How Much Cherries in my Stout?

bulleitb · 02-27-2008, 12:55 AM

Im planning on brewing a Cherry Stout this week and wanted to see how much cherries you guys thought I should put in it. The base beer is gonna be a dry stout:

6 lbs. Light LME
1 lb Roasted Barley
1/2 lb Chocolate
1/3 lb Crystal
1 oz Goldings
White Labs Irish Ale Yeast

Ive decided to go with Oregon Cherry Puree in the secondary. I got 2 cans but am starting to think that might be too much. I dont want my stout to be overpowered by cherries, I'd like it to be more subtle.

Is that too much cherries or am I overthinking it?

Also, should I add some irish moss? Ive seen it in a lot of stout recipes.

I Appreciate the help

eschatz · 02-27-2008, 12:58 AM

idont worry about the moss. its going to be too dark to clarify really well anyways. i use about 40 oz of raspberries (whole) in the secondary and have a pleasent but strong raspberry flavor. i would cut it in half for your beer. that should make things work for you. you can always add some cherry extract to the bottling if you want more flavor. just if you add actual cherries make sure that you figure in the sugar amount. extract has no sugar. it'll be at your local homebrew shop.

bulleitb · 02-27-2008, 01:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschatz

just if you add actual cherries make sure that you figure in the sugar amount. extract has no sugar. it'll be at your local homebrew shop.

Are you saying that I should bottle with extract instead of corn sugar?

eschatz · 02-27-2008, 01:11 AM

no no no, extract doesnt have any sugar. so the beer wont carbonate in the bottle because you havent added sugar. you need to add hte corn sugar. but, in addition you can add cherry extract. it wont hurt the beer any and wont affect the amount of carbonation in the bottles. however, if you added the usual amount of corn sugar AND added actual cherry puree to the bottles it would most likely be WAY too much sugar and you'd probably be dealing with exploding bottles! catch what i'm saying?

**Bearcat Brewmeister** · 02-27-2008, 01:44 AM

Careful on using cherry extract - it is quite strong and too much makes the beer taste like "fake cherry".

I have never used the puree, just cherries chopped by hand. The most I ever used was 15 pounds - 9 at the end of the boil, and 6 more in the secondary. It was quite good, but people looked at it funny because this black as night beer poured with a pink head.

eschatz · 02-27-2008, 01:49 AM

i've never really liked the fruit extract beers that i've experimented with. however, if you need to add a little falvor at the end of hte beer before you boil then this is a quick way to do it. but the beercat is right, it can taste fake if you use too much.

bulleitb · 02-27-2008, 02:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat Brewmeister

Careful on using cherry extract - it is quite strong and too much makes the beer taste like "fake cherry".

I have never used the puree, just cherries chopped by hand. The most I ever used was 15 pounds - 9 at the end of the boil, and 6 more in the secondary. It was quite good, but people looked at it funny because this black as night beer poured with a pink head.

You boil the cherries? I though you werent supposed to do that? I think Im just gonna put 5 lbs in the secondary. The puree is 25% stronger by weight than whole cherries. Sound Good or is the cherry gonna be undetectable?

**Bearcat Brewmeister** · 02-27-2008, 03:32 AM

I didn't boil them I put them in the brew kettle as it cooled to about 170F, then I let it sit about 10 minutes and drained the kettle. The kettle has a false bottom, so it has the hops as a filter bed and the cherries on top of that, and all of the beer had to pass through it. The hope was it would impart more flavor, but when I checked at transfer to the secondary it didn't have enough so Plan B was the 6 pounds in the secondary. Huge blow off in the secondary and lots of sediment, so I had to rack to a tertiary. Like I said, it turned out nice. But I also have never made it again - too much of a pain in the arse.

bulleitb · 03-03-2008, 03:11 AM

So Ive used 4 lbs of cherry puree in my beer and im just wondering now if i should hold back a little on the corn sugar for bottling. I dont want beer bombs. If I added the cherries and I leave them in a secondary for a week and then rack to a tertiary for 2 weeks will it be safe to add 3/4 cup of corn sugar?

Kai · 03-03-2008, 04:26 AM

Wait until you have a steady SG in secondary (on the cherries) for a few days in a row, so you know they've fermented out; then, rack to tertiary to clarify, and you'll be safe to bottle with your usual dose of priming sugar. All the sugar from the cherries will have fermented out.