Blackberries... LOTS of BLACKBERRIES!!!

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Damonic

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I went to see a potential customer last week that is looking at a new inventory system. These guys repackage berries, tomatoes, ginger, and asparagus for major food retailers.

So they have about 20 people going through pallets and pallets of berries, picking out any that are mushy or look the slightest bit off. And they're tossing them into these plastic bins for disposal. Now I don't know exactly how much each bin held but it looked to be about 25 gallons. So I figured they had to dispose of them by law and my guy over there says, "nah, sometimes we'll save them for the local food pantry or just bring 'em home."

I tell him I just got into brewing beer and ask him what it would take to get my hands on one of those bins. He says no problem, just call me next week and I'll have a good one waiting for you. :eek:

WOOHOO! :ban:
So what do I make? I've done about 5 batches of extract brews and my brew buddy is getting into mead as well. I'm hoping I can stay in touch with this customer because he'd probably hook me up with a bin every time their seasonal product changes. They primarily handle strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, and red currants so I could have a steady supply!
 
Well, even though it's not beer, blackberry wine is one of the most awesome drinks you could ever hope to make. I would say make some wine with most of the berries, and then make a blackberry beer with the rest, if you have to.
 
Blackberry wine, blackberry cider (with or without apple juice), blackberry melomel (mead), blackberry jelly, ...

(I've got a couple acres of them.)
 
I have picked 7 lbs so far off the blackberry bushes on and around our property. I pick what I can reach and freeze them right away.
I'm thinking of making a berry weiss/weizen or just picking a lot more before theyre done and make a batch of blackberry brandy.
like the blackberry bushes....Im on the fence.
 
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