Fruit Beer Succulent Strawberry Blonde

[tre9er]

Entered this into local competition of 21 brewers. I didn't make the finals. Both judges (and a friend/fellow homebrewer) said it tasted more of rhubarb than strawberry, though the aroma they agreed was strawberry. Frozen berries were suggested as the likely culprit. Anyone else had this experience? Could it also have been a combination of the hops/beer flavor with the berries that created a more tart, rhubarb flavor? I taste strawberry, albeit slightly more tart than sweet, personally. I was thinking of adding a ton of honey malt next time to bring more sweetness to the party, too.

The manager of the local brewery suggested Oregon Fruit Products purees, though I can't seem to find strawberry in a manageable size. The company themselves wants you to buy two 42lb. boxes of it on a pallet...I searched for their consumer purees (in cans) for Nebraska and saw everything BUT strawberry showing up. Perhaps they don't make strawberry in a can? I've heard the flavorings taste quite fake, so I want to stick with real berries...

 

[davekippen]

Sometimes those Oregon preserves can be found in the wine section of homebrew websites. I have seen them in large cans, but that is still better than a pallet load for sure!

 

[Brewnoob1]

My current kegged batch I would say is more tart than sweet. But with the blonde I made up which is slightly different than this recipe, it works quite nicely together. Everyone that has had a pint absolutely loves it. It's not too sweet so you don't chase off the guys, but not overly tart/tangy where you chase off the ladies. It's awesome. So awesome that I have another 5 gallons fermenting right now!

 

[tre9er]

My current kegged batch I would say is more tart than sweet. But with the blonde I made up which is slightly different than this recipe, it works quite nicely together. Everyone that has had a pint absolutely loves it. It's not too sweet so you don't chase off the guys, but not overly tart/tangy where you chase off the ladies. It's awesome. So awesome that I have another 5 gallons fermenting right now!

Don't get me wrong, everyone loves my beer, except the two judges of this comp. I'm coming to find though that beer that everyone loves isn't always the same thing as an award-winning beer. I'm definitely making more of this, judges be damned.

 

[AustinFromTexas]

It's been 7 days since I racked onto the strawberries and I'm still getting a bubble coming through the airlock every minute or so. I opened up my bucket and the strawberries are floating on top, mostly white, but still some pink on the tops that sit above the beer. I'm wondering if I should give it more time for the yeast to strip every last bit from the berries or if I'm good to go to rack into tertiary. It smells delicious so I'm getting antsy to bottle!

 

[tre9er]

I'm starting to wonder if my use of Nugget hops, which impart more of an herbal, earthy character, affected the overall perception of the strawberry taste? Perhaps the herbal hops combined with tart strawberry led to a rhubarb-like perception? At this point that's where I'm at...I still think it's damn good.

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

This brew sounds great. I'm going to brew it for a horse race coming up in about 2 months. Super refreshing sounding beer!

 

[namyarb3]

You gotta figure the yeast will eat up alot of the sugars in the berries, leaving the tartness behind.
I have brewed this 4 times, the last batch with half strawberries and half peach. Never been a sweet beer to me. Just a massive berry aroma, and the tart berry taste. My wifey loves this brew!!

 

[ThaBrewFather06]

Sounds perfect to suite the general beer drinker.

 

[Brewnoob1]

Don't get me wrong, everyone loves my beer, except the two judges of this comp. I'm coming to find though that beer that everyone loves isn't always the same thing as an award-winning beer. I'm definitely making more of this, judges be damned.

For me, I don't send my brew to competitions. I personally see no point if I'm not trying to sell or open a brewery. Maybe there is added benefit that I'm just not getting? But I feel that quality is in the taste of the beerholder. I just want people to enjoy something that I love to create. If they don't care for it, I ask what they would like changed for the next time and I try and incorporate that. The only opinions that matter to me are the people actually drinking it!

I love this beer. i think it is one that will now stay on tap all the time. I have 10 gallons fermenting right now and still about 4-5 beers left in the keg. It's my family's new fav of mine.

 

[NWAleDad]

You gotta figure the yeast will eat up alot of the sugars in the berries, leaving the tartness behind.
I have brewed this 4 times, the last batch with half strawberries and half peach. Never been a sweet beer to me. Just a massive berry aroma, and the tart berry taste. My wifey loves this brew!!

can you share more on what the peaches did for the flavor and aroma? This sounds like a nice addition.

 

[namyarb3]

Meh.
The peaches gave it the peach aroma, but almost muted the overall flavor. Not to mention they looked and felt like snot when I was cleaning them outta my glass carboy. Next time I will not reduce the strawberries nearly as much.
I usually use 6lbs of strawberries. This brew used 3lbs each of berries and peaches. I'm going with 5lbs berries and 3lbs peach next.

 

[AustinFromTexas]

Meh.
The peaches gave it the peach aroma, but almost muted the overall flavor. Not to mention they looked and felt like snot when I was cleaning them outta my glass carboy. Next time I will not reduce the strawberries nearly as much.
I usually use 6lbs of strawberries. This brew used 3lbs each of berries and peaches. I'm going with 5lbs berries and 3lbs peach next.

Have you considered using apricot instead of peaches? Wasatch brewery has an apricot hefeweizen that really nails a good mix of beer and fruit flavors. I've always wondered why they didn't go peach with it, but it's very sweet and as close to "peachy" as you can get without having used real peaches. Come to think of it I've only ever seen 1 peach lambic before (never tried it) but plenty more apricot beers in my travels. Perhaps there's something about apricot that lends itself better to pairing with beer than peaches? Just a thought.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

Hey! Glad to see there's still some activity on this beer! Good news... Just got my shipment from AHS, and I'm back in the game!!

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Hey! Glad to see there's still some activity on this beer! Good news... Just got my shipment from AHS, and I'm back in the game!!

Well it's about time! Good to hear. Welcome back.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

Yes it is!! Thanks! Just bought a 70 qt Coleman Xtreme... Working on the manifold now!

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Yes it is!! Thanks! Just bought a 70 qt Coleman Xtreme... Working on the manifold now!

If you ever get around to the actual brewing part, let me know! Ha my next brew will probably be the AG version if this. Should be just in time for spring.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

If you ever get around to the actual brewing part, let me know! Ha my next brew will probably be the AG version if this. Should be just in time for spring.

Lol.. yeah, I deserve that.. I've been threatening for a while! But, now I've got $100.00 worth of supplies, just waiting to be brewed.. can't let that go to waste!

 

[Quesplosive]

Guys I was away working on my car and my wife rearranged the rooms in the house. My carboy was covered in a corner but when I just went to transfer onto the fruit to my horror my airlock was on the ground. If it fell when they moved it sat. would my beer be in trouble? I hope not because I have been waiting for this to get done. I went along and put in bucket and added fruit. What do you guys think about it?

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

I'd say you'll be just fine! How long had it been fermenting?

 

[Quesplosive]

2.75 weeks

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

Meh, RDWHAHB!! I'd say it'll be just fine. Of course, I was wrong once.. when I first brewed this, the night I put it in the secondary on the berries, the top blew off in a strawberry volcano and I didn't catch it for a day or so... Lol.

 

[Quesplosive]

Aw man. That sounds serious. Hopefully all is well and everything works out. I really want to see what everyone is talking about with this brew. I took your advise and drank some of my caramel apple cider and honey cream ale and thats why Im so chill bout it. Wasnt earlier. lol

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

Aw man. That sounds serious. Hopefully all is well and everything works out. I really want to see what everyone is talking about with this brew.

It turned out amazing!! That's why I posted the recipe!! Needless to say, I learned how to use a blow off hose!! Lol

 

[coachrob]

Do you Leo the strawberries frozen or thaw them out before adding to the secondary?

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

I left mine frozen. Dropped them into the secondary and racked onto them.

 

[Quesplosive]

I have my fruit in a sack. Should I shake the bucket every now and again?

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I have my fruit in a sack. Should I shake the bucket every now and again?

No. You do not want oxygenate the beer. Just leave it alone and you will be fine.

 

[LBussy]

For me, I don't send my brew to competitions. I personally see no point if I'm not trying to sell or open a brewery. Maybe there is added benefit that I'm just not getting?

Here's how I look at it (and I am a non-current judge):

You can go into the kitchen and put together something with what you have. You may start out making a souffle and you finish with a quiche. It tastes good. Congratulations you have dinner. If you start out to make a souffle and make a souffle, you are a cook. If the souffle tastes good you are a chef.

Beer is the same way. Plenty of people make beer that's pretty good but it's not what they intended to make. They got lucky. They relied on serendipity rather than planing and science. A person should know what kind of beer he or she wants to make and then aim for that. When they hit that target they have done well. Beer judging strives to provide quality feedback to the brewer on where his beer differed from the style intended. There are enough styles and variants that a person should be able to make whatever they want.

In other words; when a brewer sets to make a batch they have a target and a gun. If they shoot a bulls-eye on someone else's target are they a good shot? Of course if the brewer THEN figures out they are consistently shooting three feet right, they can correct that aim each time. If they are consistent from there on, nobody needs to know the difference.

 

[Quesplosive]

Nice analogy

 

[branman]

nice analogy

+1

 

[JRapp]

Asked a question, found the answer on google....

Brewed this last night, Im real excited about this one, wife loves a good strawberry blond!

 

[Quesplosive]

Just put mines in bottles. I added 4lbs of peaches to it. I tasted it and the peaches seem to have taken over. Now the two week wait is on.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

This was about the only homebrew I could get my wife to drink! Its definitely a crowd pleaser!

I'd be interested to hear how the peach addition turns out. I've considered using apples instead of the strawberries...

 

[Quesplosive]

I know I will not be able to wait the full two weeks so Im going to crack one open in a week. Just to see how its coming along.

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I always do. I never wait a full 2 weeks to crack one open.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

It is hard to wait.. however I can tell you that this beer gets even better as it ages. The strawberry flavor mellows a bit and it all just kinda comes together. But, hey, 1 week sounds good to me!

 

[SupervisingChildren]

I brewed up a slightly modified version of this on 2/25. I racked the beer onto 5# whole strawberries with 1/2# lactose on them. OG 1.066 FG 1.016. Smells and tastes delicious as I had a sip from the hydrometer sample while bottling tonight. The lactose definitely takes away tartness.

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

I brewed up a slightly modified version of this on 2/25. I racked the beer onto 5# whole strawberries with 1/2# lactose on them. OG 1.066 FG 1.016. Smells and tastes delicious as I had a sip from the hydrometer sample while bottling tonight. The lactose definitely takes away tartness.

Interesting. I was always kind of a fan of the tartness that the strawberries imparted. But hey, to each his own!

 

[Bluelinebrewer]

If you ever get around to the actual brewing part, let me know! Ha my next brew will probably be the AG version if this. Should be just in time for spring.

It has happened... I brewed today! Just letting ya know..