Raspberries

[RobWalker]

A few questions. I'm planning a low gravity brew, how much would they affect the ABV by? Best to use in secondary I'm assuming? :)

 

[shearclass]

Is raspberry a grain, hop, yeast, or water?

36g of sugar will increase 1 litre of water by 10 gravity points.

If you can find out an approximate sugar content of the raspberries, you will be able to get an approximate idea how the gravity will be affected.

My guess would be that you would need an awful lot of raspberries before the sugar content became noticeable.

 

[Runwell-Steve]

I recently put 4.5 Kg of fruit in the boil of a 60 Litre Brew Length of mild and it didn't make a huge difference to the gravity, I think it increased it by about 4 points. It's currently fermenting.

Are you planning on putting the raspberries in fresh, or are you going to boil them first, you may want to consider mashing them all up as well to get the juices out. I certainly think a boil would be a good idea otherwise you may be introducing an infection into your brew along with the raspberries.

 

[graysalchemy]

I don't know what rasberries would be but elderberies are 39 litre degrees per Kilo (LDK) . But to be honest they don't add much difference. 2.3 kg in 23l would only give you about 3 gravity points and that is the rate i would add fruit to beer.

Also the sugar content will vary between varieties season etc and since they add so little I would bother calculating it.

 

[shearclass]

Re the raspberries, could you just treat them with campden tablets before adding them to the secondary? That way (I guess) they might retain thier flavour better rather than being boiled and added before primary fermentation.

 

[graysalchemy]

That is one of the trains of thought that delicate fruit shouldn't be boiled and added to secondry. There is the risk of infection but adding capden to some water would work. So to would some Vodka. :thumb:

 

[RobWalker]

I will go the Campden route, boiling would activate any pectins too and I'd like to keep it quite clear. Thanks though guys :-)

I wouldn't be fussed, but a few of us are trying to create a few good brews under 2.7%, so those few points could send it over the edge...

What about primary/secondary? I assume a secondary being more gentle than a primary would retain more flavour...as for method, they'll be frozen, campden added, drained and bunged in when defrosted, more than likely in secondary.

 

[earthwormgaz]

My stout I tried, I added 3 packs of strawberries, boiled and mashed, to a secondary, and I can't taste them at all now I've tried it :cry:

 

[RobWalker]

just got some tinned raspberries in juice - it lists the sugar on the can so i'm just gonna add that into beersmith. Just within 2.7% guidelines so gonna brew at the weekend :)

 

[shocker]

How about dried raspberries ? not the squidgy ones , the freeze dried ,reallly DRY ones ? Still get your taste and sugar but infection risk minimal ..... :hmm: