Extract vs puree vs fresh

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Shizog4

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Hey guys and gals,

My gf really like blueberry beer so I figured for my second batch I'll make her some. I've been researching the the flavor options and don't have a clear cut answer.

I understand so far that extract could possibly leave an aftertaste and fresh fruit doesn't impart strong flavors while leaving it bitter. So far I'm leaning towards puree.....

Any thoughts or does anybody have a good past extract recipe?

She like sea dogs blue paw, so I was thinking similar, or even a blueberry blonde.
 
I haven't done a fruit beer yet but was planning on doing blueberry as well. From what I have read, extract is the last option.

If you use fresh blueberries, use 10 pounds. Put them in at the 60 minute mark and keep the wort at 160 degrees for 20 minutes and then chill the wort and strain the blueberries. If you use puree, use 5 gallons right after you are done boiling and take the wort off the heat and let sit for 20 minutes. Transfer the puree and the wort to the fermenter. (From Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione)
 
5 gallons of puree? That seems a bit much for 5 gallons of beer lol.......I thought I read about putting it in the secondary fermentor
 
If the fruit extract is not artificial it sometimes the best choice. The artificial flavors have a fake candy type flavor and should be avoided. Puree is the second choice. Fresh is my last choice.

Blueberry flavor is very delicate and it will take a ton of it to come thru in the beer. Start with a very bland base beer and add an ass ton of the blue berry. With fresh fruit you get the least amount of flavor per lb so it will take the most to the point where it will take up a huge amount of space in your fermenter. Puree tends to be more concentrated and the flavors are more accessible. Extract (juice) is is the most concentrated and therefore most effective.

In all cases I highly recommend adding the flavor AFTER the fermentation. If it's fruit or puree then it should go in a secondary. It's best if you keep it separated from the bulk of the yeast cake and trub. If it's concentrate or juice it can go in at bottling / kegging. The later you add it in the process the less is lost and the greater the fruit character will end up in the beer.
 
D. Fruit juice concentrate from brownwoodacres.com

Don't ever heat fruit. It just makes it taste cooked and gives you pectin haze.

If you use fresh, cut it up a bit, sulfite it, and freeze it. In any case add the fruit in secondary.
 
My latest batch of beer was a blueberry wheat (10 IBU). I used four pounds of frozen blueberries and put them in after the primary fermentation was done. I added some Splenda to compensate for the lost sugar when the blueberries fermented. Strained it after two weeks and kegged. My wife thinks it's perfect.
 
I've used RW Knudsen brand juice before on a cherry beer and it works very very well.

They also make Blueberry

The package says 3 lbs of blueberries in one bottle. I'd use 1-2 bottles and add it to the keg and see how it works. You can get this brand in most good supermarkets. If your regular supermarket does not stock it then try the healthfood stores.
 
I am doing a Red Wit and Blue (Red wheat with blueberry). I have 2 half gallons of Wegmans branded pastorized blueberry juice. I will put this in a secondary and pitch the fermented red wheat onto it and let it go in the secondary for about 3 weeks, should be Ra-Ricious.

I used the recipe for a Blue Moon Wheat beer clone, just changed the recipe to give it a red color (may have gone over board on the color cause it is blood red in color).
 
Oregon fruit puree is supposedly excellent and easy to use (sanitary from the can), though i've never tried it personally. Frozen or fresh then frozen is what i've done in the past.
 
Was thinking about throwing some blueberry puree in with my honey weizen. How much for a 5 gallon batch?
 

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