When to add Blackberries

this is the recipe minus the black berries

Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Boil Size: 6.57 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 3.9 SRM
Estimated IBU: 21.5 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount
7.00 lb Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett)
0.75 lb Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM)
0.50 lb Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM)
0.25 oz Centennial
0.25 oz Centennial
0.25 oz Centennial
1 Pkgs US-05) (Hydrated)


Mash at 150 degrees for 60 minutes.

...now i would like to add 6lbs of blackberries to this and was wondering, as ive never done a beer with fruit, should i wait til fermentation is over and rack the beer over them for a week. or add directly to the boil?

What say you?

most wait until the secondary to add fruit. Not sure to the exact science but most believe it retains more of the original fruit flavor and produces less "funky-ness". I've only added fruit to the secondary for wheat beers, though.

If you add the blackberries to the boil you will cause the natural pectins to form and will actually create a lot of haze so I would advise against it.

This recipe looks like a pale ale of some sort. Is that what you're trying to do, a Blackberry Pale Ale?

yes. "Really Pale Blackberry Ale". after this first batch im gonna try exact recipe and lighten further by swapping out half the Maris and replacing with Pilzen Malt.

...and maybe exchanging the centennial with hersbrucker or German Tradition. really looking for a staple light summer dark fruit beer. im quite sure the first is going to be a bit richer than im after so im already looking forward to the second batch

If you want a good blackberry flavor and aroma, I'd go with blackberry jam at best or an flavor extract at worst. I've used fresh blackberries in secondary and get some blackberry flavor, but mostly just tartness.

-chuck

Strong alcohol extracts flavors out of fruit much more effectively than beer. I would take a pint of vodka and soak the fruit while the fermentation is happening, then rack to a secondary and add the vodka/fruit. Also you wont have to worry about the fruit being contaminated as a bonus.

ill pass on putting vodka in my beer. im going to crush fruit with a bit of corn sugar and leave in frig a day or two so the sugar can get happy with the fruit then rack post fermentation beer on top of fruit for a week.

the jam idea sounds a bit more sweet than im looking for. maybe with some cherry/blueberry compote though.....

Jam won't make the beer sweet. The simple sugars in the jam will be completely eaten by the yeast still in the beer very similar to adding honey.

-chuck

not wanting to crank up the ABV either. will be limiting the corn sugar in the blackberries to about 7-8 grams.

If you don't mind, follow up on this thread with your results.

maltbarleyhops said:

ill pass on putting vodka in my beer. im going to crush fruit with a bit of corn sugar and leave in frig a day or two so the sugar can get happy with the fruit then rack post fermentation beer on top of fruit for a week.

the jam idea sounds a bit more sweet than im looking for. maybe with some cherry/blueberry compote though.....

Click to expand...

The only thing with this, though, is that much fruit is loaded with wild yeast that collects on the skin. By feeding it sugar and mashing it, then allowing it to ferment its basically a wild yeast starter. I don't know if that matters since fermentation in the beer is finished, but it might. Let us all know what you did and how it turns outside

bottlebomber said:

The only thing with this, though, is that much fruit is loaded with wild yeast that collects on the skin. By feeding it sugar and mashing it, then allowing it to ferment its basically a wild yeast starter. I don't know if that matters since fermentation in the beer is finished, but it might. Let us all know what you did and how it turns outside

Click to expand...

+1

Vodka will not alter the beer at all. It will, however, kill the wild yeast which is good. But report back how it works out.
-Jefe-

JefeTheVol said:

+1

Vodka will not alter the beer at all. It will, however, kill the wild yeast which is good. But report back how it works out.
-Jefe-

Click to expand...

Cant quite get my head wrapped around how adding Vodka to my beer wont alter it.

i just made some blackberry ale and put in 4lb in the last 10 minutes of the boil and put 4lb in the secondary in a 10 gal batch because i couldnt decide. it turned out pretty good. the blackberry flavor is coming out a little more since ive had it in the keg for a month.

maltbarleyhops said:

Cant quite get my head wrapped around how adding Vodka to my beer wont alter it.

Click to expand...

The solution to pollution is dilution. The amount of vodka needed to disinfect and extract the blackberry flavors is not enough to alter 5 gallons of beer. By definition, vodka should be colorless, odorless and flavorless. I know not all vodkas are, but once diluted to by 5 gallons of beer, you will not be able to taste it.

Try putting a shot of vodka in 12 ozs of juice and tell me how much you can taste.
-Jefe-

so what ive come up with is-
my beer is fermented out completely - 1.002
now ill crush the blackberries and put them into my 10 gallon glass fermenter and observe for 1 week.

if fermentation picks back up ill cold crash and strain and keg.
if not ill leave them together for 2 weeks, strain and keg.


???

It will pick back up the sugars in the fruit will ferment.

The vodka is meant to sanitize the blackberries. The amount of vodka added to 5 gallons won't be noticeable in flavor or ABV.

But then, what I do is seal fruit in a vacuum sealer (frozen) let it thaw then heat in water at 165* for 20 min to pasteurize. Cool it to pitching temps, add to secondary, and rack beer onto it.

thanks for all the suggestions.

again, as far as introducing vodka into my beer-
i use vodka for quick sanitizing and for airlocks. but i would just as well NOT put it in my beer, for whatever reason. if id make a beer and there was no other way but to add vodka to it, i would brew something else. i can deal with the trivial amount that may get through my airlock.

im confident of the method ive chosen for this beer, and thanks to all who helped.

grav before blackberry addition 1.002