Wheat Beer + Raspberry Help

[Sethwick]

Hi all,
Going to brew a Wheat Beer this weekend, and was debating between adding "Raspberry Flavoring" or actual raspberries. My LHBS has a 4oz bottle of Raspberry flavoring that a helpful employee was raving about, but I figured I'd run it by the Intertron... Anyone used it? If so, when did you add it?
Or...
Anyone used actual raspberry?
Love your results?
Thoughts?

Thanks,

-S

 

[permo]

Hi all,
Going to brew a Wheat Beer this weekend, and was debating between adding "Raspberry Flavoring" or actual raspberries. My LHBS has a 4oz bottle of Raspberry flavoring that a helpful employee was raving about, but I figured I'd run it by the Intertron... Anyone used it? If so, when did you add it?
Or...
Anyone used actual raspberry?
Love your results?
Thoughts?

Thanks,

-S

Ditch the extract, use the real think. I would add a few pounds of rasberries pureed to the secondary fermenter. The extracts are bitter and not natural tasting to me. Plus this way you get color!

Better yet, take a pound of rasberries, a pound of blueberries and a pound of blackberries, puree them and add them to secondary. that would rock. I have used peaches in my secondary and they turned out great.

 

[Sethwick]

Ditch the extract, use the real think. I would add a few pounds of rasberries pureed to the secondary fermenter. The extracts are bitter and not natural tasting to me. Plus this way you get color!

Better yet, take a pound of rasberries, a pound of blueberries and a pound of blackberries, puree them and add them to secondary. that would rock. I have used peaches in my secondary and they turned out great.

So 3lbs fresh berries, pureed.... 2 weeks in 2ndary.... hmm....
Anything else I should look out for? I seem to remember reading about organic berries, making sure there's no additives or whatnot? Any other tips?

...and thanks for the quick reply!

 

[BackBayBrewing]

I respectfully disagree with permo. I used to be big on real fruit preserves. Then I realized that the best fruit beer out there, #9 (IMHO) is made with apricot extract flavoring. When I heard that I decided to give it a try and the results were great. The fact that I can get great results out of so much less hassle has convinced me that extract is the way to go.

 

[permo]

I respectfully disagree with permo. I used to be big on real fruit preserves. Then I realized that the best fruit beer out there, #9 (IMHO) is made with apricot extract flavoring. When I heard that I decided to give it a try and the results were great. The fact that I can get great results out of so much less hassle has convinced me that extract is the way to go.

Point taken.

I have had homebrew made with rasberry extract and it just doesn't taste right too me. However, if you take caution and go with minimal amount of extract you may be OK. However, I don't think you can go wrong with actual fruit...if you take proper care.

Also, +1 on #9. I brewed my #9 clone with 4# of peaches since I didn't have apricots available...it was great.

 

[BackBayBrewing]

To clarify, I am not saying real fruit is worse than extract quality/flavor wise. I am just saying that the results can be equally as good with extract, and there is much less hassle. Simply put in some extract at bottling/kegging time and your ready to go. With fruit you need to use a secondary which means one more time sanitizing, one more time racking, one more carboy to clean, and one more opportunity for infection/oxidation.

If you want to do it the traditional way and use the fruit more power to you. My vote is for extract (just be conservative with it) and use that time saved on brewing another batch of beer.

 

[permo]

To clarify, I am not saying real fruit is worse than extract quality/flavor wise. I am just saying that the results can be equally as good with extract, and there is much less hassle. Simply put in some extract at bottling/kegging time and your ready to go. With fruit you need to use a secondary which means one more time sanitizing, one more time racking, one more carboy to clean, and one more opportunity for infection/oxidation.

If you want to do it the traditional way and use the fruit more power to you. My vote is for extract (just be conservative with it) and use that time saved on brewing another batch of beer.

Now that I think about it, one of my favorite fruit beers, Ellicotville Blueberry, is also made with extract. That is a tasty brew.

Do you think there is possibly a brand or style of extract that is more natural and better tasting than others? Maybe you could offer up the extract brand that you used in case the OP decides to go that route?

Also, a health food store could likely have some %100 rasberry juice available too. However, I am a proponent of the real fruit.

 

[Sethwick]

To clarify, I am not saying real fruit is worse than extract quality/flavor wise. I am just saying that the results can be equally as good with extract, and there is much less hassle. Simply put in some extract at bottling/kegging time and your ready to go. With fruit you need to use a secondary which means one more time sanitizing, one more time racking, one more carboy to clean, and one more opportunity for infection/oxidation.

If you want to do it the traditional way and use the fruit more power to you. My vote is for extract (just be conservative with it) and use that time saved on brewing another batch of beer.

I'm all for simplicity... The raspberry extract comes in a 4oz bottle and the directions call for 4oz per 5g batch, does that sound like too much?

I guess since I already bought the extract, I'll use it, but I'd love to hear any other opinions \ experience before brew day!

Also, I gotta track down this "#9".... sounds great!

 

[Sethwick]

FWIW, the flavoring is "Brewcraft" brand raspberry...

 

[permo]

I'm all for simplicity... The raspberry extract comes in a 4oz bottle and the directions call for 4oz per 5g batch, does that sound like too much?

I guess since I already bought the extract, I'll use it, but I'd love to hear any other opinions \ experience before brew day!

Also, I gotta track down this "#9".... sounds great!

We are referring to Magic Hat #9. Fresh and on draught it is heavenly.

 

[BackBayBrewing]

N Maybe you could offer up the extract brand that you used in case the OP decides to go that route?

I like the morebeer.com flavorings. You can find them here: https://morebeer.com/search/102194/beerwinecoffee/coffeewinebeer/Fruit_Flavorings_Purees

I have used the Apricot and the Raspberry and liked them both. They recommend starting with half a bottle. I recommend more like a third. If you are kegging this works well because if you want more you can just open up the keg and add it. It's a little harder if you are bottling. Try dividing up the batch and bottling three different concentrations to see which you like best.

 

[Sethwick]

We are referring to Magic Hat #9. Fresh and on draught it is heavenly.

Just looked up the website... doesn't seem to be anywhere on the west coast.......

 

[Sethwick]

Just looked up the website... doesn't seem to be anywhere on the west coast.......

Oop - take that back... looks like there's some in the South Bay... might be time for a road trip!

 

[HBHoss]

I used Raspberry extract in my Raspberry Wheat and it was a hit, tastes great and not overpowering. I used the full 4oz in a 5 gallon batch when kegging. I don't use a secondary so the fresh fruit option isn't a consideration for me personally.

 

[BackBayBrewing]

Oop - take that back... looks like there's some in the South Bay... might be time for a road trip!

Off topic but necessary. If you are going to make the drive for #9, make sure you sample a few of the other Magic Hat offerings if they have them. Magic hat is one of the great east coast breweries and they have some really interesting offerings. I personally love Hocus Pocus but you won't find that until spring, if at all.

 

[GLoBaLReBeL]

when doing something like this, what receipe would you recommend I use? I myself love wheat's but I would like something like a blue moon flavor, but with rasberries instead of blue berries.

 

[BackBayBrewing]

when doing something like this, what receipe would you recommend I use? I myself love wheat's but I would like something like a blue moon flavor, but with rasberries instead of blue berries.

I actually don't think that Blue Moon has blueberries in it. None-the-less, here is a thread with a Blue Moon clone recipe. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f71/austin-homebrews-blue-moon-clone-ag-30190/

You can basically add some fruit flavoring to any recipe you want. So if you have a good wheat beer recipe that you like, just add the raspberry flavoring to it.

 

[GLoBaLReBeL]

ahh and i would do the addition to the bottling bucket before adding the priming sugar and bottling correct?

And I'm guessing about 1.75Oz per 5 gallon batch?

 

[Sethwick]

ahh and i would do the addition to the bottling bucket before adding the priming sugar and bottling correct?

And I'm guessing about 1.75Oz per 5 gallon batch?

Actually the bottle of extract \ flavoring i have calls for 4oz per 5G batch...

 

[BackBayBrewing]

The bottle may call for 4oz. Many do call for that much, and you may very well like that much. But once you add it, you can't take it out. I tend to think that the whole bottle is overkill, but I like more of a gentle hint of the fruit flavor as opposed to a punch you in the mouth kind of taste. If you are kegging I recommend adding a little and if you want more add it.

 

[calbrew]

I would suggest going easy with the extract first, then build on your second batch. I ruined a cherry stout by adding too much extract a few years ago. I ended up with 5 gallons of room freshener.... it still bothers me.

 

[Sethwick]

I would suggest going easy with the extract first, then build on your second batch. I ruined a cherry stout by adding too much extract a few years ago. I ended up with 5 gallons of room freshener.... it still bothers me.

2 oz it is... I'll dump it into the keg after primary and rack in the beer, carb and taste. Thanks everyone.