Has any one tried using blackberries in a brew? I'm think a half kilo in my winter warmer might be a nice addition ?
Haven't tried it myself but I've had a blackberry porter in spoons and it was tasty enough. You picking them fresh?
Yes. I have one mile of a drive way and it's covered in blackberries. Gonna be a great harvest.
I'm thinking I'll freeze them in Chinese take away containers and use them as I need them.
ive tried Guinness with black current mi wadi years ago. I'm guessing it would be something similar. Might give that a try also. My main brews are stout and ale so I have the ingredient already. :)
I really wanna do something a little bit Christmassy though and leave it until the festive season
Dogfish do a Belgian Golden with blackberries and blueberries too. http://www.dogfish.com/brewery/beer/black-blue
Not quite so I am afraid. The miwadi will do what it's told but the fresh berries will not bring their starting tastes to the finish if you just bung them in. I remember following a brewer on JBK awhile back and he posted his brew day and procedures with lots of pictures. It look awesome but if you follow the thread months later to when he was to drink them, not so awesome. Sent him a pm and he said that he could only drink 1 bottle a year ???. Find a good recipe and ask how it finished in the end. ;)
Wee County did a split batch last year, we all took a fermenter-worth of pale ale away with us and everyone did something different with it, different yeasts/hops/additions etc. I had a pile of blackberries growing beside the house, so added some. It wound up tasting like calpol, not great!
I might just try it all the same. I'm thinking orange peel cinnamon cloves brown sugar and blackberries. Just a little of each might make a big difference.
What's the worst that can happen :P
Expect the beer to become tart so adjust your recipe accordingly. Mash on the high side to leave some sweetness to help balance it out.
Rack onto the frozen berries and leave them a few weeks. Rack again to allow any sugars that may be still in the beer to ferment out after another week. Bottle or keg then.
Quote from: davebhoy1975 on August 26, 2016, 10:25:38 AM
Yes. I have one mile of a drive way and it's covered in blackberries. Gonna be a great harvest.
I'm thinking I'll freeze them in Chinese take away containers and use them as I need them.
If there is frequent car traffic on the road I would not use them as the will absorb a lot if airborne crap from the exhaust fumes.
Shanna
T'is Kerry boi, sure don't ye know the air in kerry is pure clane and soft ;D
Not sure if you make Cider at all, but have had very good results with Blackberries, Elderberries and slows. As mentioned above, there will be no sweetness, but a tart fruity flavour, which I like.
Quote from: Shanna on August 26, 2016, 01:28:22 PM
If there is frequent car traffic on the road I would not use them as the will absorb a lot if airborne crap from the exhaust fumes.
Shanna
and slugs after rain
Blackberry wine is delicious as is Blackberry Port
Quote from: Will_D on August 26, 2016, 08:02:00 PM
Blackberry wine is delicious as is Blackberry Port
Port eh?! Recipe or link? (Pretty please). Made blackberry wine two years ago, added staranise. Twas a smashing sup, went down well with dessert last Christmas.
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Interesting reading on this. Ive just taken 2.5 KG out of the garden and looks like theres the same at least to ripen yet.
Have them in the freezer at the moment.
I was considering doing some sort of a sour beer with lacto with them (kettle sour).
Anyone have any decent guidlines towards quantity to use ? I want to be able to taste the blackberries but not overpower too much.
I believe you brew as normal and then condition on berries for the best result.
Same with other berries like haws.
Otherwise, blackberry wine or a nice addition to a cider
Starting with my standard "Vintage Port Quickly" recipe:
5 Gallon Red wine kit (cheap one)
5 Kgs Sugar
2 Tins (1 gallon size) of suitable country wines (e.g. Elderberry, Black Cherry, Blackberry)
Alcotech 23% yeast (or equivalent)
Make up the above to about 4.5 gallons (SG should be about 1.135 or so*)
Ferment as normal, after a few weeks gravity should have dropped to below 1.000 thanks to all the alcohol.
Now make up another country kit to about 2 litres and add that. Check gravity, should go up to about 1.040 or so. Fermentation keesp on goung and should stop at the magic 1.022 (why 1.022? cpz' thats the fg of Cockburns Ruby Port, and its 22% alcohol)
If it drops much below 1.020 then add some sugar syrup to bring it back up
If you have freash berries then about 1.5 kgs of berries plus 500 gms sugar should be equivalent to a 1 gallon country can
*If this is off the scale of your hydrometer dilute sample 50/50 and double the reading)
Easy as that.
I've made "vintage" port off Wills recipe and have to say it's fantastic. In laws are still going on about the bottles I gave them a few years back.
Note to self, get a batch on for Christmas.
NHC: Come for a beer recipe, leave with 22% wine. :P
NCB : come for the 22% wine , never leave. :D
Quote from: Will_D on August 28, 2016, 09:45:46 AM
Starting with my standard "Vintage Port Quickly" recipe:
5 Gallon Red wine kit (cheap one)
5 Kgs Sugar
2 Tins (1 gallon size) of suitable country wines (e.g. Elderberry, Black Cherry, Blackberry)
Alcotech 23% yeast (or equivalent)
Make up the above to about 4.5 gallons (SG should be about 1.135 or so*)
Ferment as normal, after a few weeks gravity should have dropped to below 1.000 thanks to all the alcohol.
Now make up another country kit to about 2 litres and add that. Check gravity, should go up to about 1.040 or so. Fermentation keesp on goung and should stop at the magic 1.022 (why 1.022? cpz' thats the fg of Cockburns Ruby Port, and its 22% alcohol)
If it drops much below 1.020 then add some sugar syrup to bring it back up
If you have freash berries then about 1.5 kgs of berries plus 500 gms sugar should be equivalent to a 1 gallon country can
*If this is off the scale of your hydrometer dilute sample 50/50 and double the reading)
Thank you Will, you're a gent!! Couple of questions though. Do I need 3 country wine kits in total? And if I get this on soon would it be ready for Christmas?
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I used a bottle of ribena for the last addition when I did it. Was delicious.
Quote from: googoomuck on August 28, 2016, 03:57:00 PM
Quote from: Will_D on August 28, 2016, 09:45:46 AM
If you have fresh berries then about 1.5 kgs of berries plus 500 gms sugar should be equivalent to a 1 gallon country tin
Thank you Will, you're a gent!! Couple of questions though. Do I need 3 country wine kits in total? And if I get this on soon would it be ready for Christmas?
As above: if you have fresh berries use them!
Timescale: Less than 3 months will do the VPQ (Vintage Port Quickly) :) :)
BTW: Note to all NHC: For a taste of some great ports come to the NCB Christmas party in the Old Boro in Swords!! We will have some great Ruby and White Ports available!
West Kerry brewery do a beer called riasc black that uses blackberries. thats a stout so maybe the flavours can handle the tartness better than lighter beers. give them a shout I am sure they would give some advice.