AG Strawberry beer?

[PeteQ]

SWMBO has asked me to do a strawberry beer and of course I have to smile and nod...

From what I've read so far apparently a blonde recipe with around 20 IBUs and quite light in colour is the way to go. I'm hoping someone has done something similar with good results they would like to share?

Also I'm not sure whether to dump the frozen strawberrys (thinking 1kg for a 19l batch) into the primary or secondary fermenter? Maybe even put in a hop bag and thrown into the keg??

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Cheers

 

[seamad]

I've not done strawberry, but have done several raspberry beers. Best has been a saison base to @ 1042 OG and about 12 IBU @ 60 min. Use 3711 and it will drop down close to 1.002-1.006. After primary drop in 100g/Litre. Just thaw out 2 X 1kg bags and throw them in, freezing helps break down the cell wall. With raspberries you end up with nice little albino ones. The nose one these beers makes you think the beer is going to be sweet, then you get the great tart crisp finish from the saison yeast.

 

[barls]

strawberries think about 5-6kgs for a 19L batch.
personally id go for one of the purees that craft brewer has for that one then add to the fermentor.

 

[PeteQ]

seamad - Frozen raspberrys seem to be much easier to find, I even think Aldi sell them in kilo bags. I haven't done a saison yet so maybe kill 2 birds with 1 stone? Chuck in the thawed berries when pitching yeast?

barls - From what I've found frozen strawberrys are around $10 a kilo so $50-60 is not an option. The purees sound like the goods. Have you given them a go?

 

[barls]

never used one but i hear they are popular in the states for that reason.

id add them at secondary if you were going to do it.

 

[NewtownClown]

Strawberry flavour and aroma is very elusive and the yeast seems to strip all colour ( the fruit looked like albinos at the end of fermentation).
I brewed a blonde with fresh strawberries a couple of years ago. after only a month or two the flavour was barely detectable and the aroma had to be hunted for.

If frozen strawberries are out, go for puree or even a flavour.

Another option is to flavour it at bottling time. Recently I was trying to get a whack of plum in a porter, to replicate a plum porter a mate found in the UK and raved about.. After many trial batches that disappointed (used fresh, tinned, prunes, prune juice), I ended up brewing the porter then primed with plum jam. It made a big difference

 

[brettprevans]

Search fruit beer or stawberry wheat. Loads of info and recipes on here

 

[PeteQ]

Thanks for your help everyone

NewtownClown - Great idea carbing with puree! I keg but I could still carb with a puree and I will be able to sample the beer every few days to see how it is progressing

Citymorgue - There seems to be a few recipes from years ago on AHB that I have read through, just hoping for new information if anyone has any. From what I've read so far no one brought up the the CB puree which seems like my best bet (although CB don't seem to sell a Strawberry puree...).

Thanks again

 

[bconnery]

I made a strawberry wheat every year for a few years, my recipe is floating around here somewhere, a few people have made it. Very basic recipe 50/50 wheat/pils malt, tettnanger or other german hop to around 10-15 ibu and wb06 yeast as I think it works well in fruit wheats.
Strawberries started out at 3kgs for a full batch but by the end I was splitting the batch, making a small hefe for me as my wife doesn't like them, and the rest the strawberry wheat, but still the 3kgs in about a 15l beer.
The strawberry taste isn't as strong as raspberries are, its a very different thing, but its very enjoyable. You don't get a pink colour.
I used to get a box of jamming strawberries from a grower at the markets. $5 would get me 3+ kilos of usable strawberries. Otherwise this beer wouldn't really be doable as the cost would be prohibitive.

I believe Craftbrewer might have Strawberry extract, I don't think they've gotten to the purees yet, although I've been away from the place for a while...

I always enjoyed the Strawbeery, as it was called round here, great summer beer.

 

[seamad]

seamad - Frozen raspberrys seem to be much easier to find, I even think Aldi sell them in kilo bags. I haven't done a saison yet so maybe kill 2 birds with 1 stone? Chuck in the thawed berries when pitching yeast?

barls - From what I've found frozen strawberrys are around $10 a kilo so $50-60 is not an option. The purees sound like the goods. Have you given them a go?

I chuck em in usually day 3 or4.Unlike strawbeeries you get a very pink beer with the raspberries .

 

[Mardoo]

FWIW Dogfish Head did a strawberry sorghum beer. They might have some process info online.

 

[Logman]

I went to pick up some gear I bought on this forum and the guy had an IPA that had some raspberry tea in it, tasted bloody good! Not sure what he did with it though but it was a simple process from memory...

 

[PeteQ]

Plenty of awesome ideas, thank you all.

Raspberry IPA?? Now we're talking!!!!