Brewing Master

Question:

Some suggestions on strawberry ale.  Start with a high body ale as a base, not necessarily very dark.  Use fairly low bitterness, as strawberries end up bitter when the sugar is fermented.  Ferment out the ale, then add the berries, this way the strawberry flavor is not blown off during the first fermentation.  I cut up the berries and breifly boil them before adding.  Racking off of the berries after a week can be trouble.  Put a sanitized hop bag around the bottom of the racking cane.  five to ten pounds of strawberries per 5 gal batch is not a bad place to start. .

Response:

: Yes, but…  the fruit has to be aromatic.  I made a blueberry stout : once and, even with 2.5 lbs berries/gal, it had very little berry : character in the final product.  Rasberries have a lot of aroma so they : can come through even in the presence of other strong flavors. : My guess is you’d want something pretty light for strawberries, but then : again, I’ve never tried.   You’re exactly right about picking the correct type of fruit. Raspberries and *sour* cherries (not just any old cherrry) are idea. I brewed a batch of strawberry ale last year because, to be honest, cherries weren’t quite in season, and I didn’t want to spend a fortune on them. I brewed an ale using 10 lbs of strawberries. What I got was a beautiful red beer that tasted NOTHING like strawberries! My guess is that the high sugar content of the strawberries got converted to such an extent that the fermentation actually changed the characteristic strawberry flavor. This makes them a bad choice for brewing a beer. So, go ahead and enjoy strawberries on strawberry shortcake, but don’t brew with them!               Rob

Response:

<snipI brewed an ale using 10 lbs of strawberries. What I got was a beautiful red beer that tasted NOTHING like strawberries! My guess is that the high sugar content of the strawberries got converted to such an extent that the fermentation actually changed the characteristic strawberry flavor. This makes them a bad choice for brewing a beer. So, go ahead and enjoy strawberries on strawberry shortcake, but don’t brew with them!

Not so. Red Bell in Philadelphia recently released Strawberry Mansion Wheat. It is delightful. Slightly tart with perceptable strawberry notes. Brew with everything (within reason). Then decide if you like it. John Varady Boneyard Brewing

Response:

I am pretty new to the homebrew scene.  I just finished my first batch of beer(tastes pretty decent).         Now I am thinking of making a batch utilizing strawberries.  What would be the procedure for doin’ this, and how many pounds of berrries should I use?  What type of malt extract should I use(should this be a pilsner style beer, or go for a type of porter)?  I really don’t know and I need your help! Thanks in advance… Mark Ghiassi

Response:

| I am pretty new to the homebrew scene.  I just finished my first batch of | beer(tastes pretty decent). |   Now I am thinking of making a batch utilizing strawberries.  What | would be the procedure for doin’ this, and how many pounds of berrries | should I use?  What type of malt extract should I use(should this be a | pilsner style beer, or go for a type of porter)?  I really don’t know and | I need your help! I think a good rule of thumb for any sort of berry beer is to start with about a pound of berries per gallon, then adjust up or down next time depending on your preferences. A fruit pilsner sounds kind of odd; pilsners are supposed to have a fair amount of hops, and with fruit beers you usually want to keep the hops low. I’d recommend starting with something like an amber ale; a porter could work too, but the heavy roasted grain character can overpower the strawberry flavor if you’re not careful. Actually, one of my best batches ever was a stout made with raspberries, so darker beers with fruit can work quite well. I bet Cat’s Meow has some recipes for beers using strawberries… Check out http://alpha.rollanet.org. — Mike Uchima

Response:

I think a good rule of thumb for any sort of berry beer is to start with about a pound of berries per gallon, then adjust up or down next time depending on your preferences.

unless you are making a dingleberry double bock, in which case you can never have too many dingle berries. Howzit goin Mike ? Brewpub is making a Strawberry Cream Ale for lour local Strawberry Days Festival… Can’t wait. Your pal, TimW

Response:

: A fruit pilsner sounds kind of odd; pilsners are supposed to have a fair : amount of hops, and with fruit beers you usually want to keep the hops : low. I’d recommend starting with something like an amber ale; a porter : could work too, but the heavy roasted grain character can overpower the : strawberry flavor if you’re not careful. Actually, one of my best batches : ever was a stout made with raspberries, so darker beers with fruit can : work quite well. Yes, but…  the fruit has to be aromatic.  I made a blueberry stout once and, even with 2.5 lbs berries/gal, it had very little berry character in the final product.  Rasberries have a lot of aroma so they can come through even in the presence of other strong flavors. My guess is you’d want something pretty light for strawberries, but then again, I’ve never tried. –arne : — Mike Uchima

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