strawberry harvest clone

[tmurph6]

For the strawberry flavor I think you're better off using frozen strawberries with the campden to keep the strawberry sugar from ferming out. The extracts typically add no flavor and only add aromatics. May use both...

Dont worry about the haze. Most abita strawberries I have are very hazy.

Let us know how it turns out!

 

[rhamilton]

Subscribing. This is the SWMBO's favorite beer -- we buy cases of it when it is in season. Hopefully I can clone it once I get some free fermenting space

 

[Chefencore]

If I convert this to AG, what would the mash schedule look like?

 

[tmurph6]

3.5 lbs wheat @ 2.5L
5.5 lbs 2 Row (or pilsner) @ 1.5L

Mash at 151 for 1 hour

1.25qt/lb thickness

6 gallons wort post boil.

SG-1.042
FG - 1.010

1 oz mt. hood @ 45 @ 5%AA
~14IBU

Yeast WLP 800
ABV - 4.2
Color - 3L ~ a little low as the original beer is ~5L, however, the strawberry probably gives it a little color so, meh.

 

[tmurph6]

I'm brewing this up on Saturday, not as a lager though, using wyeast 1056. I found a podcast from the brewing network sunday session where they interviewed the head brewer at Abita, from what he said he uses 75% pilsner, 25% wheat. My recipe is adjusted as follows:

AG recipe
8 lbs pilsner malt
2 lbs wheat malt
.25 lbs acid malt (for mash ph adjusting)

1 oz mt. hood at 60 (I may change my mind and do 45)

75% RO water 25% houston water, minimal water adjustments...

American Ale Wyeast.

Ferment 10-14 days in primary, depending on how lazy I am, rack to secondary and let it sit on 7# dole frozen strawberries (thawed) for 7 days, add 1-1.5 oz mccormick strawberry extract at kegging time.

 

[tmurph6]

Currently sitting in the primary, I added the Mt. Hood at 45 minutes, should be about 15-20 IBU's in the finished beer which will probably translate nicely to the commercial example.

My starting gravity came out to be at 1050, with 6 gallons into the primary!! Oh well, guess I'll be getting drunk off strawberry juice

I'll post pictures when I add the strawberries. Also, since this beer will be done around strawberry harvest season I'll post a side by side comparison along with tasting notes.

 

[tmurph6]

Not sure if anyone is watching this thread anymore, but I'm going to document everything in case someone else stumbles upon it.

I racked this beer from the primary to the secondary today. I tried to ferment it as cold as possible to get it to ferment out as clean as possible. I use the swamp cooler method of cooling, and my surrounding water was around 61 degrees when I measured it. I kept swapping the frozen bottles out for about a week then let it free rise and stay around ambient (which was still a little cold I think since it's the winter) for another week.

Anyway, after 2 weeks in the primary, I racked it to the secondary and added some gelatin to filter it. (Abita filters onto strawberry juice in the bright tank then bottles the next day). Since I don't have that ability, gelatin is the best I can do. I'm going to let it sit in the secondary and clear out until Thursday, then I'll rack to tertiary, where I'll add 7 lbs of dole frozen strawberries (thawed). I'm going to sanitize a paint strainer bag and put the strawberries in there so it's easier to clean up and strain later.

FG 1.010, surprising since I mashed this at around 155. I think I nailed the base beer, it's got a very light flavor, with just enough wheat that you know it's there. Very little aroma, all malt. Color is a bright clear yellow. I flat out can't wait for this beer to be done!

 

[usfmikeb]

Sounds good. Don't let it sit on the strawberries too long, the seeds actually can contribute a tannin like astringency to the beer.

 

[tmurph6]

Planning on going a week on strawberries. Then an ounce of mccormicks strawberry extract at kegging time.

 

[Chefencore]

Still subscribed!!

 

[tmurph6]

HEB Strawberries, I think it's the only one they had at the store, 7 lbs, thawed.


Think it dropped clear enough?


Racking to tertiary. I chose to use the bucket for the strawberries so I had enough headspace for another fermentation, and because it's easier to get the berries out afterward.


Sanitized a 5 gallon paint strainer bag and added the strawberries. I'll probably leave them in there 5 days, then take them out and allow the beer to sit for 2 days to drop out any nasties from the strawberries, then go right into the keg.


hehe...like the beer bottle blow off?

Still can't wait! I'll post more pics of it going into the keg, then the side by side!

 

[Chefencore]

Racking to tertiary. I chose to use the bucket for the strawberries so I had enough headspace for another fermentation, and because it's easier to get the berries out afterward.

Are you expecting more fermentation? How much yeast could possibly be left? Did you need to account for berry fermentation when measuring your fg from primary?

 

[tmurph6]

Just being safe, probably a tiny tiny fermentation. I think I'm gonna keep a lot of nice sweet strawberry flavor, which is very abita-like.

No I didn't need to account for anything, my primary reading was 1010, I expect I'll get a little more alcohol and a drier beer after the strawberries, but I'm not too worried about getting any more gravity readings.

 

[jaytizzle]

Definitely following along on this one!!!

 

[Zalf]

For those like me who are still working on their harvest clones and need something to hold them over, I found my first commercial bottles of the season today.

 

[jaytizzle]

For those like me who are still working on their harvest clones and need something to hold them over, I found my first commercial bottles of the season today.

Just got my hands on some. What do you think about it this year?

 

[tmurph6]

I had my first one from this season today. They switched to vanguard hops this year. Pretty good, lacks the strawberry character I remember from last year. Aroma is the same as always though.

 

[Zalf]

Just got my hands on some. What do you think about it this year?

I agree with the above poster, the strawberry flavor is a little lacking. I have had the same problem off and on in previous years a wrote it off to getting late in the batch and possible storage inconsistencies. That shouldn't be an issue this early in the run.

Still a good beer but doesn't live up to how I remember it. Does make me look forward to my homebrew strawberry beers.

 

[jaytizzle]

Agreed fully. Not up to par. Hopefully it gets better as the strawberry season runs on a bit longer and the berries get sweeter. Right now it's just boring and lacking.

 

[Zalf]

Agreed fully. Not up to par. Hopefully it gets better as the strawberry season runs on a bit longer and the berries get sweeter. Right now it's just boring and lacking.

Either this beer is just flat out inconsistent or my taste buds are. First beer of the day out of a new six pack and it is great. Medium(in a good way as opposed to too much or too little) strawberry flavor up front and a nice clean finish. The aroma actually seems more subdued than the ones yesterday but the flavor is much more upfront and natural tasting.

One thing different is it was in the freezer(yes I know I am not a real beer drinker because I like my beer really cold) long enough to have a thin layer of ice form on the pour.

I still wonder if this beer is extremely sensitive to temperature or light during storage. The new six pack design; which I hate because it is pretty much impossible to reuse; should keep light from being a factor. I was spoiled on purple haze when it was only available in kegs so I rarely drink it in bottles but I wonder if it has the same constancy issues.

 

[tmurph6]

It's very inconsistent. The worst ones taste like a normal pilsner, the good ones are really really good. Just varies.

 

[tmurph6]

Just an update, I took the strawberries out of the fermenter yesterday (3/8) so that was 6 days on strawberries. As soon as I opened the bucket lid I was smacked in the face by sweet strawberry aroma, so good. Also, the beer is now pink . I'm going to let it sit for 2 days and settle any floaties out and maybe clear up a little bit before kegging.

 

[jaytizzle]

Lol... pink beer...

 

[tmurph6]

Not sure if it'll keep the color, but if it does...pink lady sounds like a good name for it.

 

[mpenn35]

I'm brewing a Belgian Blonde this weekend that I plan to rack onto 5 or 6 pounds of strawberries after two weeks or so.

I'm seeing so many conflicting opinions on this forum about fruit, and whether you should boil it, freeze it, freeze then boil it, etc. Has anyone done it multiple ways and had better results one way or another?

 

[tmurph6]

You see conflicting opinions because everyone's taste buds are different. Fruit extract is easiest but can lend little fruit flavor and can seem artificial. Fresh fruit lends the best fruit character but needs to be sterilized before use. Blanching in hot water briefly works best I think because it reduces pectin haze. After sterilizing the fruit you have to pulverize it or freeze it to release the fruit flavor. Buying frozen fruit bypasses the limitations of fresh fruit because it's flash frozen and sterile. So you just thaw it and toss it in, easy peasy. I prefer the frozen fruit in combo with a little extract, gives good fruit flavor and aroma. Hope this helps.

 

[mpenn35]

Thanks, tmurph. So with the frozen, do you still need to "crush" them before adding?

 

[tmurph6]

No, freezing breaks down the cell walls so crushing is not necessary.

 

[Zalf]

With freezing I still halve them just to get as much strawberry in contact with the beer as possible. For now, I can verify that frozen/Halved gives a good natural taste. In a couple of weeks I will have an opinion on frozen/halved + 1/2 lb of lactose mix.

Edit: I haven't done a strawberry extract but peach extract isn't impressing me.

 

[tmurph6]

It's in the keg, the strawberry color definitely leached into the beer, not near as clear as it was out of the secondary. The smell turned out more tart as well, which is surprising cause it was quite sweet when I took the berries out 2 days ago. I racked it on top of 1 oz McCormick strawberry extract. I'm gonna let it sit 2 weeks at 12 PSIG and I'll be back for a side by side. After 3 weeks I'll do a second side by side as I imagine 3 week in the keg ought to clear it up. Stay tuned...