Wild Blackberries

[Soulshine2]

I discovered many wild blackberry bushes in and around our property. One patch is the size of my truck and loaded. The others are on the fence line of the cow pasture behind us. I hopped the fence yesterday ... If it wasn't for the flesh ripping killer thorns like concertina wire, razor wire , I'd pick the whole patch clean. I have just over 3 lbs in the freezer right now and I could easily have 5 to 10lbs if I continue to pick as they ripen.
I have AG ingredients to make another 5 gallons of Gose ,just add fruit.
Id also think a wheat ale or crisp pale ale would be great with them. Looking for refreshing, tart and crisp rather than sweet.
my other idea is blackberry brandy if I can pick enough...

what would you make with them??

 

[DIYer]

The gose would be good. I'd consider a blackberry cider too.

 

[user 30639]

The gose would be good. I'd consider a blackberry cider too.

Agree with both of these.

Man, this post brought back memories. When I was growing up we had wild blackberry bushes in the backyard. During the summer I'd just go out back and eat them right off the bush. Good times.

 

[shelly_belly]

Blackberries make awesome wine. Try https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forum/threads/blackberry-wine.31294/ or one of the other recipes at https://winemaking.jackkeller.net/blackbr2.asp . I like the heavy bodied one or even better is the blackberry-blueberry recipe. A blackberry Berliner Weisse sounds good too.

 

[brownni5]

Just a week or so ago I had Tidal Disruption, a Berliner Weiss with blackberries from Schell's Starkeller series - it was fabulous. This beer has Brett in it (a MTF podcast on Berliner quotes a German beer historian as saying Schell's makes the best Berliner in America).

The Gose would probably be good. Sour beer and fruit go together like peas and carrots (read with your favorite Forrest Gump accent).

Wild blackberries sidetracked many a work day when I lived in Georgia.

 

[Dgallo]

I’d make a Berliner with it. Light crisp and easy drinking. I always feel like salt of the gose style takes away from the fruit expression.

 

[BruceH]

You could make a melomel mead with them.

 

[Kent88]

Pie, ice cream, sour beer, melomel, smoothies, etc, etc.

They're good for lots of stuff.

 

[isomerization]

I enjoy blackberry and mango together, and I’d second (or third?) a Berliner versus a Gose.

 

[Soulshine2]

Agree with both of these.

Man, this post brought back memories. When I was growing up we had wild blackberry bushes in the backyard. During the summer I'd just go out back and eat them right off the bush. Good times.

The house I grew up in Illinois backed up to farm land. we had a patch of black raspberries...yeah , right off the bush , mom made pies , put em on ice cream...good times is right

 

[Soulshine2]

I’d make a Berliner with it. Light crisp and easy drinking. I always feel like salt of the gose style takes away from the fruit expression.

got a recipe?

 

[madscientist451]

I've been experimenting with berries in beer and cider for a few years.
My conclusion at this point is that berries of all types have a rather delicate flavor/aroma that really doesn't come through after fermentation. So if you want blackberry flavor, make some kind of puree and add to secondary, but making a tincture with vodka might work better since the fermentation won't kick off again.

 

[Dgallo]

got a recipe?

Yes sir. Here is my base Berliner recipe

Grains
6 lbs - Golden Promise
4 lbs - white wheat

Mash: 148-152 (your call on how dry you like your sours)

Post boil volume 5.75-6.0 gals

Yeast/culture
Souring blend - Omega 605
Primary yeast - Imperial A20

Fruit: 1 lb per gallon *freeze the

So if you’ve kettle soured before, I’m sorry for explaining a process you already know

Brew day one:
Mash and sparge as normal to get your preboil volume. Then boil the wort for 10 mins. *NO HOPS!!!!!** if you add hops now, the lacto won’t work. Then rapidly cool to 100*f and pitch the omega. I will cover the kettle with sterilized plastic wrap and then the lid. Maintain the temp from 90-100 for 48 hours Then taste. If you’re happy with the sour, move to brew day 2, if not let it go another 24 hours.

Brew day 2: (normal brew day)
Boil for 60 mins and rapidly cool to 75*f and pitch the A20. A20 can ferment up to 85 without off flavors, just citrus esters. After primary fermentation slows down Add 5 lbs of blackberries. Since Berliners don’t have ibus and are low abv, I do “sterilize” the fruit. I will boil 2 cups of water and then add the berries. Bring it to a boil, turn off the burner and cover for 10 minutes. The steam should take care of most microbes. Then purée the blackberries and add them to the fermenter. At the end of this fermentation you are done. If you want you can dryhop. I will from time to time and I tend to use mosaic with red or black berries.

 

[isomerization]

I've been experimenting with berries in beer and cider for a few years.
My conclusion at this point is that berries of all types have a rather delicate flavor/aroma that really doesn't come through after fermentation. So if you want blackberry flavor, make some kind of puree and add to secondary, but making a tincture with vodka might work better since the fermentation won't kick off again.

Maybe you aren’t using enough? Although you mention secondary, we’re you adding at boiling or very early in primary?

I’ve had great luck with strong berry presence, especially in tart beers like berliners and goses, with raspberry, blueberry and blackberries. I’d shoot for 2 lb/gal, frozen and crushed (but whole as I think the skins/seeds bring something to the party) and added like a late dry hop (before yeast goes to sleep). Give it another week and package.

 

[madscientist451]

Yeah maybe not enough lbs/gallon and adding in primary didn't work for me.
2 lbs/gallon is a good number, but for my taste, the fermented flavor from raspberries/blackberries isn't what I'm looking for. That's why I've gone to making tinctures.