New to brewing, need help

[khouse23]

I'm looking for some advice, I want to use some berries I have growing in my next batch of beer. I wanted to make a porter with some blackberries, should I try them with porter or go with an ale?

 

[Travestian]

Part of the fun of this hobby is getting into what you want to do to create what you want to create. It's all about expressing yourself in the brew. Don't try to fit a recipe into a particular style unless that's what you are going for. Just do what sounds good to you. BTW, a porter IS an ale.

 

[evrose]

I'm looking for some advice, I want to use some berries I have growing in my next batch of beer. I wanted to make a porter with some blackberries, should I try them with porter or go with an ale?

Just FYI - a porter is a type of ale.

Otherwise, I don't really have a comment on the blackberry issue. Actually, tha's not true - I have one comment.

Yuck.

 

[khouse23]

Thanks, I still have a lot of reading up to do on the different types. I was just wondering if anything works best with berries, I'll just try a couple small batches of different kinds of beer and see what tastes the best!

 

[evrose]

Thanks, I still have a lot of reading up to do on the different types. I was just wondering if anything works best with berries, I'll just try a couple small batches of different kinds of beer and see what tastes the best!

Two additional thoughts:

1. Berries are commonly used in wheat beers. But it's not as if the Beer Police are going to show up and arrest you if you add them to something else.

2. If you're new, I'd HIGHLY recommend getting your process solid before messing with odd ingredients in odd styles. Get good at a few (relatively) basic beers, then venture forth once you have some idea what makes what flavors.

Just a thought...

 

[Colorowdy]

I think a blackberry porter would be delicious.
Do alot of lurking around here you can learn alot.

 

[khouse23]

Yeah blackberries aren't a favorite of mine but I have like 20 million of them growing out back so I figured I'd try to put them to use haha

 

[Mongrel]

I do a blackberry hefe once a year. Might have to do a porter too this year.

 

[evrose]

I think a blackberry porter would be delicious.

Maybe... but again, I'd strongly suggest learning how to make a good basic porter before venturing in to something like that. If something goes disastrously wrong, how would a total brewing rookie know if it was the basic process, or the addition of the blackberries?

 

[khouse23]

Thanks for all the advice everybody, I am starting a batch of lager now, I did a brown ale last time and I was going to try some lighter beers and once I kind of got the hang of it try and add some different things in

 

[Travestian]

Thanks for all the advice everybody, I am starting a batch of lager now, I did a brown ale last time and I was going to try some lighter beers and once I kind of got the hang of it try and add some different things in

GREAT idea! I too think a blackberry porter sounds good. You could even do some cocoa nibs in the secondary to make it a chocolate blackberry porter. Oh the possibilities!!!

 

[khouse23]

I was actually staring at the cocoa nibs at my local brew supply and thinking to myself how someday I will use them in something, I have been brainstorming a lot about all the different things I want to try after I get some brewing experience under my belt