Blackberries in secondary

[KarmaCitra]

So I did a search and couldn't find a definitive answer in regard to time in secondary with fruit beers. I racked 5 gallons on top of 4 lbs of frozen, then thawed, pasteurized and smashed blackberries a week ago and experienced fermentation of the berries (pretty vigorous, actually). My question is, is there any danger of me bottling them now, a week after secondary? The beer was in primary for 3 weeks. Thanks!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

You'll be fine to bottle now.

There isn't enough sugar in 4lbs of blackberries to create bottle bombs, even if they hadn't fermented at all (there would probably have been less than 4oz of sugar in the berries).

 

[EarthwormJim]

Gnomebrewer is probably right that you would be fine to bottle now. Checking a couple gravity readings to make sure it is stable is quick and easy insurance though.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Thanks guys, I think I'll go ahead and bottle this weekend and see how they turn out!

 

[TurnipGreen]

I'm getting ready to add some berries to a beer. All the threads I've read talk about racking on top of fruit. Is there any real danger I just tossing the fruit into the primary? I'd kind of like to keep my process as simple as possible.

 

[JJack887]

Fruit in primary lends a more "fermented fruit" flavor to the beer, which isn't a bad thing. Just be sure to pasteurize the fruit before adding.

 

[KarmaCitra]

I thought about adding to the primary, but decided to go the secondary route so I could get more of the "berry" qualities of the fruit.

 

[narddawg314]

I thought about adding to the primary, but decided to go the secondary route so I could get more of the "berry" qualities of the fruit.

I think you should give it another week if you really want that berry flavor. Also, I woud have done 1.5 lbs per gallon depending on the style. I did a raspberry and a blackberry saison with that ratio and it was very nice.

 

[KarmaCitra]

I think you should give it another week if you really want that berry flavor. Also, I woud have done 1.5 lbs per gallon depending on the style. I did a raspberry and a blackberry saison with that ratio and it was very nice.

That's what I was going for, but with prices of blackberries being so high, I got as much as I could pick. So what would the extra week in the secondary do for the flavor? If I do that, that's 5 weeks in total.

 

[KarmaCitra]

I think you should give it another week if you really want that berry flavor. Also, I woud have done 1.5 lbs per gallon depending on the style. I did a raspberry and a blackberry saison with that ratio and it was very nice.

That's what I was going for, but with prices of blackberries being so high, I got as much as I could pick. So what would the extra week in the secondary do for the flavor? If I do that, that's 5 weeks in total primary/secondary.

 

[KarmaCitra]

Sorry for the double post, my app is weird.