thoughts on pasteurizing? This is what worries me about fresh fruits but maybe is would not be an issue for frozen ones.

By the way, I had a raspberry ale at a local brew pub and the color was amazing - kind of a deep ruby red. If you get a bluish purple beer, it might be pretty cool to look at.

I made a Blueberry wheat using thawed frozen berries it was great! I dumped them in after the boil - cooled to about 180 F and left them in during the ferment. Really nice wine color. 3 lb. bag for 5 gallons

Alot cheaper than using Oregon Fruits.

:cross:

SkewedAle said:

I was recently at a local bar here in Athens and they had, on tap, a blueberry ale, I was a little tipsy so the name of it escapes me, but my girlfriend was so excited about it I decided to make some for my third batch, a hefeweiss will be my next. I found recipes online but they asked for real blueberries, which I'm sure is the freshest way to do it, but I was at a gorcery store and found smucker's blueberry syrup, I thought this would be a great addition to the wort at the end of the boil, giving the beer both more flavor and more alcohol. Is this a bad idea? Should I just go with frozen/fresh blueberry puree? Let me know what you think. Also, does anyone have a simple blueberry ale recipe for an intermediate brewer?

Thanks

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Steve -

I've tried both primary and secondary fruits and if you bottle straight from the primary that's easy dump them in. I found more of a fruit taste after the boil with blueberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches and cherries. Citus fruits deffinately go in the secondary if you have one. If you don't have a secondary try putting them in after the bubbles slow down a bit. The taste goes out during the ferment.

I've done alot of fruited brews keep them fermenting for several weeks! Also for newbies ... Wheat and fruit go good together.

Frozen fruits usually dont' have presevatives but check the label anyway. Oregon Fruit and SOME Delmonte canned fruits don't use preservative either - I prefer frozen berries and canned peaches and apricots.

SteveM said:

Fruit puree in the secondary is what most people recommend (since I used extract I went straight from primary to bottle). Any thoughts on pasteurizing? This is what worries me about fresh fruits but maybe is would not be an issue for frozen ones.

By the way, I had a raspberry ale at a local brew pub and the color was amazing - kind of a deep ruby red. If you get a bluish purple beer, it might be pretty cool to look at.

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So, i was thinking adding the puree in after the boil is complete and before putting the wort into my fermentor. I use a secondary, should i put the puree in then, instead? Or should I not worry about a puree and just thaw them and add them after the boil, before fermentation/pitching the yeast? I thought a puree would give me the maximum flavor but now I don't know...

should the fruit be put in the secondary after fermentation has taken place?

I use those Oregon Fruit Purees from NB (But Ed says he'll stock them for me) and I find them 100% better than the extract.

I use a can to 5G on my lights and 2 cans to 5G on my Darks.
My Chocolate-Covered Cherry Porter needed two and a half...but then again that was a tough beer to get a cherry flavor through.


I started doing the whole one-jug fermenting thing [READ: No secondary], but when I use the purees I do the three weeks in the "primary" then one in the "secondary" with the beer racked ONTO the purree.
And try to get the end of the hose to "mix up" the beer and puree...otherwise I've noticed the flavors don't mix as well.

(My Blueberry blonde had to sit in the secondary about 3 weeks to get blonde again...well its nore of a tanned blonde now but eh, what can you do?)

I make a Blueberry Wheat that SWMBO simply cannot stay out of.

Just a regular American style wheat (bittering hops only) with a couple of ounces of blueberry extract added at kegging.

Good stuff, I hit it pretty hard myself.

I added 3# Oregon Puree to the secondary on a 5g batch. Wasn't enough. In fact, in a blind tasting at my beer club, when told it was some sort of fruit beer, not 1 person guessed blueberries.

Blueberries are very subtle (don't let the shocking purple fruit puree fool you). The puree will lend a slightly pinkish-red tone to your beer. Knowing what I do now, I would go with a blueberry extract of some kind, and add it to the secondary until I got the flavor I wanted. (Since I wouldn't actually do that, ever, I guess what I am saying is I won't make another blueberry beer).

If you decide to push forward with the puree anyway, good luck: I hope your result was better than mine.

I've had cherry and raspberry and those are much stronger flavors.

ive done a couple blueberry wheat. last (and best one) was 8 lbs of frozen blueberries and sorbate in the secondary! I cannot under emphasize the sorbate, the first couple times I didnt use it.. it jsut fermented more, and was a wheat blueberry wine! not bad, but not what i wanted either

If I puree canned fruit,and then put it in the secondary,should the puree be boiled?would 3 lbs of peaches and a bottle of peach extract do the job?:fro:

I wouldnt boil the fruit.. I cant say why not, but i wouldnt! also, I would do EITHER fruit or extract, not much point in doing both!

ive seen alot of people suggest rinsing your fruit with vodka or the like, then freezing it (this breaks down cell walls) let them thaw then secondry!

SkewedAle said:

I was recently at a local bar here in Athens and they had, on tap, a blueberry ale, I was a little tipsy so the name of it escapes me, but my girlfriend was so excited about it

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If by chance you are referring to Athens, GA (granted a long way from Chicago) it was most likely SweetWater Blue. I know the beer. Its what I bribe my girlfriend with when I want to buy a beer she doesn't like.

To be honest, I was really hoping you had a recipe already for a Blueberry wheat beer so I could make it for her too. Let me know how it turns out.

claphamsa said:

ive done a couple blueberry wheat. last (and best one) was 8 lbs of frozen blueberries and sorbate in the secondary! I cannot under emphasize the sorbate, the first couple times I didnt use it.. it jsut fermented more, and was a wheat blueberry wine! not bad, but not what i wanted either

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Excuse my ignorance. Does the sorbate kill the yeast to prevent more fermenting? Or what's the point?

I made a blueberry oatmeal stout and the tart (i did smash/crush them and left the skins out even) is too much. Not a great combo.

Pierce said:

Excuse my ignorance. Does the sorbate kill the yeast to prevent more fermenting? Or what's the point?

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yes exactly. when i didnt sorbate it, it fermented the blueberrys.... got REAL strong, and not very much of the flavr lasted.

just chatting with a friend about this one... need to rebrew soon

So could I do this with and extract kit (read, I'm brand new to this).

Brew a wheat beer extract, ferment for ~2weeks, rack to secondary with sorbate (how much) and 8lbs frozen blueberries, let soak for 2weeks??

or I could bluntly ask for your recipe.

pierce, yes that was my recipe! I used 4lb 2row 4lb wheat. fermented for a while (3 weeks maybe) then racked to secondary (to get away from yeast) with 8 lbs of blueberries and 4 tsp sorbate i think i did 10 days, but that was mostly because i needed it ready for a NYE party

so to continue my random thought, yes extract should work just fine! I used an ale pale for the secondary, since 8 lbs of blueberries in a carboy of any kind is a pain in the ass! now I have a red ale pale

Ive just cooked up a hefe..I plan on putting about 3 lbs of peach puree in the primary after initial ferment is done,let that rip a little.
move to carboy for a week or so. Then at bottling Ill put in a little bottle of :froeach extract,just to make my point......The peaches will be frozen prior to puree...anybody have any major concerns with this?

just taste it before you put in the extract!

Thanks for the help!! much appreciated!

Holy resurrect, batman...

MMMMMM...not done,but I can tell this is gonna be awesome.3 lbs peaches & A bottle of extract!!!

I'd like to attempt to replicate the Wachusett blueberry ale. It says it's a wheat ale with 3 grains and 3 hops. since the beer is clear and there is no purple color, it must be with blueberry extract instead of fresh blueberries, right? any other advice on what two grains to use besides some wheat? thanks

http://greatbrewers.com/product/wachusett-blueberry-ale

claphamsa said:

ive done a couple blueberry wheat. last (and best one) was 8 lbs of frozen blueberries and sorbate in the secondary! I cannot under emphasize the sorbate, the first couple times I didnt use it.. it jsut fermented more, and was a wheat blueberry wine! not bad, but not what i wanted either

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Can u still prime in the bottle after you use sorbate?