Strawberry Basil. Is this terrible?

[PrezDickie]

Extract recipe. 5 gallon batch

6lb - wheat lme
1lb - golden lite dme
1oz cascade (60)
.5oz belma (25)
1oz belma (10)
.5 belma (dry hop)
6-7lb frozen strawberries (end of fermentation)
.25oz Basil (dry add)

Not sure how long to have the basil in there for so any suggestions welcome

That last.5 of belma is because I have 2oz total on hand. Open to any other hop schedule suggestions


Still new to making my own recipes. Tear it down as you want. Let me know what you think

 

[rupert130]

I have had only one beer (commercial) that employed the use of basil. It was awful and I would have to suggest that you do not add basil to an entire batch. My best advice would be to either split off a gallon and "dry basil" it or create a tincture with some basil and add it directly to the glass. You can then adjust as necessary to get your desired flavor profile.
Otherwise, it looks like a good recipe. I made an american wheat that I added 1# of strawberries to 1 gallon of beer and let it ferment out the additional sugars. The strawberry flavor really carried through in the finished product.

 

[kh54s10]

Personally, I would leave out both the strawberries and the basil.....

I recently tried Two Roads Brewery's Road Jam. It is raspberry. It is awful. But then again I don't like fruit beers. I even take the orange slice off my glass of Blue Moon as soon as it is served to me. A little orange is the only fruit that I can handle and that is only if it is very little.

I like the idea of testing in a glass of beer before committing to a full batch.

 

[Mainer]

The Homebrewer's Almanac gives some handy tips for brewing with basil. Unfortunately, I loaned out my copy and haven't gotten it back yet. IIRC, they had two basil recipes, a saison and a stout. I think they recommended flameout additions.

I wish I could be of more assistance, but if you pick up the book, it gives some handy tips for balancing that licorice flavor basil can sometimes impart.

Edit: I managed to find a copy of the index online, and the recipes are for a basil ale and a basil tripel.

 

[PrezDickie]

I have had only one beer (commercial) that employed the use of basil. It was awful and I would have to suggest that you do not add basil to an entire batch. My best advice would be to either split off a gallon and "dry basil" it or create a tincture with some basil and add it directly to the glass. You can then adjust as necessary to get your desired flavor profile.
Otherwise, it looks like a good recipe. I made an american wheat that I added 1# of strawberries to 1 gallon of beer and let it ferment out the additional sugars. The strawberry flavor really carried through in the finished product.

my plan was to split the batch. Im still on the fence with the Basil as I may leave it out, its for the girlfriend so a half batch is fine with her.

 

[PrezDickie]

Personally, I would leave out both the strawberries and the basil.....

I recently tried Two Roads Brewery's Road Jam. It is raspberry. It is awful. But then again I don't like fruit beers. I even take the orange slice off my glass of Blue Moon as soon as it is served to me. A little orange is the only fruit that I can handle and that is only if it is very little.

I like the idea of testing in a glass of beer before committing to a full batch.

I do like fruit beers. Not a lot. But the Two Roads I did like. I prefer sours over fruit but I am not ready to tackle a sour yet. I currently have a blood orange IpA thats going to be bottled sunday that has a slight hint of orange. A subtle aroma but a hoppy taste

 

[PrezDickie]

The Homebrewer's Almanac gives some handy tips for brewing with basil. Unfortunately, I loaned out my copy and haven't gotten it back yet. IIRC, they had two basil recipes, a saison and a stout. I think they recommended flameout additions.

I wish I could be of more assistance, but if you pick up the book, it gives some handy tips for balancing that licorice flavor basil can sometimes impart.

Edit: I managed to find a copy of the index online, and the recipes are for a basil ale and a basil tripel.

I read somewhere on here that basil at flameout cause was a bad idea due to basil and heat creating an off flavor. Howver, i am quickly realizing there are many ways than 1 to use ingredients.

 

[Mainer]

I read somewhere on here that basil at flameout cause was a bad idea due to basil and heat creating an off flavor. Howver, i am quickly realizing there are many ways than 1 to use ingredients.

It's only an off-flavor if you don't like it. If you like it, it's just a flavor.

 

[botigol]

I also have only ever tried one commercial beer with basil and it was pretty bad. I second/third/fourth the idea of testing additions of a tincture to a small amount after the fact and then scaling it up.

 

[Morrey]

You are likely to have a full keg or batch that ends up tossed. Here is a thread on my way around this.


https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=627393

 

[redllama]

I've never used basil but I have used strawberries in a wheat beer. Pureed them in a sanitized Ninja blender and then put them into paint strainer bags and "dry hopped" with the strawberries for 2 or 3 days. IIRC I used 1#/gallon

 

[PrezDickie]

It's only an off-flavor if you don't like it. If you like it, it's just a flavor.

Haha you got me there.

 

[PrezDickie]

I also have only ever tried one commercial beer with basil and it was pretty bad. I second/third/fourth the idea of testing additions of a tincture to a small amount after the fact and then scaling it up.

Probably what I'm going to do. Or just use a 1 gallon side batch. I do like the idea of a strawberry wheat. So that won't go to waste on its own