Cherry Wheat

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ircmaxell

Member
Joined
Jul 20, 2010
Messages
13
Reaction score
1
Location
New Jersey
Recipe Type
Extract
Yeast
WYeast ACT3068
Yeast Starter
No
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter
No
Batch Size (Gallons)
5.5
Original Gravity
1.068
Final Gravity
1.019
Boiling Time (Minutes)
60
IBU
9.1
Color
5
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
6 days at 70*F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
14 days at 70*F
Additional Fermentation
5 days at 70*F
Tasting Notes
Subtle cherry flavor. Very drinkable
Fermentables:
6 lbs Wheat LME
3 lbs Light DME

Hops:
German Tettnag 1.0 oz - 60 minutes

Yeast:
Weihenstephan Weizen Activator ACT3068

Other:
4.5 Lbs Fresh Sweet Cherries

Process:
Boil 3 gallons of water. Add malt extract, and bring back to a boil. At first bubble, add Tettnag hops. Boil for 60 minutes and cool. Add wort to the fermenter and top to about 5.5 gallons of water.

After 3 days, prepare the 4.5 lbs of cherries. Wash, pit and slice them in half. Place in a ziplock bag and freeze until ready for racking into secondary (at least 24 hours).

After 5-7 days, prepare for secondary fermentation. Place the frozen cherries in a muslin bag and add to a pot. Add enough water to cover the bag (about 1 inch or so over the cherries). Bring the water up to about 155*F to 165*F and pasteurize for about 30 minutes. Add cherries and water to secondary fermenter and rack primary on top.

Ferment in secondary for about 14 days. Then rack into a tertiary fermentation vessel for 3 to 7 days to clarify the beer. Add priming sugar and bottle.

Notes:

I initially formulated this recipe without the aid of a calculator (If I did use one, I would have lowered the gravity significantly as I didn't realize how high it was). However, after brewing this, the fermentables seem perfect (I guess you could call it a lucky mistake). The only thing I would change is the hop profile (Perhaps adding an aroma hop towards the end of the boil).

Brewing Notes:

The beer has a nice golden color with a hint of red. It's not particularly clear, but it's not cloudy either. The cherry flavor is very subtle with a hint of cherry flavor and a little tartness at the end. There are heavy notes of wheat, but not an overpowering amount. Overall, it has a nice balance and a great mouth feel.
 
I made many batch of cherry wheat when I lived in Colorado. I tried many varieties of cherries, and the ones that worked out the best for me were sour pie cherries. I found a grocery store that sold them in 8lb frozen ice cream tubs. They ran out, and could get now more, so I brew it no more. I even bought a Virgina cherry tree and planted it, but alas, it was a much sweeter cherry. I have switched to Raz wheat now...Sounds like your recipe was pretty good!
 
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