Raisin beer?

[Legman]

I ran across a few articles about some commercial beers that were brewed with raisins.

Has anyone ever tried brewing with raisins before?
If so, what was your experience with this?

[bfabre]

Raisins thats a new twist. Sound like it would give a dry fruity taste. You might go as far as to use cranberries. As with all fruit beers don't you add them to the primary? I never made any.

[Legman]

Yeah, I've never made any fruit beers either. I usually don't care much for them, but for some reason the raisins intrigue me.
On another forum I saw a few discussions and I read some would puree them and add to the boil, while others were adding to the secondary.
Overall I haven't found too much information on this. So I'm just going to have to give it a go and see what happens. I've been working up a brown ale recipe I think I'll try them in.
I'll post the results.

[Legman]

Well, this is what I ended coming up with. Been in the fermenter for about 2 weeks now. No more movement in the airlock. Smelled good though. Will have to see how well it tastes once I get it in the keg and let it age a bit. I'll post the results.

6.0 lb 2-Row Brewers Malt
1.0 lb Light Munich Malt
1.0 lb Special B
.5 lb Biscuit Malt
0.37 lb Chocolate
1 lb Oats (Pregelatinized Flakes)
.5 lb Barley Flaked
1.0 lb Raisins - added during boil, boiled 60 min
1.0 tbsp 5.2 pH Stabilizer - added during mash

29.0 g Bullion (7.6%) - added first wort, boiled 70 min
10.0 g Challenger (6.3%) - added first wort, boiled 70 min
10.0 g Challenger (6.3%) - added during boil, boiled 30 min
10.0 g East Kent Goldings (5.4%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
30.0 g East Kent Goldings (5.4%) - added during boil, boiled 1 min

1.0 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15 min
1.0 ea White Labs WLP005 British Ale

Pureed raisins with some of the first running from the mash tun.
Toasted Oats and Flaked Barley in oven @ 350 for 30 min.

[Legman]

Well, tapped into the raisin beer today. Hmmmm.......different. Don't really notice a raisiny taste, but there's something different about it.
Might have been better if I would have added raisins to the secondary instead of boiling them. I also think the hop flavors mask it some too. Kinda has a dry wang into the finish. Maybe picked up some tannins from the raisin skins??? Not sure. Possibly needs more aging as well.

Overall, I'd say a drinkable beer, but not great. I'll have to get some responses from some of my friends and see what they think about it.
But either way, I couldn't help experimenting with it.

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

I forgot about reading this thread awhile back. I read something a month or so ago about raisins being used in beers and rootbeers to show if it was fully carbonated or not. I guess it would float after the beer was carbonated.

Just thought that was interesting.