My Strawberry Lager

[Coodgee]

I know there has been a bit of discussion about this in the past, but I thought I tell you all about my strawberry lager. I brewed last Sunday a simple mid strength german lager. sg of 1035, bittered to 30IBU with all hallertau. used WLP830 German Lager yeast. I did a double batch but because of a little spill I ended with one fermenter with 23 litres of wort and one with only 12 litres of wort. Fermented this at 11 degrees all week, and last night, after most of the Krausen has subsided, I boiled 2kg of chopped strawberries in a litre of water for about 5 minutes. most of the colour came out of the fruit and I had a fairly syrupy dark red liquid. I put the fruit and the syrup into a container and let it cool over night (sealed and sanitised of course!). this morning it was cooled to 15 degrees and I threw it in the fermenter with 12 litres of beer. blanched strawberries plopping into a fermenter sounds alot like another morning activity at my place!!!

So I will wait for all the fruit sugars to ferment out and then rack to secondary, lager, filter and keg.

is it worth lagering this strawberry beer or do you think it would be better nice and fresh while the strawberry taste is still (hopefully) strong?

 

[bconnery]

I brewed a strawberry wheat using a fairly similar method and I found it was good early, at its best about 3-6 months in and started to, not detoriate, but not really improve after about 8 months.

I can't speak from experience for a lager but my recommendation would be to either not, or else do so for only a short period.

On a plus side, after 6 months or so though it had crazy carbonation, and when poured into a pilsener glass would froth heavily, then settle an inch or so thick head underneath which the beer would be going crazy. The bubbles would rise up fast, hid the head and then be deflected back down and around.

I used to watch it for a few minutes before I could bring myself to drink it...

 

[Ross]

My kegged Banana Amber (made with 2kg of bananas in 12L of beer) was great from day one - but after 2 months the aroma started to subside & after 4 months it started to take on the flavour of over ripe banannas - so my advice is enjoy young...

cheers Ross

 

[Coodgee]

after hearing the story about your bananna beer Ross, I am dreading going home to find frothing strawberry juice spewing out of the airlock!! it's only filled to 11litres, and the temp is set to 10 degrees, so fingers crossed...

 

[Hubby]

It'll be alright Coodgee!

I did a few honeydew melon ales and they lost quite a bit over time. Better young as has been said. I found that adding fruit pulp to the secondary was best and held the fruit aromas a lot better over time (but if infection is an issue, go for the boil )

 

[Coodgee]

hmm, just got home and there is about the same activity in the airlock as before the fruit went in. no worries..

 

[mike_hillyer]

Cheers for that!

I was going to do a Coopers Real Ale with 1.5 litres of orange and 500ml of lemon juice from our trees but then thought am I crazy to do this? Bugger it, St Clemons Real Ale will happen! I too will learn from the banana, and put the brew in my pressure barrel to be savoured young. (I will bottle a couple to be aged.)

 

[bconnery]

My kegged Banana Amber (made with 2kg of bananas in 12L of beer) was great from day one - but after 2 months the aroma started to subside & after 4 months it started to take on the flavour of over ripe banannas - so my advice is enjoy young...

cheers Ross

Makes me think of Wells Banana Bread. Did you ever get to taste that one in England Ross?

 

[bconnery]

Cheers for that!

I was going to do a Coopers Real Ale with 1.5 litres of orange and 500ml of lemon juice from our trees but then thought am I crazy to do this? Bugger it, St Clemons Real Ale will happen! I too will learn from the banana, and put the brew in my pressure barrel to be savoured young. (I will bottle a couple to be aged.)

If you are set on the combination the Brewmaster Belgian Ale works well with oranges and lemons. Mine had that name too...

I used the rind and juice of 4 oranges and 1 lemon, A wheat beer blend of 500g dextrose, 500g wheat dry extract and Cascade and Hersbrucker hops. 75g coriander in a stocking bag in the boil for 10...

If you do decide to use this be warned, mine was extremely vigorous.

So much so that first time I made this I had a massive overflow and actually broke my fermenter lid. What I think happened is that the stocking bag of hops and coriander blocked the airlock and the particularly active ferment basically exploded.

When I brewed it again, I was determined to make it, the beer still bubbled out through my airlock in a major way.

 

[Ross]

My kegged Banana Amber (made with 2kg of bananas in 12L of beer) was great from day one - but after 2 months the aroma started to subside & after 4 months it started to take on the flavour of over ripe banannas - so my advice is enjoy young...

cheers Ross

Makes me think of Wells Banana Bread. Did you ever get to taste that one in England Ross?

Sure did, it's what inspired me too make it

cheers Ross

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

With the price of bananna's at the moment, it will be the most expensive beer you could make..

 

[mike_hillyer]

Cheers the for the recipe bconnery I have bookmarked.

Loving the pricey banana remark