From the Dust Bowl of SoCal

[Rotor_Head]

Greetings everyone and what a great place ya'll have here. I just racked the first beer I have ever brewed independently in the form of a red ale LME kit from "More Beer" with intent to add some frozen blackberries to the secondary. Hailing from the Southern California desert, there isn't much to do outside of out doorsy type activity. I enjoy drinking beer across the spectrum and thought I'd give it a whack. I look very much forward to when the sweet nectar of success flowith from my tap. Cheers!

 

[estricklin]

Thouest have pleased the Brew Gods!

Welcome to the forum. I hear red ale is preppy popular in Cali?

 

[Rotor_Head]

I'm not sure that it is more or less popular then anything else but I've had a few of them and like the medium strength and body of a red. Thanks for the greeting. I'm looking forward to moving over to the secondary here tomorrow or so. The plan is to add either pureed or frozen blackberries and let it set up for another week or 2. After that, I'll move it over to some 22oz bottles. I'm not enamored with the idea of bottling but without a way to keep a keg cold, I'm out of alternatives. Thanks again for the welcome!

 

[brettg20]

Cheers

 

[estricklin]

Bottling isn't bad at all once you get a good system down. Make sure you a comfortable by placing your bottling bucket up on something so you don't have to hunker over.

Most of us on this forum advise against the use of a secondary. If your using fruit, (as you plan to), some do just because they want to save the yeast or they plan to leave it for months and months. it's really up to you.

 

[markvale5]

Welcome. What part of so cal are you from?

 

[Rotor_Head]

I'm currently camped in Ridgecrest, CA though I'll be moving to ?? soon. I'm changing jobs (military) so I expect they'll let me know where I'm going here in a week or so.

Estricklen said not to use a seconday? I thought it was supposed to add clarity and improve flavor (if you believe the instructions.) I got no problems doing only a primary but I'm 4 days into fermentation. Should I just dump in the frozen berries? If you guys think that's better I'll do it. I trust some folks who have done more than those who test the product in a lab.

Again thank you for your advice. I get the feeling I got some learning to do.

 

[unionrdr]

Many of us now secondary only when adding fruit, oaking or the like. So definitely secondary it for the raspberry addition. Freezing the berries will give more juice when they thaw. Simmering them at 160°F for a minute or two will pasteurize them to avoid infection from any nasties on them. Then add to secondary.

 

[bragona71]

welcome from norcal!!! my secondary is a keg now a days, if you listen to the old brewers from LBHS they swear on it but unless your bulk aging its not necessary

 

[Rotor_Head]

Many of us now secondary only when adding fruit, oaking or the like. So definitely secondary it for the raspberry addition. Freezing the berries will give more juice when they thaw. Simmering them at 160°F for a minute or two will pasteurize them to avoid infection from any nasties on them. Then add to secondary.

As it turns out, I pasteurized the fruit in a puree at 170 for 9 minutes, dumped it into the secondary and put the beer on top of it. Here's hoping I didn't ball it up by cooking the pectin out of the fruit. I'll let it set for another couple weeks and then move it to bottles. We'll see what it gives us and thanks for the advice. I'll lower temp and cooking time next time.

 

[Rotor_Head]

welcome from norcal!!! my secondary is a keg now a days, if you listen to the old brewers from LBHS they swear on it but unless your bulk aging its not necessary

I would be more then happy to keg it but I don't have a way to keep a keg cold so, for now, I'm stuck with bottling. I put it in a secondary and it will set for another couple weeks to really let it settle out before bottling. Here's hoping a great Merlin Blackberry Red Ale.