Raspberry Pilsner

Classification: fruit beer, lager, raspberry beer, pilsner, extract

Source: Ian M. Hall-Beyer (manuka@fwb.gulf.net), r.c.b., 5/3/95

I've made a raspberry from canned & hopped malt (kit) with amazing results... Here's my recipe..

Ingredients:

2 cans Ironmaster european pilsner
3-5 lbs raspberries (fresh or frozen, be sure to sterilize*)
2-4 lbs blackberries (")
your choice of yeast
DME to bring OG to 1.048
1 tsp yeast nutrient

Procedure:

That's the basic recipe.. experiment with it a bit... I throw the berries on top of the wort in primary,and let the primary go until they have leeched all their color out. At that point, I rack to secondary and let it all settle (use finings if you feel the need, I didn't). By the time it's done, you have a beautiful red brew that is then kegged, conditioned, and aged for 3 months in the fridge. If you sterilised the berries right, there's not a trace of haze or cloudiness. It's almost like a raspberry champagne, and a great dessert beer. The initial taste is beery, and then a lingering fruity aftertaste. I used the pilsner kit for its relatively low hop content, allowing the fruitiness to come out a little more.

(*) Sterilising the berries Because the berries are susceptible to wild yeast on the canes, it is advisable to sterilise the berries by heating them in water to a point a little below 85 degrees centigrade. (adding some dextrose to the water will start leeching out the flavor and color). Any higer, and you will release some pectin into the solution, which will cloud the beer (not critical, it just doens't look as cool as it does when it's crystal clear and bubbling).

Specifics:

OG: 1048