Fruit Beer Succulent Strawberry Blonde

[scottgingrasso]

thanks for the help, i didn't want to unnecessarily touck the whole berries. As far as racking onto them, i still might. Reading this whole thread, it seams that some do, and some just put them in, so i'm still undecided. However, when i was brewing this, it smelled great, i mean really, really good. I might try this, minus the berries next.

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Just racked mine onto 8 lbs of strawberries. My AG version of this is going to be awesome. The base beer tasted so good I might just make a batch of it and not rack onto to strawberries!

 

[scottgingrasso]

Just finished racking onto 8 pounds of whole frozen strawberries, and holy crap thats alot of strawberries. Took a hydro reading and it was at 1.018 started at 1.062 eight days ago. I thought it would be a little lower than that but o'well.

 

[BlueZooBrewing]

Just poured the first pints of a variation of this last night and while it was still a little green, it was amazing. Much to my horror and dismay, today i came home from work tofind 4.5 gallons of strawberry blonde emptied in the bottom of my keezer, and my co2 tank depleted. Apparently i didnt have one of the fittings tightenned all the way and when it chilled down it opened the flood gates. SWMBO actually started crying she was so upset the beer was gone. Needless to say im starting another batch tonight...

 

[pwndabear]

im brewing this tonight as a spur of the moment thing. i realized that i had all the ingredients after organizing my brew equipment. also, i just brewed a pale ale that used the same yeast so i'll be simply racking onto the previous yeastcake. stoked for it.

Im scaling down the strawberries to 5 lbs. 7 days primary, rack onto strawberries in secondary for 7 days, rack off strawberries into tertiary for 7 days. I'll be going at great length to make this beer clear by using irish moss, whirlfoc, gelatin, and cold crashing.

I was debating how i wanted to go about using the strawberries going back and forth between using some in the boil and putting some in the primary, or splitting it up one way or another until i decided to just keep it simple. I figure the easiest way would be to simply allow the strawberries to do their work for a week in a "finished" beer which would impart not-too strong a flavor.

Anyone try any other way? I saw someone tried some in the primary but i would imagine that doing that could impart infection if the yeast hasnt taken hold and theres a nasty on the strawberries (that and i want to allow the beer to finish before doing stuff to it).

 

[Razorbrew]

Converted this too an AG recipe and am brewing it today. My tweaked extract version was one of the best beers I've brewed. Can't wait to taste this version.

Can you post your all-grain recipe?

Thanks!

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Can you post your all-grain recipe?

Thanks!

Absolutely. And for the record it was outstanding when I racked it off of the strawberries this weekend. It is going to to be so good. I actually got better numbers than these but this is how I designed the recipe. Here you go, enjoy!

Batch Size: 6.500 gal into fermenter
Boil Size: 8.300 gal
Boil Time: 1.000 hr
Efficiency: 77%
SG: 1.040
OG: 1.046
FG: 1.011
ABV: 4.5%
Bitterness: 25.1 IBUs (Tinseth)
Color: 3.2 SRM (Morey)

1 lb - Cara-Pils
7 lbs - Pilsner
1.25 lb - German Wheat Malt
1 lb - Flaked Corn


Cascade - 1 0z @ 60 min
Saaz - .5 oz @ 20 min
Saaz - .5 oz @ 15 min

Safale S-05

Mash 5 gal @ 156F for 90 min
Double sparge of 2.5 gal each

Two weeks in primary @ 65F-70F. After primary, rack onto 8 lbs of whole frozen strawberries for 1 week. After 1 week, rack to terrtiary for one week and bottle.

The strawberries will soak up a about 1 gal of beer, so make sure you collect extra into the fermenter.

 

[pwndabear]

i wonder if the strawberries can be consumed after being used...

also, you think it would be alright to throw a strawberry into each bottle when you go to bottle?

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

After you see the strawberries, you will NOT want to consume them. They're pretty rotten looking. I would be worried about adding one to the bottle. I may be wrong, but I think eventually the strawberry would go bad and start to contaminate the beer.

 

[NWAleDad]

i decided i'm going to brew this recipe next weekend, one question did any sanitize the strawberries before transferring? if so, what was the method used?

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

No need to sanitize if you are using frozen. The freezing of the strawberries kills the bacteria. Just dump them in and rack onto them.

 

[pwndabear]

done and done. OG was a little high (1.066) but then again, I used 2 lbs of wheat lme and did a late boil on the extra pale lme to give a lighter color to the beer.

put this on top of a 1272 yeast cake last night and MAN did it take off. This morning it is at a "rolling boil" of fermentation.

 

[NWAleDad]

No need to sanitize if you are using frozen. The freezing of the strawberries kills the bacteria. Just dump them in and rack onto them.

Thanks! Looking forward to the brew!!!

 

[Razorbrew]

Absolutely. And for the record it was outstanding when I racked it off of the strawberries this weekend. It is going to to be so good. I actually got better numbers than these but this is how I designed the recipe. Here you go, enjoy!

I have a several white labs yeasts that I have washed and reuse. Any recommendations? I have California Ale, English Ale, Koelsh. Any of those work?

Thanks!

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Not familiar with a lot of the White Labs but I would try the California Ale.

 

[snpr13]

I am new to brewing still and don't have a full understanding of conversions. Would somebody be able to convert this to a partial mash for me or should I just go with an LME or DME? I think doing a partial mash would add a little "something" to the finished product.

 

[pwndabear]

well, converting is easy:

1lb of grain = .75lb LME or .6lb DME

Im fairly certain this conversion ratio is correct (as i asked about it a couple weeks ago and just got this answer )

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

The original post on Page 1 is a partial mash. I converted it to AG and modified it for my use.

 

[pwndabear]

The original post on Page 1 is a partial mash. I converted it to AG and modified it for my use.

wait...the original recipe on page 1 is extract

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I have always thought that partial mash and extract with steeping grains, were the same thing. However, I could be wrong.

 

[pwndabear]

a partial mash has to do with the mashing of grain to get a significant portion of your fermentable sugars in lieu of using 100% extract. Steeping grains simply impart certain flavors, colors, and aromas on a beer and do not attribute to the main make-up of the beer.

Hey, we learn something everyday! I used to think that LME stood for Light Malt Extract so when i first started, i was always looking for Amber Light Malt Extract ad more than once screwed a recipe up because of it

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

Ha! Guess you do learn something every day. I do not know how to convert this to a partial mash then. I do know that my modified version of the extract with steeping grains was probably the best beer I have ever made. And that the AG version, although not in the bottle yet, is probably going to be the best AG I have ever made. It was sure good going into the bottle.

 

[pwndabear]

to answer this, see my converstion of ME to Grain.

.6lb DME or .75lb LME = 1lb grain

id do the math but my day of working at the bank is over and im going home now.

 

[plato4924]

I made this recipe last weekend and racked onto the strawberries this morning. To prepare the 8 lbs of frozen strawberries, I thawed them out, threw them into sterilized bucket, mixed in a couple of crushed campden tablets with some pectin enzyme and let sit chilled for 36 hours. I then racked the beer on top of the strawberries. The bubbler hasn't shown any activity to indicate fermentation has started again, and when I cracked the bucket lid, the strawberries were swollen and there was a god-awful sulfur smell. What's going on? Is the beer ruined?

 

[scottgingrasso]

I put my beer right onto the frozen strawberries, I watched the airlock throughout the week and never saw one bubble (not patient enouph to sit and watch more than 30 sec). I didn't open the lid either (I never do that) but the strawberries did get very bloated and turned nasty white. I didn't notice a sulfer smell, but then again i wasn't looking for one. When I racked off the stawberries I didn't notice a sulfer smell, only an amazingly strong strawberry smell. I tasted my sample and it was great, can't wait until the bottles are carbed

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I made this recipe last weekend and racked onto the strawberries this morning. To prepare the 8 lbs of frozen strawberries, I thawed them out, threw them into sterilized bucket, mixed in a couple of crushed campden tablets with some pectin enzyme and let sit chilled for 36 hours. I then racked the beer on top of the strawberries. The bubbler hasn't shown any activity to indicate fermentation has started again, and when I cracked the bucket lid, the strawberries were swollen and there was a god-awful sulfur smell. What's going on? Is the beer ruined?

A couple of things I see...I leave the beer in primary for at least two weeks. Let fermentation finish and the yeast clean up after themselves some. I doubt seriously your beer is ruined. However, I highly recommend racking directly onto frozen strawberries. The freezing process kills bacteria and stuff on the berry. When you thaw them out you take the chance of bacteria and such reforming. The alcohol in the beer should kill anything, but why take chances. I also would not have added anything to secondary with the strawberries. If you want to add camden tablets and such, I suggest doing it in terrtiary. The only thing you are trying to do in secondary is impart the flavor of the berries. Worry about clearing the beer in terrtiary. After one week on the berries, rack to terrtiary and leave it for another week or two.

 

[smithnick0]

for the secondary, will a 5 gallon plastic carboy work or will be too much activity? If so, could i use another bucket?

 

[WildGingerBrewing]

I always use a bucket. The strawberries will take up a lot of room and a 5 gal carboy will probably be too small.

 

[NWAleDad]

Okay finally getting got around to brewing this batch yesterday, hit the gravity perfectly and fermentation is underway, I can't wait for this beer!

 

[Hoppin_Mad]

Going to be brewing this later today. yum yum.