Homebrewed Fruit Beer Recipes

Tips on making Fruit Beers Using Oregon Real Fruit Puree
Always use the fruit puree in the primary or secondary fermenter. Never use it in the boil. Boiling will set the pectin, insure a chill haze and change the flavor. You don’t have to worry about getting an infection because the puree has been commercially sterilized.

When substituting your favorite fruit for the one a recipe calls for, keep in mind that a fruit like raspberry has a stronger flavor than apricot and make the necessary adjustments. A yeast with low attenuation will help preserve the residual sweetness of the fruit. Never dump your beer out because the fruit flavor is too strong. It will mellow with age.

Fruit Beer Recipes for 5 gallons

Raspberry Relief

7 LB. Munton's plain light dry malt

1/2 LB. 20L crystal malt

1-1/2 oz. Hallertau hops (boil)

1/2 oz. Hallertau hops (finishing)

46 oz. Oregon Raspberry Puree

Wyeast #1338 European Ale

1 tsp. Irish Moss

Steep crushed crystal malt in cold water while heating to boil. Remove grain before boil. Add malt extract and 1 1/2 ounces Hallertau hops and boil for 45 minutes. Add Irish moss for the last 20 minutes of boil. (hydrate the Irish moss in 1/4 cup water overnight). At 45 minutes, turn off heat and add aroma hops. Cool down with wort chiller and rack into primary fermenter. Take and record the initial gravity reading. When the wort reaches 70 degrees pitch the yeast. (We recommend using a yeast starter). After two days, rack into secondary fermenter and add fruit puree. Ferment for 7 to 14 days. When your hydrometer reading shows no change for two to three days, bottle. Use 1/2 to 3/4 cups priming sugar. Beer is drinkable in one month if you like “zippy” fruit beers., Aging 6 to 8 months will let the raspberry mellow
Options: Add 2 to 4 ounces lactose before bottling to mellow raspberries.

True Framboise

6 LB. light malt extract

2 LB. plain dry wheat malt extract

1/3 oz. ea Saaz, Fuggles, Hallertau

2 cans Oregon Raspberry Puree

1 oz. vanilla extract

Wyeast #3278 Lambic Blend

3/4 cup corn sugar for priming

Boil extract and hops for 2 hours. This is the standard length of boil for Belgian style beer which removes the cheesy characteristics of the aged hops. Belgians age their hops 3 years. Original gravity should be 1048 to 1052. Fill a primary fermenter with cooled wort and pitch yeast and ferment at 63 degrees. After one week add raspberry puree and vanilla to a sterilized carboy and siphon wort on top. This ferment would normally be done in oak but you may add 1/2 to 1 pound oak chips for a few days to one week to achieve an oak flavor. Check the oak flavor periodically to makes sure it’s where you want it. Ferment at 69 degrees for 2 weeks then, 62 degrees for one week. Rack and ferment 3 weeks at 62 degrees. Bottle and age for at least 8 months.

Dark Cherry Lambic

5 LB. Munton's plain light DME

2 LB. wheat malt extract

3-1/2 oz. malto dextrin

1 oz. Hallertau hops

1 can Oregon Dark Sweet Cherry Puree

Wyeast #3278 Lambic Blend

Dissolve the light malt extract, wheat malt extract and malto dextrin in warm water. Bring to a boil and add hops. Boil for 45 minutes. Strain out hops. Add enough water to the fermenter to make 4.5 gallons and cool to 70 degrees. Pitch yeast, add fruit puree and ferment for 3 weeks Rack into secondary fermenter and condition for a week at 60-65 degrees. Bottle condition using corn sugar for priming.

STARTER KITS

INGREDIENTS

EQUIPMENT

BOTTLE SUPPLIES

KEGS & DRAFT

INFORMATION

Deep Blue Stout

7 LB. Munton's plain dark extract

1/2 LB. roasted barley malt

1/3 LB. black patent malt

1 LB. crystal malt

I 1/2 oz. Fuggles hops

Wyeast #1084 Irish Ale

1/2 cup corn sugar (priming)

1 can Oregon Blueberry Puree

Steep grains in cold tap water and bring to a boil. Remove grains just before boil and add hops. Boil for 45 minutes. Cool and add water to fermenter to make 4.5 gallons. When wort reaches 70 degrees, pitch yeast. After 2-3 days transfer to secondary fermenter and add fruit puree. Ferment 7 to 14 days. Use 1/2 cup corn sugar to prime for bottling.

Peach Wheat Ale

7 LB. Munton's plain wheat DME

1-1/2 oz. Tettnang hops

1/2 oz. East Kent Golding hops

1 can Oregon Peach Puree

1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

Wyeast #1338 European Ale yeast

Bring water and extract mixture to a boil. Add Irish Moss to boil. Add Tettnang hops for a minimum 45 minute boil. Five minutes from end of boil, add Golding pellets. After boil, strain hops and cool to 70 degrees. You can add the puree now or when you rack beer into secondary fermenter. Add your yeast when wort is 70 degrees. After three days of strong fermentation, rack your beer to a secondary fermenter and add the puree if you have not already. Ferment for 7 to 10 days and bottle.

Blueberry Weizen

6.6 LB. Munton's plain wheat extract

1/2 LB. crystal malt

1 oz. Hallertau or Saaz hops (boil)

1 oz. Saaz (finishing)

1 teaspoon Irish moss

1 can Oregon Blueberry Puree

Wyeast #3056 Bavarian Wheat

Steep crystal malt in cold water. Heat and remove grain before water starts to boil. Add wheat malt extract and 1 ounce Hallertau hops. Boil for 45 minutes. Turn off heat and add finishing hops for 5 minutes. Cool wort to 70 degrees and pitch yeast. Ferment 2-3 days. Rack into secondary and add puree. Ferment 7 to 14 days. Use 1/2 cup corn sugar to prime for bottling. Options: Use 1 to 2 LB. honey at the end of the boil. Substitute cherry for the blueberry to make a summertime cherry wheat.

Apricot Honey Ale

6 LB. Alexander' pale malt

1 LB. Wildflower honey

1-1/2 oz. Hallertau hops

1/5 oz. Saaz hops

46 oz. Oregon Apricot Puree

1/2 teaspoon Irish Moss

Wyeast #1056 American Ale yeast

Bring water and extract mixture to a boil. Add the honey, stirring constantly to prevent sugars from burning to bottom of pan. Add Irish moss to boil. Add Hallertau hops for a minimum 45 minute boil. Five minutes from the end of the boil, add Saaz hops. After boil, strain hops and cool to 70 degrees. You can add the can of puree now or when you rack the beer into the secondary fermenter. Add the yeast when the wort is 70 degrees. After three days of strong fermentation rack the beer into a secondary fermenter and add one puree if you have not done so already. Ferment 7 to 10 days and bottle.

Blackberry Stout

3.3 LB. Munton's plain dark extract

3 LB. Munton's plain dark DME

46 oz. Oregon Blackberry Puree

1 LB. 80L crystal malt

1/2 LB. black patent malt

1/2 LB. roasted barley malt

I 1/2 oz. Hallertau hops (boil)

l/2 oz. Fuggles hops (finishing)

Wyeast #1084 Scottish Ale

1 tsp. Irish moss

Steep crushed crystal malt in cold water while heating to boil. Remove grain before boil. Add malt extract and 1 1/2 ounces Hallertau hops and boil for 45 minutes. Add Irish moss for the last 20 minutes of boil. (hydrate the Irish moss in 1/4 cup water overnight). At 45 minutes, turn off heat and add aroma hops. Cool down with wort chiller and rack into primary fermenter. Take and record the initial gravity reading. When the wort reaches 70 degrees pitch the yeast. After two days, rack into secondary fermenter and add fruit puree. Ferment for 7 to 14 days. When your hydrometer reading shows no change for two to three days, bottle. Use 1/2 to 3/4 cups priming sugar. Beer is drinkable in one month if you like “zippy” fruit beers. Aging 6 to 8 months will let the raspberry mellow.


copyright 2004 J.R.Leverentz