OK, I brewed a northern brewer raspberry wheat extract kit and put all 4 ounces of the raspberry flavoring into it at kegging. WOW it really is raspberryey. It has been in the keg for about 3 weeks in the fridge for about 1 of them. I am brewing an all grain wheat beer Saturday in hopes of mixing them to cut the raspberry flavor down. What do all of you more experienced brew masters think of the idea? It was my 8th batch and the all grain wheat will be #11 so I am not a nu be but by no means an expert. Please help me to still be able to say I have not brewed a bad batch.
WOW thats alot of raspberry
- Thread starter got2keg
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TopherM
Well-Known Member
Don't cut the raspberry!! I made a raspberry wheat extract kit with raspberry flavoring a few years ago and ran into the same problem you did. It was almost undrinkable beacuse the raspberry flavoring was way too strong.
After seeking advise on the forum, I just stuck the batch back in the closet at about 70F to condition and sampled it periodically (I had mine in bottles).
I was told it would take 8-12 more weeks. After 8 weeks, the beer was good. After 12 weeks, the beer was PERFECT.
Take the keg out of the kegorator and throw it in an interior closet and forget about it for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, throw it back in the kegorator. The raspberry will mellow and meld nicely and the brew will be great.
After seeking advise on the forum, I just stuck the batch back in the closet at about 70F to condition and sampled it periodically (I had mine in bottles).
I was told it would take 8-12 more weeks. After 8 weeks, the beer was good. After 12 weeks, the beer was PERFECT.
Take the keg out of the kegorator and throw it in an interior closet and forget about it for 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, throw it back in the kegorator. The raspberry will mellow and meld nicely and the brew will be great.
BrewPirate
Well-Known Member
I used the similar extract kit where you pick your own fruit flavor. I chose blackberry. Like you I dumped the whole bottle of extract in there at bottling, thinking it couldn't hurt. It has been over six months now and it still takes cheap and fake. I keep offering cases of the stuff to anyone who comes over, just so it doesn't go to waste if someone can palate it, but no takers so far.
On a related note, for your future reference, I recently brewed an all grain hefe and then threw frozen raspberries directly into the keg when I transferred (in a sanitized paint strainer bag). Definitely the way to go. Over the last two weeks I have been able to watch the beer become more and more pink and taste more and more like raspberries. You can then remove the bag of raspberries when you reach the desired flavor and carb back up. Since this beer is for my wife I've been letting it go.
For your current situation though, I would say it depends on how tasty it is. My extract was horrible, but if yours is palatable then you may just want to ride it out. I would be more concerned about blending two different beers than whether it would cut the raspberry.
On a related note, for your future reference, I recently brewed an all grain hefe and then threw frozen raspberries directly into the keg when I transferred (in a sanitized paint strainer bag). Definitely the way to go. Over the last two weeks I have been able to watch the beer become more and more pink and taste more and more like raspberries. You can then remove the bag of raspberries when you reach the desired flavor and carb back up. Since this beer is for my wife I've been letting it go.
For your current situation though, I would say it depends on how tasty it is. My extract was horrible, but if yours is palatable then you may just want to ride it out. I would be more concerned about blending two different beers than whether it would cut the raspberry.
OK sounds like some good advice. I don't want to just throw away the whole batch of what should have been great beer. For now I will take it out of the fridge and let it sit in a corner somewhere, it is good beer other than being raspberry juice. Oh, I'll also enjoy drinking tomorrows wheat beer. First all grain batch, can't wait. Thanx for the help, Sam
