Fruit and Roses

Hey everyone,

Here's what I'm thinking: Rather than get a full ingredient kit, I'd like to get the Liquid Hopped Extract kit and priming sugar. I'd also like to add some raspberries and 2 cups of vodka that had rose petals soaking in it for 2 weeks to turn it reddish. I'm making a brew for our wedding this summer and just wanted to add some things to turn it red and unique.

My questions are:

1) (Raspberries) how many raspberries should I use? Should i seep them in the fermenter? Should I just rack the brew onto them before I bottle? How should I go about this? Or should I just buy the small 4 oz bottles of raspberry extract?

2) (vodka) should I add this to the bottling bucket and rack onto it?

3) Anything else I should keep in mind? Like is the extract kit ok to use rather than the full ingredient ones?

Thanks guys, this place is awesome!

-Ducas

Also can I just use fresh raspberries in the primary (I don't use a secondary) for the week or 2 that it ferments? Or should I add them later?

If all you want from the rose petals is color I wouldn't bother; the raspberries will do that. Some people put raspberries in at flameout and others do it in secondary. If you're going to do it in secondary heat them up first. There's a time and degree required for that on here somewhere - I think it's 20 minutes at some temp.

What about just throwing a few petals in the fermenter to be able to say I made our wedding brew with some roses? Will that make a difference?

I think I'm just going to throw in my berries just before flameout and then let them cool with the wort. Then I'll rack them into the primary, toss in a few roses, and let them sit about 2 weeks. Then bottle and wait 2 more. Am I crazy and making a big mistake or should this work out?

I know there are a million ways to do all of this, but after researching it seems like this way may work.

Can't really comment on the rose petals - have never tried it. Maybe someone with more experience can chime in, but maybe adding them with the raspberries and not letting them into primary? I have no idea what properties rose petals have.

Remember also that anything added after cooling should probably be sanitized (hops don't count). If you add rose petals at the end of the boil you won't have to worry. I once saw a recipe that did this but can't remember where I saw it.

Edit: here you go
http://forums.morebeer.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=35873