On vacation this week we picked a bunch of blueberries and I'm thinking of trying them in an ale....open to any suggestions!... I made a nice american wheat and was thinking of adjusting that recipe a bit... It was 6lbs wheat DME, Willamette (bittering),and cascade ( flavor) hops, and crystal 10 and a touch of honey malt as steeping grains...envisioning a slightly creamy beer, I'm thinking of 4 lbs wheat DME, 2lbs light DME, and maybe adding a vanilla bean with the blueberries in the secondary? How would I get a slightly creamy mouth feel? Thinking of using safeale 04 as I have it and it wouldn't get quite as dry as 05? Again, any advice appreciated.
Blueberry ale advice?
- Thread starter cjbalough
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Make few jars of blueberry jam if you can not eat all the berries fresh 
You will be way happier when you enjoy the jam with toast and milk.
You probably need to make a juice and then reduce it to a syrup. Beer + blueberry ... I'll skip that
You will be way happier when you enjoy the jam with toast and milk.
You probably need to make a juice and then reduce it to a syrup. Beer + blueberry ... I'll skip that
kerant
Well-Known Member
Make few jars of blueberry jam if you can not eat all the berries fresh
You will be way happier when you enjoy the jam with toast and milk.
You probably need to make a juice and then reduce it to a syrup. Beer + blueberry ... I'll skip that
You don't know what your missing then. A wheat beer with a delicate blueberry taste- a great summer quencher.
Interesting indeed. Maybe there is a yeast strain (or a combination) out there that can give you what you are looking for?
Weezy
Well-Known Member
I have a dark blueberry wheat in the secondary with the berries now. I'm using 1 lb/gal and I plan to add some blueberry extract, to taste, after kegging. I've found supplementing fresh fruit with extract really enhances the overall effect. I used all wheat DME with a minimash of 5% 2 row, 3% aromatic and 3% spec b. I wanted a malty beer and slightly darker color to go with the sweet berry.
I think your malt profile and hops look good. I'd skip the vanilla bean. Good quality vanilla extract works better and you can't add beans to the keg after your taste buds tell you that you need it. I personally wouldn't add any vanilla. I'd expect it to muddy the blueberry flavor.
Creamy mouth feel? You could add some maltodextrin and/or lactose.
I think your malt profile and hops look good. I'd skip the vanilla bean. Good quality vanilla extract works better and you can't add beans to the keg after your taste buds tell you that you need it. I personally wouldn't add any vanilla. I'd expect it to muddy the blueberry flavor.
Creamy mouth feel? You could add some maltodextrin and/or lactose.
Weezy
Well-Known Member
Not creaminess per se but body and mouthfeel
