Wheat Berry Beer

[hmartyb]

First off, I'm new to the forum and just tried posting this, and it seems to have just disappeared, so if these take a while to post, I apologize for repeating myself.

I'm an intermediate brewer, been brewing for a bit, but mostly just to style or clones. I'm attempting to get a very basic berry wheat recipe together before Huckleberry season I want a wheat beer that won't be overpowered by the berries; something with a hint of berries up front with a definate berry finish. If anyone remembers Widmere Widberry, that's exactly what I'm looking for (couldn't find a clone for it ANYWHERE on the web).

Here's what I was going to start with, just to get an idea:

6 lbs Wheat DME
.75 oz Hallertauer, 60 min
Hefeweizen Ale - White Labs WLP 300
3 1/2 lbs pasteurized crushed blueberries added to secondary

My goal is fall Huckleberries (rather than blueberries) and it will be an all grain recipe, I'm just experimenting right now to get in the ball park. Any suggestions?

[hmartyb]

Oops that should have been Wheat LME... Anyway, I guess my main question is how much fruit? .5 Lb fruit/Gal beer is what I'm guessing.

[Chupa LaHomebrew]

I haven't tried the beer you are referring to, but most fruity wheat beers are made with a cleaner ale yeast. I'd go with good old cali ale yeast, especially if you want a subtle fruit impression. With the banana and clove from the german wheat yeast, you will have to add more fruit to get that huckleberry flavor through.

I also haven't played with huckleberries or blueberries, but I think you could probably go closer to a pound per gallon and still get a fairly subtle effect.

Good Luck!

[Thirsty Mallard]

I agree with Chupa.

I once made a heff with a German wheat strain and added raspberries, just to see if the fruitiness from the yeast would play nicely with the actual fruit.

It did not. If I had it all to do all over, I'd use American Heff yeast or Cal Ale.