Hi all!

It'll be peak strawberry season soon in PA, so I want to brew a Strawberry Wheat beer. I had a couple questions.

1) Any advice on when to add the berries? At the start in the primary with the fresh wort? In the secondary?

2) How long should I leave it on the fruit for maximum flavor extraction?

3) Any rough estimates on how many gravity points there are in a lb of strawberries?

Thanks!
APaw

I advise you to stop this madness!

It'll have to be in secondary or added to the keg.

I shall never stop this madness! Too addicting.

Since I'm not kegging yet, secondary it shall be.

APaw,

I brewed a strawberry beer for the little lady last year. I used 5 pounds of previously frozen berries, mashed up a little, in secondary. After I racked I decided to add one bottle of strawberry extract (for soda-making). I'm sad to report the strawberry flavor was disappointingly subdued. It was there, but it was just kinda meh. And this was on top of a light, low-gravity beer, so there wasn't much to compete with the berries.

I wish you luck in your endeavor.

I agree. add the berries to the secondary.

I am looking forward to making a strawberry lager, myself

Brad,

My current plan is to use 10 lbs of fresh peak season strawberries and give them a good pectinase treatment. About 2 hrs at the optimal temp for added pectinase (don't have the value handy). I'm hoping that will give some flavor. If not, I'm sure it can be donated to a summer picnic..

APaw

A few points based on my experience. I've done a few fruits - closest would be a strawberry blonde:

1) Freeze your strawberries in gallon ziplock bags. Then thaw and rack the beer from the primary directly onto the fruit and liquid in the secondary. The freezing/thawing will work to break down the berries' cell walls.

2) A week in the secondary should impart a decent enough flavor. You can frequently sample after that to determine if the flavor is getting stronger or not.

3) The gravity from the fruit is pretty negligible by the time it hits the secondary. You'll notice a little rousing of the yeast and an additional ferment, but this will account for a few tenths of %ABV.

4) USE A TERTIARY FERMENTOR. Can't stress this point enough. It's imperative in getting the fruit and seeds and general crud out of the brew.

5) For subtle fruits 1lb/1gal is a good rule. Stronger fruits, like blueberries, could use less fruit.

instead of doing a tertiary ferment, could you throw the fruit in a large hop bag? or would that not allow enough interaction between the fruit and the wort?

(watching this thread closely as the wifes grandpa owns a strawberry farm...)

Probably would work. I would leave it in the wort a little longer than if it were out loose to utilize it better. One area of concern - 5lbs of strawberries actually expand quite a bit (and float) so bear that in mind if you plan on using a "berry sock".

I would still suggest using a tertiary, at least for a couple days, as there are other, less solid materials that are sure to get thru a sock that would settle out with a tertiary.

Also consider the size of your secondary vessel - if you're used to fillling your 5gal carboy close to the neck, adding 5 lbs of strawberries would cause some spillage.

I've never made a strawberry beer, but I remember reading an account of a strawberry beer maker who preferred his strawberry beers when made with a yeast that didn't attenuate to a high degree. His feeling was that the additional sweetness enhanced the 'strawberryness'. I remember thinking after I read this article and several others that good strawberry beers are quite tough. If I can find the link, I'll post it.

Someone last year did a strawberry beer. Raved about it. I think the low attenuation aspect is spot on. Mash around 156F or a little higher. I think to pull it off it has to be about the strawberries but you'll need sweetness to balance it out.

Hey, with a good hefe yeast you could end up with a strawberry-banana beer.

I would suggest adding the berries to the primary after fermentation had died down. Why add an extra transfer?

I like the extra transfer to clarify it up really nice. But if you're short on time or just want it done with, couldn't hurt to go that route.

. . . as long as you don't want to try to harvest the yeast from primary. I wouldn't want to chance dumping a new batch onto that cake - unless it's another batch of strawberry wheat beer, I guess.

I think the idea that some sweetness will aid in the strawberry flavor coming out is a good one.

I've been debating adding 5-10% honey malt to add some sweetness. See how that works. A faint honey taste won't be out of place either.

Anyone have any suggestions on a good low attenuating yeast strain to use?

Are you going to call it She Wolf?

Rather then a low attenuating yeast just mash high as Radtek suggest.

Maybe try Denny's yeast?

Or pacman.

Quote
"Maybe try Denny's yeast? "

Oh yeah it's great for fruit beers

I am about to be making a strawberry blondish beer, and I'm hearing that puree is the way to go, been told 1 can ( 3lbs) gave a great flavor, when added to the secondary. So I think this is the approch I will take, otherwise I was looking at about 8-12lbs strawberries.

Thom,

Do you know if the canned puree is concentrated puree? My current plan was to home puree 10 lbs of strawberries in a food mill. I wonder if that will be too much... Well, if it is I'm sure SWMBO will enjoy it greatly.

Aaron