Blueberry Wheat Question

[Deejay 0]

This is going to be next batch. I will brew this in a few days. If SWMBO likes it then I will probably make more for the summer time. This will be my first fruit beer. I have been looking into when I should add the fruit. I have read a couple different things. One is to add it before I pitch the yeast. The other is to add it 10-14 days into fermentation when the majority of the fermentation is over. This sounds right to me. I also read that I should boil the blueberries after I puree them. Some also suggested adding honey to the boil as well.

What do ya'll think?

Here is the recipe:

Bluberry Wheat
------------------------
Brewer: 413 Brewery
Style: Weizen/Weissbier
Batch: 2.13 galExtract

Characteristics
---------------
Recipe Gravity: 1.057 OG
Recipe Bitterness: 26 IBU
Recipe Color: 4° SRM
Estimated FG: 1.014
Alcohol by Volume: 5.5%
Alcohol by Weight: 4.3%

Ingredients
-----------
CaraPils - [body, Head] 0.25 lb, Grain, Steeped
Oregon Fruit - Bluberries 1.00 lb, Adjunct, Other
Wheat DME 3.00 lb, Extract, Extract

Cascade - Unmistakable grapefruit aroma and flavor, signature hop of many American ales0.50 oz, Pellet, 15 minutes
Willamette - Very popular aroma hop with earthy, spicy character for any English or American Ales0.50 oz, Pellet, 60 minutes

Safale S-05 Dry Ale Yeast 1.00 unit, Yeast, American: Temperature Range: 59°-75° F 11.5 GRAMS

[ScottyP 0]

One thing I've read is that you need to be careful with hops and fruit as some hops work well while others don't work at all. For what its worth I brewed the blue patriot and it was by far my least favorite - still have a 1L bottle left that I don't want to drink. Yours is a wheat so it may be OK.

[Deejay 0]

Thanks for the response.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them? Thanks.

[JonV1027 0]

"ScottyP" post=361534 said:

One thing I've read is that you need to be careful with hops and fruit as some hops work well while others don't work at all. For what its worth I brewed the blue patriot and it was by far my least favorite - still have a 1L bottle left that I don't want to drink. Yours is a wheat so it may be OK.

Oh no. What didn't you like about your Blue Patriot? I have some 3 weeks in the bottle for SWMBO.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them?

I just pureed mine really good in a sanitized blender and added them a week into primary fermentation. If I were to do it again I would probably liquefy them instead.

[Deejay 0]

"JonV1027" post=361704 said:

"ScottyP" post=361534 said:

One thing I've read is that you need to be careful with hops and fruit as some hops work well while others don't work at all. For what its worth I brewed the blue patriot and it was by far my least favorite - still have a 1L bottle left that I don't want to drink. Yours is a wheat so it may be OK.

Oh no. What didn't you like about your Blue Patriot? I have some 3 weeks in the bottle for SWMBO.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them?

I just pureed mine really good in a sanitized blender and added them a week into primary fermentation. If I were to do it again I would probably liquefy them instead.

Thanks. Did you add anything else to the blueberries, like honey for example?

[JonV1027 0]

Nope. I just pureed them straight out of the can. The reason I say I would liquefy them is even after pureeing the them they were still kind of "chunky". Which made for an interesting pour into the LBK. I figured liquefying them would make for a smoother poor next time.

[Deejay 0]

"JonV1027" post=361726 said:

Nope. I just pureed them straight out of the can. The reason I say I would liquefy them is even after pureeing the them they were still kind of "chunky". Which made for an interesting pour into the LBK. I figured liquefying them would make for a smoother poor next time.

Thanks for the help :cheers:

[ScottyP 0]

"JonV1027" post=361704 said:

"ScottyP" post=361534 said:

One thing I've read is that you need to be careful with hops and fruit as some hops work well while others don't work at all. For what its worth I brewed the blue patriot and it was by far my least favorite - still have a 1L bottle left that I don't want to drink. Yours is a wheat so it may be OK.

Oh no. What didn't you like about your Blue Patriot? I have some 3 weeks in the bottle for SWMBO.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them?

I just pureed mine really good in a sanitized blender and added them a week into primary fermentation. If I were to do it again I would probably liquefy them instead.

You know, it's hard for me to pinpoint what I don't like about it. Truth be told, my two trub bottles were actually pretty good after 4 weeks in the bottle. The rest of them were just kind of blah at 5, 6 and 7 weeks. My last bottle has been conditioning now for 9 weeks, so I am going to have to drink it eventually. I did the recipe straight up, don't know if its something I did or not, but it was just weird that I thought the trub bottles were good and the rest not so much. Good luck with yours, hopefully your SWMBO will like it.

[JonV1027 0]

Thanks for the reply. When I tasted it at bottling it was pretty good. I had a lot of trub as well considering I cold crashed it and bottled it straight from the fridge. Let me know how your other one is. Maybe it is just better enjoyed young?

[Skelly 0]

"Deejay" post=361703 said:

Thanks for the response.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them? Thanks.

Like the others, I poured the can into a sanitized blender and liquified. didn't add honey or anything else. Adding fruit when pitching the yeast will give you less flavor, which may or may not be desirable.

Also, you might want to put a cookie sheet or something under your LBK. Fruit beers can be quite violent, maybe not so much with the late addition, but it can be a pain to clean up.

[Deejay 0]

"Skelly" post=362457 said:

"Deejay" post=361703 said:

Thanks for the response.

Does anyone have any input about when to but the blueberries in and what to do with them? Thanks.

Like the others, I poured the can into a sanitized blender and liquified. didn't add honey or anything else. Adding fruit when pitching the yeast will give you less flavor, which may or may not be desirable.

Also, you might want to put a cookie sheet or something under your LBK. Fruit beers can be quite violent, maybe not so much with the late addition, but it can be a pain to clean up.

Thanks for the response. I think I am going to add it after 12-14 days. I always put something under the lbk, found that out the hard way :laugh: