How to get a light cherry taste

I'm trying to make a pale ale with a very slight cherry taste. After failing putting the pureed cherries on the funnel filter and running the wort through them (they clogged badly) I put juice from 12 oz mashed cherries in the primary for a 2.3 gallon batch. I just bottled (no secondary) after a couple weeks and couldn't taste any cherry at all when I did the gravity reading.

When and how should you use the cherries to get a very slight taste?

I use a pound of fresh cherries per gallon for a good cherry flavor. If you want slight, I'd go with a half pound per gallon. I freeze them for a few weeks and just add them directly to the fermentor. Let them sit in the fermentor for at least a few weeks.

Suthrncomfrt1884 said:

I use a pound of fresh cherries per gallon for a good cherry flavor. If you want slight, I'd go with a half pound per gallon. I freeze them for a few weeks and just add them directly to the fermentor. Let them sit in the fermentor for at least a few weeks.

Click to expand...

Do you pasteurize them or anything before adding? Is there a risk of contamination? Are they de-cored and de-stemmed or just de-stemmed? What kind of cherries do you use?

Get a 4 oz. bottle of cherry extract and throw it in the bottling bucket before bottling.

I was directed to this site when I asked about getting flavor into a brew. I haven't tried it yet, but if you search the forums you will find that 1 dram is enough for 5 gallons.

https://www.lorannoils.com/c-6-super-strength-flavors-candy-oils.aspx

70ls1nova said:

Get a 4 oz. bottle of cherry extract and throw it in the bottling bucket before bottling.

Click to expand...

Does it taste like cough syrup? The one time I used cherry extract from the LHBS, it tasted like cough syrup and I ended up dumping the batch.

I'd suggest sticking to real fruit for a more realistic flavor/aroma. The only extracts that I've found that work nicely are raspberry and peach.

No, I don't pasteurize. I just freeze them for a few weeks and then put them in 180 degree water to sanitize them. Don't boil or you'll get off flavors. Then add them directly to the fermentor. When using cherries, I always buy door county cherries that are pitted and de-stemmed. Tart.