Dave Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 hi all, i was thinking of doing a blushing blonde and just had a question about the recipe. It keeps saying frozen berries but i was wondering if it mattered if i used fresh berries or is there sanitation issues? Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 20, 2011 Share Posted February 20, 2011 Yep, it is all about sanitation Dave. The frozen berries are package under strict sanitary conditions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 20, 2011 Author Share Posted February 20, 2011 thanks Muddy, However i have just discovered that my supermarket didn't have any frozen berries that i could find, so i have bought fresh and i think i'll just chuck them in anyway and see how they go. Does anyone know any tricks that may make them a bit more sanitary first? freezing or heating ect? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matty A Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Pasturising them is always good. I pasturise anything that is going to go into my brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 Yep, I'm with Matty - Pasturize them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 21, 2011 Author Share Posted February 21, 2011 ok thanks guys, will do. Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMack Posted February 21, 2011 Share Posted February 21, 2011 I have a brew of "blushing blonde" down as we speak....I have to admit I was dubious about the berries going moldy in the brew....at eight days in all is good (I used frozen as in the recipe) few more days then into the bottle it goes....on a different note I recently went on a weekend trip down to Invercargill (bottom of the South Island, New Zealand) and visited a micro brewery while I was there - much to my surprise one of their seasonal specialties was a boysenberry beer (which funnily enough is what I put in my brew) Well I couldnt resist the free sample (of all their range actually) and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this beer...a kinda winelike hit and then a subtle hint of hops and the traditional beer flavour coming through late in the taste......hopefully my brew comes out something close to theirs! hmmmm apparently though, this beer is more popular with the ladies!!![love] Although I did manage to entice a visiting Brit couple to buy some for their trip around the lower South Island... Cant wait fro this brew to be ready - might make the other half appreciate beer (and me if she drinks enough [kissing]) a touch more... Cheers Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeonardC2 Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Basically,frozen berries give off more juice as they thaw,besides being sanitized. Just thaw,mash'em up,& add. But that brew sounds good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 ok i followed the recipe to the word and added my berries tied in a cloth, but now they are floating half out of the brew! I now think i should have just chucked them straight into the beer but i thought perhaps there was a reason for the cloth? such as preventing heaps of berries floating round into the tap ect. My question is that if half the berries are hanging out of the brew will they risk going off without the alcohol to sterilise them? i don't want mouldy berries in my brew. Is it worth me either untying the cloth so it comes apart and they hopefully sink or even sanitising a weight which i could tie onto them to make them sink? Or just leave them be? Any ideas please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisMack Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 What a horrific outcome.....tragicly I lost my blushing blonde brew yesterday in the 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch....it does however pale in comparison to other losses around Christchurch, many lives and historic buildings are lost forever....... ChrisMack Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sorry to hear about your beer ChrisMack. You're right it does seem unimportant with the tragegy still unfolding over there. My thoughts are with you and all of our friends over the ditch. Dave - If you want them to sink get some marbles and sterilise them and add them to your bundle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 23, 2011 Author Share Posted February 23, 2011 Sorry to hear about your loss chris but at least you are ok and i hope everyone you know is too. Thanks muddy i may sanitise a weight but i didn't want to "play" with the brew too much, i was hoping that if the carbon dioxide just pushed the air out they might be ok anyway? just don't know? or perhaps even just setting them free might be the best option? So long as they don't stick in the tap or anything? i don't know about lifting them out and untying then retying and putting them back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 The berries are probably already immersed with just the top of the cloth sticking out. The cloth will soak up the beer which will probably protect the berries from spoiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 23, 2011 Share Posted February 23, 2011 I was just looking at the Blushing Blonde recipe. I've noticed cut & paste in other recipes but it looks like a little proof reading is in order [rightful] ...Much like most of my posts [biggrin] The following paragraph from the Blushing Blonde recipes looks like it is referring to the Extra Strong Vintage Ale recipe: You may like to add a small amount of specialty grain and dry hop with your favourite variety (fuggles, saaz, hallertau, hersbrucker, cascade, perle and magnum were used in previous vintages). Look in our Talk Brewing area for a guide on growing our commercial ale yeast. Edit: Actually, I just had another look and it looks like some of the previous paragraph in the recipe refers to the ESVA too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeonardC2 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 It's odd that the berries float in beer. They didn't when I was making wine. Beer must have a different SG. But not to worry. The CO2 on top will keep everything from turning. The bag is a lot like an iceberg. Most of it is benieth the surface. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PB2 Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 Thanks for that pick-up Muddy, will get it fixed. Best to keep the berries enclosed in cloth. The cloth sinks somewhat over time in the brew. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muddy Waters Posted February 24, 2011 Share Posted February 24, 2011 I wouldn't mind giving this recipe a go but for the life of me I can't get my hands on a can of Canadian [pinched] I might have to make an offering to the Big W gods and see if they can get some in. They always seem to have a few dented cans of it in stock but in recent weeks when I have actually wanted to buy one they have all disappeared. Maybe it is Warren trying to get back at me for picking up a $3 PLASTIC HYDROMETER [lol] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted February 24, 2011 Author Share Posted February 24, 2011 ok thanks guys. i'm at ease now, i just wasn't sure if they might go bad being out of the liquid a bit. just going to let them float and do their thing. There is a nice colour going through the beer and all smells and looks good [happy] I just made a mistake with the cloth i bought, being coles brand it was rectangular instead of square [annoyed] so i used two to get the berries to wrap up and even then couldn't tie it together so i used some gladwrap twisted to make rope to finish up and i guess with all the material my berries were extra floaty and i was anxious at the thought of losing beer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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