Apricot Ale

Alright, it sounds like Apricot Ales are quite popular so I would like to try my best at one. So here it is I am new at designing beers so any and all comments will be appreciated. It's going to be a partial mash that I am designing with Beer Smith:

American Wheat or Rye Beer
1 # Pale 2 Row
1 # Wheat Malt, Bel
3 # Pale Liquid Extract
3 # Wheat Liquid Extract
0.5 # Candi Sugar

2 oz Northern Brewer Hops @ 60, 30, 15, 5 minutes

4 oz Apricot Extract @ bottle

First off what does anyone think about this recipie. I am looking for subtle hop notes with apricot notes. Should I be using frozen apricots instead?

Again all ideas welcome

I can't help much with the formulation, but I recommend apricot puree over extract. In my experience it has a much more natural taste. I used 3.3lbs I believe (one can) in primary. Although I think most people add in secondary.

I've already been making changes;

Changed beer type to Weizen/Weissbier and used Cascade 0.5 oz each @ 60, 30 and 5 minutes

Thank you I was leaning towards puree this might change my mind

I'm about a week away from bottling my first all grain brew - an apricot blonde ale. Used a 3 lb can of apricot puree 2 days after the start of fermentation and 4 ounces of extract at bottling. Also used cascade.

I would recommend racking onto the puree after 10 days. Depending on how fruity you want it, a half bottle of extract at bottling will help round out both the aroma and flavor without making it too "perfumy" and artificial tasting.

Bierliebhaber said:

I would recommend racking onto the puree after 10 days. Depending on how fruity you want it, a half bottle of extract at bottling will help round out both the aroma and flavor without making it too "perfumy" and artificial tasting.

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+1

Fruit alone is very subtle. Extract alone is very fake tasting. Together, light on the extract, seems the best balance for most fruits.

Nothing wrong with the candi unless you are tossing it in there just to be different. I don't like candy in my beer, but you aren't brewing it for me.

I should add that when I put the puree in primary, I added one oz extract at bottling.

verbhertz said:

I can't help much with the formulation, but I recommend apricot puree over extract. In my experience it has a much more natural taste. I used 3.3lbs I believe (one can) in primary. Although I think most people add in secondary.

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I was also thinking about making my own puree with whole apricots. How do I go about pastorizing it if I even need to.

slifeapotomous said:

I was also thinking about making my own puree with whole apricots. How do I go about pastorizing it if I even need to.

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If you are adding straight to beer after pasteurizing, heat puree to 175 for 20 min then cool quickly in an ice bath. If storing, sterilize mason jar and can it. You would probably be better off with the Oregon Fruit puree (I think they changed their name recently) if available. Commercial processing has methods of pasteurizing that reduce the impact on flavor. Home pasteurizing may dull or tweak the flavor more than you want.

I made my onw puree by getting dried apricots and soaking overnight in apricot nectar and then boiling and pureeing in a blender. It is still bottle conditioning, but the aroma was awesome. I also added 2 oz. of extract and 4 oz. of lactose at bottling (I had added 6 oz of honey in my boil and thought the lactose would balance the dryness.