Raspberry Wheat underway... few questions

[Verio]

I have just over a LB of Brown Sugar, and 3/4LB of Honey I'd like to add to this batch (trying some other flavors). Otherwise, it's just 5LB's DME (Wheat) and 1oz Hersbrucker hops.

Is there any issues adding this to the boil with 15 mins remaining? What about 5 mins remaining?

I want it to add SOME flavor.

Thoughts??

Thanks a lot!!!

 

[Pappers_]

Raspberry would be the flavor I would focus on. A nice light wheat beer with a raspberry finish.

You can add the sugar or honey at any point in the boil.

 

[Verio]

Raspberry would be the flavor I would focus on. A nice light wheat beer with a raspberry finish.

You can add the sugar or honey at any point in the boil.

Just tossed it in with 8 mins left in the boil.

I'll be putting the Raspberries in, in the secondary after a few weeks.

 

[Verio]

Just tossed it in with 8 mins left in the boil.

I'll be putting the Raspberries in, in the secondary after a few weeks.

So... finally tried this beer tonight after it's been carbing a few days in the new kegging system.

It just doesn't taste right. I think it may be partially from the berries that started fermentation again in the secondary or something, but it has a really strong alcohol taste and just an unpleasant smell.

I've tried to suck it up and drink a few, but unfortunately, I just can't do it. My wife lovingly told me to dump the batch after she smelled my glass sitting out :-\

 

[trizzant]

I just brewed my first raspberry wheat yesterday. It's having a field day right now in the primary. I used 6lbs of wheat DME and 1oz Hersbrucker hops. However I didn't add anything else on the boil. I'm waiting to add the raspberry flavor (brewer's best) to the secondary. Do you think it was adding actual raspberries to the secondary that did it? I heard it was hard adding real fruit because of the decomposition.

 

[Verio]

I just brewed my first raspberry wheat yesterday. It's having a field day right now in the primary. I used 6lbs of wheat DME and 1oz Hersbrucker hops. However I didn't add anything else on the boil. I'm waiting to add the raspberry flavor (brewer's best) to the secondary. Do you think it was adding actual raspberries to the secondary that did it? I heard it was hard adding real fruit because of the decomposition.

I think that's where I went wrong.... added real fruit :-\

 

[Smokeater233]

I'm having a hard time believing what you are tasting/smelling is decomp...people use fruit all the time. Did you soak the raspberries in an alcohol before hand to sterilize? Unlikely a contributing factor, but still...

Wheats - particularly those fermented too hot or cold - can sometimes take on some weird flavors, some of which will age out. Your comments about the strong alcohol taste suggest the possibility of too hot a ferment, or an incomplete fermentation...

 

[dfc]

I agree. My second batch was an american wheat and it fermented a little hot. It had a nasty taste and was hard to drink. Sounds exactly like what Verio may be experiencing.

What temperature did you ferment it at?

 

[mfraier]

That is my wifes favorite summer beer.....the one we made last year took some time. THe flavors have to come together, and if you had any off fermentation flavors they may go away with age. Ours always seems like too much raspberry after a couple weeks in the bottle, but is great after 6-8 weeks bottled.

I would focus on finding a good easy drinking wheat recipe that you like first and then adjust the fruit to your liking.

 

[Verio]

I'm having a hard time believing what you are tasting/smelling is decomp...people use fruit all the time. Did you soak the raspberries in an alcohol before hand to sterilize? Unlikely a contributing factor, but still...

Wheats - particularly those fermented too hot or cold - can sometimes take on some weird flavors, some of which will age out. Your comments about the strong alcohol taste suggest the possibility of too hot a ferment, or an incomplete fermentation...

Fermented between 70-71 ambient temperature. Waited until primary fermentation completed, then put the puree'd fruit in the secondary and racked the primary onto it. Fermentation started up again.

I did not sterilize the fruit, as they were frozen when I bought them.

 

[sjbeerman]

I think its possibly the combination of the brown sugar/honey with raspberries. It just seems that all those together would produce an off taste in a wheat beer. Just my 2 cents...

 

[Verio]

I think its possibly the combination of the brown sugar/honey with raspberries. It just seems that all those together would produce an off taste in a wheat beer. Just my 2 cents...

Yeah, whatever the combination was, it ended up not so hot. Oh well, lessons learned

 

[Smokeater233]

Yeah, not buying that it's a brown sugar/honey combo problem with raspberries. You could always buy a fairly neutral wheat and mix in some brown sugar/honey and raspberry puree to get a sense of what it tastes like - if it doesn't taste like what you created, then I'm going to suggest your recipe and its flavors are not the problem.

You mentioned that fermentation completed - how long did it sit in primary, and your comment about your wife suggesting you dump, did you do that yet? I think your wheat deserves more time to settle some of the off flavors out...