How to Make Blueberry Beer

Blueberry beer has a blue head and a distinctive blueberry flavor. The quality and sweetness of the berries varies with each season and has a significant effect on the brew. The addition of the fruit will make the finish more bitter so less bittering hops is required.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• 5½ lbs Hugh Baird pale malt
• 4 cups blueberries
• 1 lb wheat malt
• ½ lb corn sugar
• ½ lb crystal malt
• ½ oz Willamet Hops
• ¼ oz Saaz Hops
• A pinch of your favorite brewer's yeast

1. Mix the hops, malt, sugar and yeast with 9 quarts of water at 140 degrees, gradually raising to 152 degrees. This mixture is called the mash and promotes the enzymatic breakdown of the malt into sugars.
2. Steep the mash for 90 minutes. Heat it to 168 degrees as quickly as possible and maintain it at that heat for 5 minutes to stabilize the enzymes in the mash. This process is called the mashout.
3. Rinse any spent grains retained by the wort after the mash with five gallons of acidified water at 168 degrees. Sprinkle the water in gently to avoid disturbing the grain bed. This process is called sparging.
4. Boil the mash for 60 to 90 minutes until the volume is adequately reduced.
5. Mash the blueberries in a bowl with the corn sugar using a potato masher until the blueberries are thoroughly pulped. Add this mixture to the hot wort when it has cooled to about 180 degrees. Cover the brew and let stand for about 20 minutes. Chill with an immersion chiller if available and allow to ferment.