raspberry ale

[BertusBrew]

I have a question about making a raspberry ale. I don't traditionally like fruit beers, I am making this for my girlfriend. I used a pretty basic amber ale recipe and was planning on adding raspberries to the secondary. How much raspberries should I use to make a beer with a slight raspberry taste? I don't want it to come out like berryweis, where you feel like you are drinking juice with a little beer mixed in. I want the beer to be the focus with a subtle raspberry flavor. Has anybody had any experience with this? Thanks.

 

[david_42]

A pound per 5 gallons would do the trick for slight.

 

[BertusBrew]

Thanks david

 

[azingsheim]

I'm actually doing a raspberry wheat, an I'm goingto start with 3 pounds and work my way up by taste if I need more.

 

[92greenyj]

I use fruit in beers often. the amount stated should give you a nice mild taste.

Typically when I use fruit I use fresh or frozen to start with. Puree it and mix in a little pectic enzyme (to cut pectin haze) and let the puree sit overnight. Then I add it when I rack into secondary.

My second fruit step is to either get dehydrated or bust our the Ronco and dehydrate some fresh fruit. I add about 6 ozs of the dehydrated fruit to the keg. As it rehydrates in the beer it leaches out more flavor and color. I've always been very happy with the results I get from this.

 

[skybrew]

I do fruit beers a lot and I always have done what Jami has recommended, a can of Oregon puree in the secondary.

My beers have always come out really good! I leave it on the puree for 2 weeks and then rack again to another carboy to clear.

 

[Daybis]

One can of Oregon puree is more than enough. I've done two raspberry batches and I used two cans in both. The amount of raspberry flavor was almost too much and medicinal. One can should be enough to add just a hint of raspberries.

 

[chilort]

I make a gluten free raspberry beer and a gluten free raspberry and blackberry beer rather regularly (my wife has Celiac and she loves the beer). I've also attempted a gluten free raspberry "wit." So I've worked with raspberries a lot.

As stated, one pound in 5gal should work for a subtle flavor.

When I make my beers I freeze fresh fruit (I've got quite a bit frozen currently because I am cheap and like to buy in season). On brew day at flame out I drop the frozen fruit into the wort. I then shoot for a temperature of 150-160F. With 4 to 6lbs of fruit in my GF beers I generally have to add heat before I'm done. I then stir the fruit and crush it up against the side of the brew kettle. I do this stirring and crushing process for about 10-15min. I then cool it all and dump everything into the primary, fruit and all. A lot of the fruit comes out when I transfer to a secondary. And watching raspberries bleach out over the two week primary fermentation is kind of neat to watch.