It looks like we are going to have another great Blackberry harvest this year so I figured I better use up what we have from last year. So I whipped up a Blackberry Saison.
Malt Bill
- Weyermann Pilsner malt – 80%
- BestMalz Munich malt – 9 %
- Avangard Wheat malt – 9%
- Briess Carapils – 2%
I figured the hops would just be playing a supporting role so I didn’t go crazy. I used East Kent Goldings and Saaz for a total IBU of 27-ish.
I used one packet of SafAle BE-134 and fermented at 72ºF. The yeast had been in my fridge for at least 2 years so I was concerned, but the airlock was showing activity with a few hours.
When fermentation was 80% complete I pureed three pounds of blackberry and strained it to remove the seeds. I heated the puree to 140ºF for twenty minutes. After chilling to room temperature I added the puree to the fermenter.
Fermentation was complete in only four days. I let it hang out in fermenter for another two days. Final gravity is 1.006 and the ABV is approximately 6%. I’m not sure how much fermentable sugar the blackberries added so it may be slightly stronger.
This should be a good summer beer. It will be interesting to see what my friends think of it.