Recipe Help

[wolfnforest]

My SWMBO loves fruity beers and asked me to make something "very berry". This is my first time ever formulating a recipe, so I'm very unsure of what this recipe might taste like. Anyway the recipe is below and I would appreciate any changes/suggestions. Thanks a ton!

Recipe Type: Extract
Yeast: White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale
Yeast Starter: Yes
Batch Size (Gallons): 5
Original Gravity: 1.048 ~
Final Gravity: 1.011 ~

4.5# Extra Pale LME
1.5# Wheat LME
1# Blueberry Honey
.4 oz Cluster 6.8% @ 60 min
.25 oz Cluster 6.8% @ 20 min
Whirlfloc @ 15 min
White Labs WLP500 Trappist Ale
5lbs Blueberry 2lbs Raspberry 1lbs Blackberry (In the secondary)

 

[logan3825]

I may be wrong but with all that berry flavor added I would go with a less expensive(neutral) yeast. I think the Trappist yeast you have picked out won't really have a chance to shine through. I would personally go with something like US-05.

 

[Calder]

Agree, go with a neutral yeast.

The Blueberry honey will not do much except increase abv. Leave it out if it is an expensive addition.

The best fruit flavors I've gotten, are with the fruit flavorings you can get from your LHBS for about $5. Just add with the bottling sugar.

 

[PT Ray]

A safe route is to brew a simple wheat and add fruit/berry extract. It's not as glamorous as using honey and 8 lbs of fruit but the magic 8 Ball says "Outlook Not So Good" with the fruit.

A Rough Guideline:
6 lbs Wheat LME
.5 oz Cluster 60 min
Nottingham or US-05
Blueberry (or other berry) Extract at bottling.

I've had good results with a blueberry extract but think any "berry" will do. You may find some extract at your local grocery but even if you have to order it the cost will not even come close to your original recipe.