Question about Blueberries

[GreenArrow]

I am still pretty new to all grain brewing but the next style is like to attempt is Witbier. A found a good base recipe but I'd like to switch up the orange peel for lemon. If that turns out ok I would do yet another batch with crushed Blueberries in the secondary. But I've never used fruit and I'm not sure how much to use. Any suggestions?
Thank you

 

[TasunkaWitko]

In my reading and experience the general rule of thumb is about a pound per gallon. I normally add them right before or at knock-out, but either way....

If I were going to try them, I'd use at least half a pound, if not the whole pound - the only way to know is to give it a go.

 

[GreenArrow]

Thanks! And I'm sorry. I'm still learning but end of knock-out means right after the boil correct?

 

[madscientist451]

You have to decide what flavor/effect you are looking for. If you want real blueberry flavor, adding specialized commercial flavors at bottling or kegging is the best way to achieve that. When using fruit in primary, you will not get much fruit flavor/aroma, but you will get the acidity from the blueberries and maybe a hint of the fruit flavor.
You'll get more fruit character when adding fruit in secondary.
You can also make a tincture using frozen blueberries and vodka. Perform some blending trials to see if you like the flavor and to determine how much to add to the whole batch.

 

[Vandulus]

You have to decide what flavor/effect you are looking for. If you want real blueberry flavor, adding specialized commercial flavors at bottling or kegging is the best way to achieve that. When using fruit in primary, you will not get much fruit flavor/aroma, but you will get the acidity from the blueberries and maybe a hint of the fruit flavor.
You'll get more fruit character when adding fruit in secondary.
You can also make a tincture using frozen blueberries and vodka. Perform some blending trials to see if you like the flavor and to determine how much to add to the whole batch.

If you decide not to use the freeze+vodka method, you may want to wash the blueberries off fairly well to get rid of some of the yeast on the skins or soaking them in water with a Campden tablet. If your ABV is high enough, you may be able to get away with skipping this - maybe 7+%?