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Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:30 pm
by jgm038
So I have moved up to a 5 gallon kit and have been doing 5 gal batches...But, for the last few weeks my girlfriend has been asking me to do a blueberry beer for summer. I'm not going to do a 5 gal of it, but I do have :

(1) Mr. Beer Patriot Lager
(2) MB Pale LME
(1) US-05

Just looking if anyone has some advice to give. Need blueberries of course, 2 cans of them? Also anyone think I should do a small hop boil to help balance out the beer?

Thanks!

EDIT: What I posted is pretty much the same as MB Blue Patriot, except I will have 2 LME and US-05...

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 3:43 pm
by Bluejaye
That would certainly be a way to do it. I used Australian Summer hops with my last batch (Rhapsody on Blue), but it's still in the fermenter so I don't know how it's going to turn out yet.

My experience with adding fruit (so far, Blackberry and Raspberry) is that it doesn't achieve the results I wanted. Next time I'm going to just go with adding an extract while batch priming.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Blueberry-Fl ... p_254.html

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 4:53 pm
by BeerRust
jgm038 wrote:So I have moved up to a 5 gallon kit and have been doing 5 gal batches...But, for the last few weeks my girlfriend has been asking me to do a blueberry beer for summer. I'm not going to do a 5 gal of it, but I do have :

(1) Mr. Beer Patriot Lager
(2) MB Pale LME
(1) US-05

Just looking if anyone has some advice to give. Need blueberries of course, 2 cans of them? Also anyone think I should do a small hop boil to help balance out the beer?

Thanks!

EDIT: What I posted is pretty much the same as MB Blue Patriot, except I will have 2 LME and US-05...
here is what I am fermenting right now very similar to what you have planned
4ozs. Honey Malt steep
4 Ozs Cystal steep
1 lbs light DME
.25 First Gold 18 mins
.25 First Gold 7 mins
1 can Patriot - HME flame out
1 lbs of blueberries purée 7 days before bottling

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:18 pm
by jimmypirate
Bluejaye wrote:That would certainly be a way to do it. I used Australian Summer hops with my last batch (Rhapsody on Blue), but it's still in the fermenter so I don't know how it's going to turn out yet.

My experience with adding fruit (so far, Blackberry and Raspberry) is that it doesn't achieve the results I wanted. Next time I'm going to just go with adding an extract while batch priming.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Blueberry-Fl ... p_254.html
>


+1 to that.

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 9:43 am
by jgm038
jimmypirate wrote:
Bluejaye wrote:That would certainly be a way to do it. I used Australian Summer hops with my last batch (Rhapsody on Blue), but it's still in the fermenter so I don't know how it's going to turn out yet.

My experience with adding fruit (so far, Blackberry and Raspberry) is that it doesn't achieve the results I wanted. Next time I'm going to just go with adding an extract while batch priming.

http://www.homebrewing.org/Blueberry-Fl ... p_254.html
>


+1 to that.
Thanks I will check that out. Now that I have a bottle bucket, I could siphon the 2 gallons to it, add like 3/8 of the bottle, then bottle :)

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 10:02 am
by Bluejaye
jgm038 wrote:Thanks I will check that out. Now that I have a bottle bucket, I could siphon the 2 gallons to it, add like 3/8 of the bottle, then bottle :)
My math could be wrong, but I think it ends up being 2 tablespoons of that extract for a LBK sized batch.

If you do do this for your current batch, please let me know the results. I want to let my current one ride the way it is, but I'm near positive extracts are in my future.

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 2:46 pm
by RickBeer
jgm038 wrote:What I posted is pretty much the same as MB Blue Patriot, except I will have 2 LME and US-05...
I have BP, and I wouldn't make it again.

In my limited fruit experience (ok, yes that was a setup for any Borg member that is quick witted, although that leaves most of you out...), I've found that raspberries taste strongest, while blueberries and cherries don't taste much at all. I've used Oregon fruit except for a Peanut Butter Oatmeal Stout where I used extract and would do so again. Even two cans of Blueberries doesn't come through strong. And for the cost, I'd go with extract - it's $2.99 for 5 gallons worth at my LHBS whereas the Oregon Fruit is at least $3 a can if not more.

Blue Patriot - Patriot Ale, 2 cans of blueberries, LME - wouldn't make again
Firecracker Red Ale - old High Country Canadian Draft, 1 can of cherries, honey, cinnamon - wouldn't make again
St. Valentine's Cherries in Honey - Firecracker w/o cinnamon - SWMBO likes it, faint cherry flavor
Raspberry Lager - Oktoberfest with LME and raspberries - YUM!

Re: Help with blueberry beer?

Posted: Sun Feb 23, 2014 3:11 pm
by BeerRust
I Agree on the raspberries. I had them in the Dark forest stout, came out great. Blueberries only used once. MrB Blueberry Cider, and you could taste any.