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Strawberry Blonde
That sounds like a great beer. My gf loves strawberries and loves beer, so I figure I should be nice and brew this one up.
I do have a question though. Any idea what the extract recipe would be? I currently don't do ag (but cannot wait to start), but would like to try this.
Figure8 wrote:
That sounds like a great beer. My gf loves strawberries and loves beer, so I figure I should be nice and brew this one up.
I do have a question though. Any idea what the extract recipe would be? I currently don't do ag (but cannot wait to start), but would like to try this.
I am about to rack my second batch of this to the Strawberries tomorrow night I hope.
Figure8, no problem with the extract version. I'll work it up and post it tomorrow morning, its getting late for me now.
Robar! Good job, I hope when its done you like it.
Strawberry Blonde Extract Version
OG-1050-1055
2.0lbs Pils or Ultralight LME
4.5lbs Wheat Malt LME (60/40)*
1.5lb Munich malt (grain)
0.75oz Tettnanger pellets (60min)
0.25oz Cascade pellets (20min)
WLP051 California common V
*The problem with converting a wheat based AG recipe to extract is that you can't get 100% wheat extract.
So to get ~37% of the gravity points from wheat, one has to account for the fact that a wheat extract is only 60% wheat, which is why there seems to be so much more wheat here than in the AG recipe. Realistically you are getting 2.7lb wheat and 1.8 pale (60/40 for 4.5lbs). The other issue is that 40% of wheat extract is pale extract. I used no pale in this recipe, but its fine. Just use a superlight extract or preferably pils extract for the rest of the extracts.
For the grains, I would heat 2 quarts of water in a small saucepan to 155. Add grains to a grain bag, and place in the 155 water for 30-60minutes to allow for conversion. Fill your brewpot with water and start heating half way through the mini-mash of the grains. Once the mashing is done, dunk the bag several times in the water, letting it drain completely into the pot 3-4 times. Then pour whatever mash water is still in your saucepan into the kettle too.
Add your extracts and your off to the races.
Proceed as I described for the all grain recipe. This makes a fine beer even without strawberries.
Hey Brewchez
Well the strawberry blonde has been perking for a week. It never got too hyper and the best bubbling I saw was about 40-45 a minute. I don't know if this is because it was at 63-64* the whole time or I didn't oxygenate it enough or what. However after a week it is still going at about 15 a minute. I am starting to hurt for space with three beers in the primarys. What temp does this need to be at when in the secondary with the berries and would it hurt to put it on the berries before it stops bubbling? I really don't want to rush it, but don't want it to be in the primary for much longer either.
Fortunately MY 90 min ferments at 71-74 or I would really be hurting. My Blue Moon-ish deal needs to be at 62-63 though so I need to get something set up to keep it cool unless the strawberry blonde is okay at a higher temp in the secondary. Either way is okay, I just needed to know so I know how to proceed. - Robar
Robar:
Check the gravity. If you have gotten to at least 50-60% attenuation, then the bulk of fermentation is over.
In fact introducing the strawberries while you still have actvive yeast is a good thing. The fermentation will kick up again to consume extra sugars, keeping it from being overly sweet from the berries. Also active fermentation with chew up any oxygen that may get introduced during racking!
I would let it sit in secondary for at least two weeks with the berries if it is still perking now. Otherwise, one week on berries is generally enough. Plan to let it sit for a couple days in a third fermentor to make the strawberry seeds settle out before bottling.
I'd perform the secondary at the same temp as the primary. Then you can let the temp drop when you let the seeds settle out.
Oh, and don't be afraid of the mess you'll have after secondary. Strawberries are not a pretty site after sitting 2 weeks in beer.
Never got to racking on the berries yet. Last night power went out and just got it back. Almost 26 hours with no power makes for a lot of attending beer trying to keep it at propper temp.
The berries are completely thawed I don't know if I can trust them as is. They are still cool, but I will bring them too 180 for 20 min just to be safe. I've gotten this far and don't honestly think there is anything wrong with the berries, but will be safe instead of sorry.
Well I racked it over to the secondary last night. My strawberries were shot, but a friend had just dropped off about 6# of blueberries. Needing 4# pounds of berries I figured it must be a sign...
So now this is a blueberry blonde, But I want to say one thing about the base beer recipe. It is fantastic! Pils & Wheat are my good friends. It has a great flavor, even green I liked so much that I kept a gallon separate to finish out and drink straight. My budweezer drinking son was over and he thought it was the best thing since fresh baked bread.
Brewchez my hat is off to you for this fine recipe please feel free to forward all your favorites to me. 
- Robar
Robar wrote:
Well I racked it over to the secondary last night. My strawberries were shot, but a friend had just dropped off about 6# of blueberries. Needing 4# pounds of berries I figured it must be a sign...
- Robar
Enough leftover to make pancakes 
Robar wrote:
Brewchez my hat is off to you for this fine recipe please feel free to forward all your favorites to me.
I'll be anxious to hear how this turns out with the blueberries.
Did you crush them or freeze them or anythinng to get the inner berries exposed? If not I wouldn't change anything now, just let them sit longer than planned and they should start to burst open a bit.
Good luck
Did you crush them or freeze them or anythinng to get the inner berries exposed?
Well I meant to only heat them to about 180-190 and of course I got sidetracked a few seconds and they were boiling went I checked them again so they have boiled. That opens them up a lot, but then I took a masher to them. So really it is a fresh puree. That beer was very, very, Purple after racking.