This has been a very long project that started with cultivating the yeast I would use.  The yeast and raspberries came from Silver Leaf Farm in Concord MA, a small family run organic raspberry farm.  Since about 1970 the family has been cultivating heirloom raspberries.  Tom the owner was nice enough to let me cultivate yeast from the fields as well.

Grain Bill

19lbs Pilsner 2 Row (Belgian)
1lb 1.4ozs Vienna Malt (Type 1)
1lb 1.4ozs Wheat Malt
8.8ozs Caramunich
7.3ozs Munich Malt (Type 1)
4.5oz 2.8% Styrian Goldings hops @ 45mins
1oz 4.8% East Kent Goldings hops @ 15mins
9lbs Raspberries direct from Silver Leaf Farm in Concord MA and added to barrel
Mash temp 150F for 60mins
Sparge temp 168F
Yeast cultivated from Silver Leaf Farm

Inspiration

About a year ago I started to try saisons, sours and wild ales.  Prior to this the whole idea of a saison, sour or wild ale was something that really did not appeal to me.  But honestly I had never really tried them so I can’t say it was an informed POV.  I found that I either really loved or hated them and that when I liked them they were really great.

The saisons I’ve brewed were a big hit and I’d been reading about cultivating yeast and cool ships so I decided to go for a wild ale.

Water

Water adjustment of 5g gypsum and 4g epsom salt to bring the profile to calcium=37, magnesium=15, sodium=38, chloride=39, sulfate=126 (same as what was done for the Raspberry and Plum Saisons).

Brewing Notes

I’m fermenting and aging in a 10 gallon virgin oak barrel.  The plan is a 1lb of fruit per gallon so I added 9lbs of raspberries to the barrel.  Since I’m fermenting in the barrel I will only transfer about 7 gallons to the barrel and the rest to a fermenter.  I will add yeast to both and top up barrel as fermentation slows.

During mash the pump got stuck once due to lots of grain flowing through the false bottom.  On transfer to the boil I had tons of grain coming through.  Somehow it was going through the false bottom.  I had Beer Wine Hobby grind the grain so I’m not sure if maybe it was too fine.  I also noticed a sort of grater that formed in the grain bed where all the water was running.  I decided to pump everything back into the mash tun, let it settle and transfer again.  Although I got some grain it was 100% better.  I think the hole that formed in the grain bed during mash was more the issue.  Curious of this will impact the SG.

Label