Rhubarb Beer

[BGBC]

Alright, going to resurrect this thread. Anyone want to provide some feedback on this recipe?

Rhubarb Saison
Type: All Grain Date: 11/15/2013
Batch Size (fermenter): 10.0 gal
Boil Size: 11.9 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment:
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
18 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 73.5 %
1 lbs Caramel Malt - 20L (Briess) (20.0 SRM) Grain 2 4.1 %
1 lbs Caramel Rye (Weyermann) (35.0 SRM) Grain 3 4.1 %
1 lbs Honey Malt (Gambrinus) (25.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.1 %
1 lbs Wheat - Soft Red, Flaked (Briess) (1.6 SRM) Grain 5 4.1 %
8.0 oz Oats, Golden Naked (Simpsons) (10.0 SRM) Grain 6 2.0 %
2.00 oz Strisslespalt [4.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 7 15.9 IBUs
2 lbs Milk Sugar (Lactose) (0.0 SRM) Sugar 8 8.2 %
2.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 9 -
2.00 oz Strisslespalt [4.00 %] - Boil 8.0 min Hop 10 4.4 IBUs
2.00 lb Rhubarb (Secondary 5.0 days) Other 11 -
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.065 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 7.0 %
Bitterness: 20.3 IBUs Calories: 151.6 kcal/12oz
Est Color: 8.3 SRM

Single Infusion mash, medium body with batch sparge.

Thinking 3724, 3711, 3726PC or 670 for the yeast.

Ack, lactose in a saison? How did this turn out?

Might be good.

I'm wondering how the folks who've brewed with rhubarb prepared it for the beer, and when they added it.

I'm planning a fruit sour brew that I'm going to split in three for secondary, which is when I'll be adding the puréed fruit. Into a third I'm planning to use 12.5-15# blueberries! and another third rhubarb, and the last third possibly guava, though guava isn't in season yet, that carboy can sit a while.

I wondering if the fibrous parts of the rhubarb should be separated and if I should juice it, or just process it in food processor and add raw, or if I should just cut up and cook with water and let it break itself down and then let it cool ad add to fermenter. I'm thinking that the bug farm blend will chew through just about anything.

Keep it simple. Clean and cut the rhubarb, freeze it till you're ready, then thaw and add to the beer. You can break it up a little with your hands (in a ziploc) as it's thawing, but that's about it.

 

[thatjonguy]

Why not use carapils to sweeten? You could find a recipe for a sweet stout and just use that amount of carapils (probably a pound or so). That way you won't have to add lactose and you can still bottle condition.

If you have the equipment for it (an ice cream maker), you could make sorbet out of it if it's too tart to drink.

I am making a saison and already have some caramel 20 and caramel rye in mine.

The lactose is to provide a creamy sweetness to deal with the sharp tartness of rhubarb..

I don't understand why I wouldn't be able to bottle if lactose is in the recipe. Or I suppose it was directed at someone else.

 

[BlkWater_brewer]

As far as the recipe goes I think it maybe overly complex for a rhubarb beer. But it's not my brew. I have had the best luck with simpler wheat ales with the fruits added after say 3 days to the primary. You might want to rethink the lactose and replace it with Belgium candi (beet sugar). It ferments really nice with a sweet tone that may mellow out the tartness and tone down the alcohol taste, similar to Belgium Tripels. I may even have to try this myself now that you got me thinking. Also perhaps the addition of sweet orange peel may work. I also cook and can and just made a rhubarb chutney with orange peel and raisins that was the hit at the last barbecue.

 

[Marmike600]

I just harvest the rhubarb, clean, cut up, freeze and then add it when I add the strawberries. Zero issues in a few batches.

It has become a staple for the keezer and a favorite of friends and family.

 

[SudsyPaul]

I've been looking at doing a strawberry rhubarb wit. Essentially, toss 5lbs of rhubarb into the mash, and then 3lbs rhubarb and strawberry to secondary.

I feel like a nice light beer like a wit would pair nicely with the berry/rhubarb combo. Tartness is well accepted in a wit, and if I like the residual sweetness as I sample, I'll just knock out the yeast with sorbate and campden.

Also entertained 1/3 pilsen, 1/3 wheat flake and 1/3 rye. But think that might be a bit too much going on. :S

 

[sakariss]

My first Rhubarb beer has been in primary for a week. I took some samples from it, and it tastes great!
So if things don't go wrong in the fermentation, it might become a very good beer.
It's my first homemade recipe, so I'm starting to get proud

I did a 10l. batch. (more like 9l) OG was 1054
I used pure Maris Otter grains in a BIAB mashing.
Did a 60 hour boil with 12g of Nugget hops for bittering and another 8g if Nugget for the last 15 mins.
Added 250g of Light DME for the last half hour of the boil.

I added 100g of peeled rhubarbs together with 200g of Raspberries in a hop bag during the last 15 min. of the boil.

The yeast is a mixture of US-05 and Wyeast London Ale (reharvested)

The tartness is lovely, and it goes well with the hop bitterness. The beer has a bit of the pinkish coloring from the raspberries.

Head and Body might be a bit off, since I only used one kind of grains, But Maris Otter is suposed to be good as a single grain, and I added the 250g of DME just to be sure.

I'll try to keep you updated if I haven't jinxed myself by braggin about a beer yet to be fermented