Raspberries

So I can't seem to find a definitive answer to my raspberry question.


I'm currently fermenting my hefeweizen and want to add raspberries to the secondary. I plan on using frozen raspberries and was curious about how much. I've read some people have put 4lbs, but some people more/less . I don't want the raspberry to overpower, but want it to be noticeable.


thanks!

I'm planning/researching a wheat with blueberries in secondary. As near as I can tell 1# per gallon is a good starting point for fruit additions.

I guess it depends on what form the berries are youre adding...

If its fresh fruit, 4lbs sounds right---if it is puree (which is a bit more concentrated), 3-3.5 would lend a nice subtle flavor. Also... some berries lend a more potent flavor than others (ie cherries = more pronounced, blueberries = less pronounced).

I just made a blueberry wheat with excellent results. I used blueberry puree, which I added into the secondary fermenter, followed by a week and a half in a terciary fermenter.

I have done a raspberry beer before... Id HIGHLY recommend only 2# of them. Raspberries are not like alot of fruit, a little goes a long way. 1# per gallon will leave you with something you cannot drink. Use 2#, frozen, then pasteurized added to the secondary... you wil love it! Racking is a pain because the raspberries turn into GOO, but it is worth it.

If you don't want power - go with 2-3# max. If you want FULL ON raspberry flavor - 1# per gallon is it.

Sounds good , thanks for all the advice, I'll probably end up at about 2.5# of frozen raspberries since this beer is for my mother-in-law and she likes fruity beer.

The Pol said:

1# per gallon will leave you with something you cannot drink.

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I don't agree with this statement for a number of reasons: it depends on the beer(even among wheat beers); it depends on your personal tastes, it depends on the fruit going in, etc.

New Glarus uses over 1 pound of cherries per 750mL bottle of their Belgian Red, and I'm sure their Raspberry Tart use at least one pound per gallon. These extreme examples are not eveyone's cup of tea, but I think you'd be hard pressed to call them undrikable. I've used raspberries at 1# per gallon and at higher rates and have not found them to be undrinkable.

at 2.5# it will still be mostly beer with a taste of raspberry and a bit of the tartness. The Razzmatazz Weiß in my signature uses 6# of fresh raspberries per 5 gallons and is incredible. I describe it as a raspberry lambic without the funk. It is just a very clean raspberry beer. If you want a more beery raspberry beer, go with 3# or less.

Good luck!

EDIT: I would go for fresh berries if you can, the flavor will be night and day better. Again, if you are using a small amount (<2# per 5g) this will not matter as much because you will be getting more tartness than subtly sweet flavor.

livewir said:

I don't want the raspberry to overpower, but want it to be noticeable.

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If he adds 1# per gallon, my point is, he won't get this outcome... it will be VERY berry.

Boerderij Kabouter said:

EDIT: I would go for fresh berries if you can, the flavor will be night and day better.

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Still freeze the berries, it breaks the cell structures and gets the juices into your beer where it can be noticed.

landhoney said:

it depends on your personal tastes, it depends on the fruit going in, etc.

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If you read my post, I said that different fruits will be different, raspberries just happen to be alot more potent than say blueberries. He also stated that he didn't want it overpowering, but noticeable, my response was based on that information.

Ok ok - I think he's got the gist.

Everyone stop and have a homebrew, rasperry flavored or otherwise.

IMHO raspberry's flavor changes dramatically during the freezing process. When I add my fruit I do not freeze them. I rinse them in a food grade sanitizer (the spray they sell at grocery stores) and add them to the secondary. I then rack my beer onto the berries and watch. When the berries turn white, the juices will have been infused into the beer. I then let the berries sit one more week on the berries, then crash cool for two or three days. I then rack to a tertiary fermenter and let that sit until I am pleased with the clarity.

Others may do things differently which is what makes this hobby so great! :rockin: