Brooklyn Brew Shop's Blackberry Red Ale with Bullberry Substitute - Tips and Advice

[TasunkaWitko]

Brooklyn Brew Shop's Blackberry Red Ale with Bullberry Substitute - Tips and Advice

The next beer that I will be brewing is Blackberry Red Ale, from Brooklyn Brew Shop:

Actually, instead of blackberries, I will be using a substitute that is very near and dear to the prairie country that is a big part of my heritage: bullberries, also known as buffaloberries.

As with all of my "Tips and Advice" threads, this will be a running account of the experience and the things that I learn during the process.

As usual, I'll start with the particulars:

Informational link: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/beer-making-mixes/blackberry-red-ale-beer-making-mix

Instructions: http://brooklynbrewshop.com/directions/Brooklyn_Brew_Shop_Blackberry_Red_Ale_Instructions.pdf

I actually have the recipe for this beer from Brooklyn Brew Shop's BEER MAKING BOOK, so I will be using that as a resource, as well. If anyone is interested in trying this beer, please shoot me a PM, and I'd be happy to share it.

This all-grain, 1-gallon mix is for a Irish Red Ale that incorporates Maris Otter, Caramel 60 and Aromatic malts in order to deliver "a tall glass of summer perfection ...highly refreshing and not overly sweet." At 6% ABV, it sounds just right to me. This mix uses East Kent Golding hops for bittering/flavour and Columbus hops (Cascade in the recipe book) for aroma, which I suspect will lend a nice, earthy ambience with perhaps some citrusy notes. I like the idea, and think that it should make a good end-of-summer beer, if it is as advertised. The yeast that comes with the mix is a pretty generic, fast acting strain - I think that it is a version of S33 or maybe S05, but please do not quote me on that. In the recipe book, the recommended yeast is Nottingham, and I plan on using that. According to BBS's website, the OG is 1.052 and the FG is 1.013.

From the moment I ordered this mix, I wanted to substitute a local fruit for the blackberries. I wanted something that would be seasonal, and also wanted to keep things within my usual interest in brewing beers with the local terrior in mind. Bullberries, which are a common and much-loved fixture in my area of Montana - as well as my ancestral home of western North Dakota - were a natural choice. The instructions call for the blackberries to be heated and mashed with 1/4 cup of sugar, creating a syrup that will be added to the wort at the very end of the boil, at knock-out; I will be doing the same with the bullberries.

Here is the label that I came up with for this brew, featuring a beautiful watercolour from one of Montana's most famous citizens, C.M. Russell:

As always, I welcome any comments, suggestions or feedback on this - if anyone is interested, please feel free to chime in, or simply follow along.

More as it happens, etc. &c....

Ron

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I brewed this last night, and I think that everything went quite well, except for one possible glitch, that will probably not affect anything - read on....

After cleaning all of my equipment and laying it out, I began the mash. My dad came over for a while; he also brought a 6-pack of beer, which always makes a brew day (or brew evening, in this case), more fun. Tonight, the beer was Charlie Russell Red, which coincidentally is also a red ale featuring a C.M. Russell painting on the label.:

Charile Russell Red is one of my favourites from Harvest Moon Brewing - you can read about it here, if interested:

http://www.harvestmoonbrew.com/index.php?p=other-brews

Anyway, the preparation for this beer went quite smoothly for the most part. First, I mashed the bullberries (about 1.5 cups, which is a little more than the recipe calls for, but oh well....) with 1/4 cup of sugar in a warm saucepan, just enough to dissolve the sugar and release the juices from the berries. I then covered this and set it aside. The mash went very well, with temperatures staying right in the 148-150-degree range, where I wanted them to be. I have never brewed a red ale before, so I wasn't sure what to expect; it doesn't seem very "red" to me; but it sure smelled like something wonderful. We'll see how it ends up.

The sparge and boil were without incident; there were no sticking issues with the sparge, and the hop additions were right on time, filling the kitchen with some wonderful, smooth and earthy aromas. Right at knock-out, I added the bullberry "syrup," and stirred it in well, then allowed the beer to chill in an ice bath for about 20 minutes until it went down below 70 degrees. I then pitched the yeast (Nottingham), capped the fermenter and shook/mixed/agitated it quite vigorously for about 2 minutes, as always.

It was here that I might have made a minor error. Noticing that my boil had brought the wort down to just a bit below a full gallon, I topped it off just enough to bring it where it needs to be; unfortunately, there's a 50/50 chance that I topped it off with sanitizer, rather than water. I had them both sitting right next to each other (which I never do any other time - for exactly this reason - but managed to do this time), and am not 100% sure which I used. It was only a small amount, less than 1 cup, so I am not too worried about it; however....

Other than that, the brew went quite well, and I think I'll end up with some great beer. I looked in on it this morning, and fermentation was beginning nicely, with a slow, steady blip-blip coming out of the blow-off tube. I expect that when I get home from work this evening, I will find that the pace will have picked up a bit, and that it will continue steadily for the next couple-three days, after which I will replace the tube with an airlock.

That's all I have for now - more later, as it happens....

Ron

 

[TasunkaWitko]

When I got home from work last night, fermentation was cruising along rather merrily. The beer isn't noticeably red- or amber-coloured, either from the grains or from the bullberries, but we'll see how it ends up. It sure looks like it's going to turn out to be a good one, though, and that's what counts.

I'll check on it again tonight, then will most likely switch the blow-off tube for an air-lock tomorrow after work.

 

[ericbw]

Are you buying the kits from BBS to do these?

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Eric -

I went on quite the shopping spree and bought a bunch of the pre-made mixes a while ago, including this Blackberry Red Ale, the Grapefruit Honey Ale and then Afternoon Wheat (As well as a few fall/winter mixes).

The pre-boxed mixes were and still are pretty handy for me, considering how far away I live from an LHBS (over 200 miles), but now that I have a pretty good "pipeline" for brewing ingredients, I'm trying to "use up" my mixes and move over to using the recipes from the books - or make up my own recipes. I've also found quite a few recipes here on the forum that I'd like to try.

 

[ericbw]

There are some places that let you build a recipe, then order it. It's prob more expensive than buying a pound of grain, but maybe similar to the BBS kits.

Saving yeast will make sense, too. For 1 gallon, that's the biggest expense (and it can be close to zero). The BBS book only uses a few different ones.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

My #2 son has been trying to save some yeast, but I think a lot of gunk is in there too, making it a frustrating deal. It's something I'd like to look into a little.

 

[ericbw]

My #2 son has been trying to save some yeast, but I think a lot of gunk is in there too, making it a frustrating deal. It's something I'd like to look into a little.

Don't worry about the gunk. After a batch is bottled, swirl the dregs of your gallon jug and pour it into a mason jar.

If you want, after 20 minutes, a lot of gunk has settled. Pour off the top liquid to another clean jar. Put a lid on and watch the yeast settle. You'll have about a pint of liquid and yeast. Refrigerate it.

When it's time to use it, if it's within a month, bring to room temp, swirl it and open carefully. Star San around the lid first.

Star San all over all of your fermenter and funnel. Then dump the slurry in. If it's fresh, it will start quickly.

If it's more than a month, you should probably make a starter.

Sanitize, sanitize, sanitize! A gallon batch should give you enough yeast to make 3-4 more batches easy.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Good information - thanks!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I looked in on the beer this morning and it looks like fermentation has slowed down quite a bit. I am guessing that I will replace the blow-off tube with the airlock after work this evening.

The beer itself looks nice, but still brownish, rather than red. We'll see how it ends up when the beer clears.

Cruising along - I'll post more as it happens -

Ron

 

[TonyKZ1]

Sounds good, keep us updated. This is one one their recipes I haven't tried yet.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Thanks, Tony. The beer really is. Looking and smelling great; I just don't see the "red" yet.

I checked on it this morning and it's looking great. I attached the air-lock last night, and we're cruising along.

 

[ericbw]

The red sometimes comes out in the glass, like a deep ruby color. I just started an Irish Red this afternoon, and it's like chocolate milk.

 

[ericbw]

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1473447728.020001.jpg it will get red eventually!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hey, Eric - I was out of town the last few days, but your brew is looking good! Let me know how it turns out.

I took a peek at mine when I got home late yesterday, and I can see where the "amber" is starting to come in a bit. I am sure that as the beer clears, we will see the colour we're expecting ~~

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Yesterday, I put my Bullberry Red Ale in the refrigerator to cold crash, one day shy of 4 weeks after BrewDay.

The beer was looking pretty good and was definitely taking that beautiful amber colour that is associated with red ales. I noticed that it also seemed rather cloudy, but I am hoping that the cold-crashing will clear it up and take care of that. The beer has a nice aroma to it right now; I refrained from sampling it, but indications are that I have something pretty nice.

I probably won't be able to bottle it until closer to the end of this week, or possibly this weekend; however, I am sure that it will be fine.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I bottled this beer tonight, getting 9 bottles out of a 1-gallon batch, which is the average. The process went well and smoothly, with no spills or other catastrophes to speak of. With this batch, I elected to go with the dextrose carbonation tablets that my son got for me; my goal is a beer with a medium carbonation, so I used 4 tablets per bottle. We'll see how it goes.

There was about half a bottle left over that I was able to sample and - keeping in mind that this beer is young and not yet carbonated - I think we're looking at a really fine beer, here.

The colour "reddened up" really well, not unlike the above-mentioned Charlie Russell Red, which is the beer that I am using as a comparison. The colour is not quite the same, but much closer than I expected when I was brewing this. As for clarity, it's hard to tell at this point, but it seems fairly clear, keeping in mind that my only "refinement methods" are time and cold-crashing. I sucked up almost no trub at all - maybe just the smallest bit, so I am guessing that over the next two weeks as the beer carbonates, and as it conditions in the refrigerator for an additional week, it will clear very nicely. I am absolutely no expert on Irish reds, but I think it looks great for a first attempt.

As far as aroma goes, I really liked what I was getting from this beer. I'm not sure how to describe it, but it simply smelled like great beer, with a nice combination coming from both the malts and the hops. I don't recall catching any sign of the bullberries, but they might have been in there. I'll try to be more specific when I sample the finished beer, but I really liked the aroma I got from this sample

Same with the taste - nothing specific at this point, but I was really impressed with the malts. The hops were also good, a little more bitter (bitterer?) than I expected, but not in a bad way. There was also a nice bit of tartness from the berries, with what might have been a hint of "berry-ness" as well. I expect this to come forward a bit as the beer conditions, but since I've never tried this before, I really don't know for sure. All-in-all, a well-balanced taste, I think.

I apologise for such vague descriptions; I just don't know enough about what to expect from these Irish red beers. When I do sample this beer, I'll probably have a bottle of Charlie Russell Red standing by, for comparison; having said that, I am pretty sure that this beer I made is going to stand nicely on its own merits quite well.

More in about three weeks, if all goes well.

Ron

 

[ericbw]

In my opinion, which is nearly worthless, Irish reds need that bitterness from the grain (roasted barley), not from hops. It's more than "toast" or "roast," it's almost burnt or acrid, but not overbearing. Irish red is sort of like a very much lighter version of a stout.

9 bottles is pretty good!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Say, Eric - I hadn't thought of it from that end, but I do agree with you on that; in fact, the Charlie Russell Red that I enjoyed so much has that exact quality, but I didn't realize it until you pointed it out. The same could be the case here; I'm not sure. The Malts used are Maris Otter, Caramel 60 and Aromatic, which is a comination I've never brewed before. I'll have to get a proper sample of it and figure this out!

9 bottles is my "usual" average. Once in a great while, I'll either get 8 or 10, but I can usually count on 9, assuming everything goes normally. I'd like to work it so it is 10 every time, but am always worried about adding too much water, so I don't.

We'll see how this turns out, but I'm thinking it is going to be a pretty good success!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I was recently able to finally sample this beer and found it to be very good. Here is a preliminary report, which will be fleshed out as I work my way though the batch.

First and foremost, this was truly outstanding! Using wild buffaloberries (also known as bullberries) in place of the blackberries seemed to work very well, along with the Nottingham yeast. The malts came through in very nice fashion with good balance from the hops - a very good red ale on its own. The aroma was something that I was really liking - rich and full, with a complexity that I hadn't expected. The berries gave a bit of tartness, and their own flavor is also starting to really come into its own.

This beer was just a small bit under-carbed, but that was my fault. All-in-all, it was a very good red ale and I would like to try it again.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I've been enjoying this batch of beer very much, and finally drank the last of it on New Year's Day:

I had to take 5 or 6 photos with my cell phone in order to get one that was even close to being presentable, so the head doesn't really show well here; it was a lot better than the photo indicates, but could have used some improvement in any case. I'll see what I can do about that the next time I make this beer, or one like it. It was also quite a bit clearer than the photo would indicate.

The taste of this beer was really something; it seemed to me to be a pretty good red ale at the base, with a very definite note from the bullberries. Their sweetness, of course, was pretty much fermented out, but even in the slight tartness, the flavor of the berries themselves came through nicely, and seemed to improve with age. There was a good balance here of malty and bitterness (slightly more toward malty, which I prefer) and the hops were a great choice for this beer. In all, it was quite good and I have no real complaints about it.

 

[TasunkaWitko]

I should add that the perceived carbonation issues that were present in my first sampling of the beer took care of themselves soon after. I'm not sure of the exact reason, but the beer was nicely carbed after the initial sample, and remained so throughout.

 

[ericbw]

That looks pretty carbonated from the pic. Nice color, too!

 

[TasunkaWitko]

Hi, Eric -

Yep, the colour came out really nicely, when all was said and done! I would like to have had a better head, but there could have been other factors in play. My older son cleaned the bottles while I was at work on the day that I bottled this batch, and perhaps he used something other than OxyClean and/or didn't rinse well enough. other than that, this one is just about perfect.