A question for the readers: Has anyone brewed with Mulberries? Ok, let me back up…(beep, beep, beep, beep–Sorry about the George Costanza joke)
I have this tree that bears fruit that look like blackberries every summer. I didn’t think blackberries grew on trees so after a quick search I found that this tree was in fact a fruiting mulberry tree.
Over the past 3 years, I have ignored this tree and its messy berries as much as I could (if you step on the berries, you can make an ugly, spotted purple trail in your house…and don’t get me started what happens after the birds eat these things). I never checked to see if these berries were edible. Apparently they are…since I am still alive and typing this post 4 hours after eating one.
This summer, the tree’s berries are busting out all over…so of course I thought I could brew a beer using these berries.
So, has anyone ever brewed a beer using Mulberries? Anybody encounter a commercial beer brewed with Mulberries?
Just wondering. The berry I tasted was mildly sweet, but not as tasty as a blackberry.
Chemgeek
I know nothing about the mulberries, but watch out if you have a monkey and a weasel. A chase may ensue.
John
Ha Ha! I will be sure to listen for a popping noise.
Sacred Tree
I made a mulberry mead that turned out great, but I hand picked about a pound of the berries for a 2 gallon batch. I have also made jam that turned out really great!
Aaron
I brewed a Mulberry Blonde. Is ok. I’d change the recipe next time.
Email me if you want more details.
jc
Couldn’t tell you about brewing with mulberries but yes they are edible and they can taste great as long as you pick them when they’re ripe (easy to tell, like most berries there’s a small window when the berries are perfectly sweet). Growing up had neighbors with 2 big mulberry trees in their yard, they would put sheets out under the trees and just shake them like crazy and get an ass load of berries.
John
Sacred Tree – That mead sounds good. I think I have to start making mead.
Aaron – I will email you about the recipe.
jc – I have been eating them. They have been getting sweeter.
John
Here is Aaron’s Recipe:
Cornhole Mulberry Blonde Ale #25
——————————–
6.33# 2-row
0.75# Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
0.75# Wheat Malt
1.0 oz Saaz 3.6% AA – 60 min
1.0 oz Spalt 2.0% AA – 60 min
Yeast = US-05
Secondary with 1.5# mulberries.
NOTES: Should’ve added more mulberries and added another hop charge at 10 min.
Thanks Aaron!
Helen
we have HUGE mulberry trees in our back yard. while it is annoying b/c of the amount of flies the berries attract, but they are delicious, and free.
i stumbled across this article googling ‘mulberry beer’, b/c my husband and i are interested in brewing our own beer.
because we have a shit load of berries every year, we think they would make a delicious beer and be cost-effectient.
John
Thanks Helen. I am glad you found our site. If you brew up a batch, let us know how it turned out.
winnP
I’ve noticed that all the mulberry trees in my neighborhood (Northwest D.C.) are fruiting extra heavy this year, so I searched around for a mulberry beer recipe. Just curious if you ever ended up brewing one — I’m probably just going to modify a blackberry/raspberry recipe since they seem to be similar in sweetness and tartness. I’ve loved mulberries my whole life… as a kid I used to climb around in a big one with my brother eating the berries until we were completely purple and a little “high” on sugar (and maybe slightly fermented over-ripe berries??).
John
I didn’t brew one and now that I have moved, I probably won’t for a while.
The Mulberry Blonde recipe posted in a comment above yours is a good start.
mark
Yes one of the first maybe it was the first times I ever brewed beer it turned out great!!! I’m not sure how I did it (15 years ago). It was one of those 5 gal. jug buckets add wort ( that’s when I added the boiled mulberries (maybe 1 lb.) then hops (I forget something evpensive) and did as the instructions said and bottled it. To the best of my recolections and my beloved it was the best beer ever. I hope I can recreate that beer again. God bless, Mark
tom
Yeh theres a few mulberry trees starting to fruit around where i live. In a couple of weeks when they’re ripe im going on a little urban foraging tour to collect for a mulberry wheat beer ive been wanting to try.
im thinking ill go 50/50 pale and wheat malt then boil, crush and strain my mulberries and add them to the secondary fermenter… ill probably go with hallertau for my hops.
still trying to work out how much mulberries ill need, im thinking at least a kilo (2lb) from the recipes you guys are coming up with.
theres also a native fruit/berry called a lilly pilly here in Australia which id love to experiment with i think a really unique, wacky beer would be just the thing for christmas presents 🙂
as far as mulberry beer goes ive never seen it myself but i find theyre pretty similar to blackberries and ive seen some blackberry beers… red oak brewery makes a wheat beer one, http://www.redoak.com.au/02_02.html i think ill pick one up on the weekend 🙂
Ellie
I made mulberry beer last year, didn’t write the recipe down but it goes something like this:
3lb mulberries
1lb blackberries
2 bananas
2 figs!
water to make 1gallon
1-2lb sugar as required
am jast about to make it again but much more as it was great. Think i just poured boiling water over the lot and added an ale yeast when cooled. I’d say it was the best beer of the season!
Jeff
Just an easy way for you all to harvest, as many of you have commented, those nuisance berries. I have made use of these free, first of the season berries for years. This will be my first year to try them as a beer ingredient. We’ve had a very rainy Spring. The rain is great for bigger berries, but afraid the Sun is a big factor in the sugar content. Best way I’ve found to harvest them is to take a long painter’s extension pole, add a hook of your imagination(for grabbing limbs beyond your reach), I’ve even used the empty roller that attaches to the pole. Lay down a tarp, shower liner, whatever you have. Lay the tarp down under the tree, grab a branch, give it a shake(be sure you aren’t underneath the falling fruit), on to your tarp they go. I wear a pair of latex gloves, then when my tarp is full, I just pour the berries into a bucket for washing. Probably best to wash the bird droppings off, you think? Good Brewing!
dano/mikey
brewing a ‘mulbeery’ hef american wheat kit 5oz mulberries 1oz dried lemon peel 1oz hallertau hops very simple updates to follow…
John
Sweet – hope it turns out awesome. Brew on!
Athina
Anyone who says that mulberries are similar to blackberries has definitely not tasted them. Although visually, mulberries may have a similar appearance to blackberries, flavor-wise, they couldn’t be any different. Blackberries are very tart and pungent. Mulberries are just simply sweet -with little to no flavor at all.
John
I guess it depends on the batch of blackberries you get.
Marty
Very interesting post history here. I stumbled across it after reading a story about sleep aids, one of which is mulberry beer. I Googled “mulberry beer” and this one popped right up.
John
And there we are, Marty. Best wishes from the internet.