blueberry question

[cowboy3829]

I hope to do a blueberry beer soon, and I will have 2 choices. Cream ale, or american wheat.Is one better than the other to add the blueberry, or should I just do both?

 

[EcuPirate07]

Both. It will work well both ways.

 

[cowboy3829]

I plan on doing both brews the same day, so I was just curious about which one to add the blueberry, or just do both

 

[EcuPirate07]

I plan on doing both brews the same day, so I was just curious about which one to add the blueberry, or just do both

Well in most cases the blueberries, wether it be purée or whole blueberries, are not added until after Fermentation is done (2-4 weeks) so you have time. I would add to both like I said before. If you want to just do one then I would go with the Wheat beer. A clean crisp cream ale is great just as is. Plus it seems redundant to have two beers on tap with blueberries unless you just absolutely love blueberries.

 

[RM-MN]

From my experience with trying to make blueberry beer, I'd suggest you get a good quality blueberry extract and add that to a sample of the beer. Blueberry flavor is delicate and adding real blueberries to beer tends to get you a maroon beer with an acidic taste with little blueberry flavor.

 

[BowAholic]

I agree about using extract. We made a big batch a couple of years ago using an entire cooler of fresh blueberries... there was little blueberry flavor and so we just tried using extract and it was spot on.

 

[ericbw]

I've done it with blueberry extract for flavor. I think it tastes a little artificial, so go light on it. Everyone else loved that beer. It was a wheat with low IBUs. American yeast, but not the typical American wheat hopping.

I think the texture or mouthfeel (hate using those floofy terms!) of wheat is better for a fruit beer. It's creamy, where cream ale is actually crisp and dry.

I think I'll do a blueberry wheat again this summer.

 

[sweed]

I've done a blueberry cream ale with wlp080 and 4 oz of blueberry flavoring and turned out awesome. Going to do another this summer.

 

[cowboy3829]

should I cut my hop additions if I plan on using blueberry extract. I won't know exactly what the hop schedule looks like until I get my kits on Monday, but I'm curious about the flavors clashing

 

[bleme]

should I cut my hop additions if I plan on using blueberry extract. I won't know exactly what the hop schedule looks like until I get my kits on Monday, but I'm curious about the flavors clashing

I'd aim for 15-20 IBU's.

I do a blueberry wheat that is my wife's favorite and frankly I don't see what she likes about it. I use 3 pounds of frozen blueberries. It turns out a pretty purple color and has some blueberry aroma but very little blueberry flavor. I think a combination of real blueberries AND extract would turn out better.

 

[xpops]

i do a blueberry blonde every year, 5gal on 4lbs of fresh (then frozen) blueberries. The colour is really great, but a soft flavoured fruit. why not split your batch and try different fruits? raspeberries work really well! i also did a strawberry rhuhbarb blonde last summer that turned out to be everyones favourite over their previous favourites - the raspberry, and the blueberry blondes.

i also find extracts taste too artificial. Id personally rather experience a subtle real flavour than an upfront fake one.

 

[snoring_dog]

This is very relevant to my current blonde batch so I'm wondering if you can answer a question for me. I've got a batch of BM's Centennial Blonde https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841 (with extra cascade) in primary right now - it's on day 3. His recipe calls for 4 days in primary and 5 days in secondary. I planned on adding frozen blueberries in secondary - would you use that same schedule and do blueberries for 5 days in secondary?

 

[xpops]

This is very relevant to my current blonde batch so I'm wondering if you can answer a question for me. I've got a batch of BM's Centennial Blonde https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=42841 (with extra cascade) in primary right now - it's on day 3. His recipe calls for 4 days in primary and 5 days in secondary. I planned on adding frozen blueberries in secondary - would you use that same schedule and do blueberries for 5 days in secondary?

that's actually the recipe i originally started with. i've since changed it up a bit, but same schedule would work. i just leave it in primary until i'm sure fermentation has stopped (consecutive days of consistent hydro readings). Thaw the berries, throw them in the bottom of secondary and rack the blonde onto it.

i typically leave it for about 2 weeks, only because i've never been in a rush to get it served up. I'm not sure i'm actually gettin much more colour/flavour in that second week...it comes down to a laziness thing for the most part

 

[snoring_dog]

that's actually the recipe i originally started with. i've since changed it up a bit, but same schedule would work. i just leave it in primary until i'm sure fermentation has stopped (consecutive days of consistent hydro readings). Thaw the berries, throw them in the bottom of secondary and rack the blonde onto it.

i typically leave it for about 2 weeks, only because i've never been in a rush to get it served up. I'm not sure i'm actually gettin much more colour/flavour in that second week...it comes down to a laziness thing for the most part

Beautiful, thank you!

 

[giraffeman]

I did a Centennial Blonde last year and added 6LB of frozen Blueberries in the secondary, I think I let it sit for over a week as the addition of the Blueberries kicked up the fermentation, (lots of sugar in that much blueberries).
you will need to take specific gravity readings to make sure it good to go. It may take 5 days but it may take longer
Also expect the Final gravity to be off from what you planned on as there is no way or knowing how much extra sugar the blueberries have added, (there may be someone here that could get you close)
over all the one I brewer came out OK just a bit "hot" as the blueberries kicked up the ABV%

 

[snoring_dog]

I did a Centennial Blonde last year and added 6LB of frozen Blueberries in the secondary, I think I let it sit for over a week as the addition of the Blueberries kicked up the fermentation, (lots of sugar in that much blueberries).
you will need to take specific gravity readings to make sure it good to go. It may take 5 days but it may take longer
Also expect the Final gravity to be off from what you planned on as there is no way or knowing how much extra sugar the blueberries have added, (there may be someone here that could get you close)
over all the one I brewer came out OK just a bit "hot" as the blueberries kicked up the ABV%

I was wondering how that may impact it, thanks. My OG was a tad low so that may bring the abv back up anyway if I'm lucky.

 

[snoring_dog]

I added 6lbs blueberries in secondary on Saturday afternoon and the bucket is still bubbling this morning (Tuesday). Ended up hacking together a blowoff tube b/c I got terrified of purple sludge blowing everywhere. So far so good, but it will definitely be stronger than I originally anticipated.