Raspberry Beer

[GuingesRock]

I was thinking of doing a raspberry American wheat.

I could do a Wit but not too keen. I like the odd Belgian but can only drink one or two.

I was talking to Drew at the Library pub this evening and he’s addicted to some raspberry wheat ale he had. Randy at the Port made it, and won’t make it any more because it keeps selling out. Long story. ……

I thought about making one, have some ideas, but any suggestions?

My thoughts were based on my non-weizen (too hoppy) Garrison beer, late hopped with Galaxy. I might use conan, 40% wheat and the rest pilsner and Vienna, with a little carapils, no bubblegum, clove or banana, high carbonation. Rasberries in the boil at 15 minutes.

PS. The local gossip is scandalous! Paddys missed out big time recently, because they are too cheap and set in their ways, like small towns are, and apparently the new brewery next to the bike shop is going ahead. Drew really likes Cam at the schoolhouse and is selling his beer, but couldn’t understand why he’s getting porter in the middle of the summer.

[mr x]

I wouldn't do fruit in the boil. Secondary it is for me.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Did a raspberry wheat last summer, have another on the go right now but destined for a different fruit. Just 50% wheat, 50% 2 row with us05 for yeast. Hopped with citra or cascade, enough to get to 20ish IBU and a ounce or so towards the end. Chuck in primary, then siphon on top of a bunch of fruit in secondary, a kilo or 3 for a 5gal batch depending if you want it nice & present, or overwhelming and delicious.

[LeafMan66_67]

Did a raspberry wheat last summer, have another on the go right now but destined for a different fruit. Just 50% wheat, 50% 2 row with us05 for yeast. Hopped with citra or cascade, enough to get to 20ish IBU and a ounce or so towards the end. Chuck in primary, then siphon on top of a bunch of fruit in secondary, a kilo or 3 for a 5gal batch depending if you want it nice & present, or overwhelming and delicious.

I did the same - 50/50 wheat and two row with minimal hopping. I used the puree from Noble Grape in the secondary for a 20L batch it found the raspberry too strong. Next time I will use frozen berries in the secondary.

[GuingesRock]

Thanks for the help. What are raspberries like boiled? my secondaries are the kegs and I think the raspberries would clog things up. Maybe I could squeeze the juice out of raspberries in a muslin bag, but then I wouldn't know how to sanitise them, maybe a vodka extraction would do the trick?

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Just dump your Raspberry's in primary after fermentation has completed. Would have to go for adding priming sugar for this one.

Boiling the raspberries i don't is a good idea.

[gm-]

Just dump your Raspberry's in primary after fermentation has completed. Would have to go for adding priming sugar for this one.

Boiling the raspberries i don't is a good idea.

+1

Boiled raspberries are not great. You could also play around with fruit extracts if you want to keep using your methods.

[Broob]

For what it's worth, I made a Raspberry wheat as my second ever brew. I put the raspberry in the primary while it was still fermenting and it was horrible. Tasted like bad cider.

[GuingesRock]

I have a double batch of poolside blonde that's been fermenting since Friday. I'm tempted to try this. Raspberries are just starting up here. So I get maybe 6lbs, freeze them overnight to break down the cell walls, then thaw them tomorrow, blend them in a food processer, and throw the puree in?

[jacinthebox]

I'm brewing a Raspberry Vanilla Cream Ale tonight.

I'll add the puree from NG in the secondary, and vanilla to the keg

[GuingesRock]

I found 3lbs of frozen raspberries in the freezer from last year, and got another couple of pounds frozen raspberries from the Superstore ($5 for 600g), thawed them, just ran them through the blender and poured the slurry in.

[GasMD30]

I'm brewing a Raspberry Vanilla Cream Ale tonight.

I'll add the puree from NG in the secondary, and vanilla to the keg

What is your "dose" of vanilla? I'm working on a beer to be released in the fall that will have some vanilla I'm it

[mcgster]

I really enjoyed my 50% Wheat / 50% 2Row Raspberry Wheat from last summer.

Mashed in at 152, 60 min boil, bittered to 20 IBU. I added 3 lbs of frozen raspberries to the secondary and the result was a delicious summer beer!

[jacinthebox]

I'll have to check my recipe again (brewed this before)...i think it's 4oz or 6oz of extract for 5gal

[CorneliusAlphonse]

I found 3lbs of frozen raspberries in the freezer from last year, and got another couple of pounds frozen raspberries from the Superstore ($5 for 600g), thawed them, just ran them through the blender and poured the slurry in.

Should be tasty. I used three of those 600g bags last year and it was bright red and very raspberry.

[GuingesRock]

Oh Good. That one will be "poolside raspberry blonde" I suppose.

I designed my American raspberry wheat and ordered the ingredients. Struggling with the name now. I have a "poolside blonde", and now a "poolside raspberry blonde". Keeping the same theme, this raspberry wheat needs to be a redhead. If a blonde goes by the pool, where does a redhead go? can I work wheat in there somewhere? Stuck, any ideas?

[GasMD30]

Oh Good. That one will be "poolside raspberry blonde" I suppose.

I designed my American raspberry wheat and ordered the ingredients. Struggling with the name now. I have a "poolside blonde", and now a "poolside raspberry blonde". Keeping the same theme, this raspberry wheat needs to be a redhead. If a blonde goes by the pool, where does a redhead go? can I work wheat in there somewhere? Stuck, any ideas?

Hot tub redhead?

[jacinthebox]

I'm brewing a Raspberry Vanilla Cream Ale tonight.

I'll add the puree from NG in the secondary, and vanilla to the keg

What is your "dose" of vanilla? I'm working on a beer to be released in the fall that will have some vanilla I'm it

My recipe calls for 125ml in the keg/bottling bucket.

[TimG]

So how 'sweet' do these raspberry beers turn out with 2-3 bags of 600g frozen berries? I still want some beer flavour going on, not all berry.

Also, do I 'have' to rack off the yeast cake (I guess it isn't that big of a deal.. just have only been primary'ing for years now).

[jacinthebox]

So how 'sweet' do these raspberry beers turn out with 2-3 bags of 600g frozen berries? I still want some beer flavour going on, not all berry.

Also, do I 'have' to rack off the yeast cake (I guess it isn't that big of a deal.. just have only been primary'ing for years now).

I've only ever used the 3lb cans of puree.
you could just pour over the beer in the primary...can't see why not.

I find raspberry isnt really sweet...more tart


I am in the middle of a little experiment...Blackberry Cream Ale.
My neighbor had 11lbs of field frozen blackberries...I brewed up a 6 gal batch of EBS Cream Ale and added the frozen berries at flameout and transfered everything into the fermenter(2)...it's in a carboy now, so we'll see how it turns out. I normally only add fruit to the secondary

[mcgster]

So how 'sweet' do these raspberry beers turn out with 2-3 bags of 600g frozen berries? I still want some beer flavour going on, not all berry.

Also, do I 'have' to rack off the yeast cake (I guess it isn't that big of a deal.. just have only been primary'ing for years now).

They don't turn out sweet at all if you use frozen berries. Sweet raspberry beer comes from using raspberry extract.

I have made beer using frozen raspberries and raspberry extract and there is no doubt the extract was sweet! The beer made with real raspberries was tart and a much better overall beer!

[Barker]

I don't know if I'd use the puree again.

I made the Noble grape (festa brew + puree) Raspberry wheat ale last summer and added the puree to the secondary.

It turned out looking less like beer and more like kool-aid. VERY pink. I was after the tart raspberry flavor. But using the whole can of puree was too much raspberry everything.

Not what I wanted at all. Friends and family loved it though...

YMMV

[jacinthebox]

Yeah this beer isn't for me...it's for my wife lol

[NASH]

Raspberries ferment right out, so no sweetness. Use about 1/3 - 1/2 lb fruit per gallon to keep it on the subtle side, up to 2 lbs per gallon on the high side.

IQF berries are microbiologically stable. Basically any frozen store-bought berries are IQF. If you use fresh berries they should be sanitized with a steep at maybe 160 F for 1/2 hr or so, don't raise the temp any higher or you'll set the pectins. In that case it'll make the beer milky, you could use pectic enzyme as a fix. Personally, I'd use IQF, referment directly after primary.

[mcgster]

Found some old shots of mine from last year:

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