Ale Refermented with "Spent" Blueberries

Demi-Tone (blueberries) follows in our lineup of refermentations with spent fruit, which includes La Vie en Rose (raspberries), Detritivore (cherries), and Grim Harvest (blackberries). The result of refermenting on spent fruit is a more subtle fruit character and arguably more complexity in terms of the fermentation profile.

We’ve always been a little cautious when working with blueberries, as we’ve encountered acetic (vinegary) issues in the past, which we’ve always dumped down the drain. Some may recall our Blueberry FAIL of 2014, which resulted in a beer with some very harsh, sharp acidity. We’ve come a long way since our first attempt of working with blueberries, and we believe Demi-Tone is a really great expression of one of our core philosophies — allowing native yeast and bacteria to create interesting flavors and aromas through the fermentation of grains and fruit.

Demi-Tone was made by taking a young (1-2 month old) farmhouse ale brewed with well water, malted barley, malted wheat, oats, and hops, and refermenting it with the spent (or leftover) blueberries from Jester King Colour Five. It is unfiltered, unpasteurized, and 100% naturally conditioned. Demi-Tone is 6.3% alcohol by volume, 11 IBU, 3.6 pH, and has a finishing gravity of 1.001 (0.25 Plato). It was packaged on March 7th, 2017. It is our first ever batch.