Blood Oranges - Suggestions?

I have a tree so full of ripe blood oranges I must use them for a beer. For those of you not familiar a blood orange looks just like a normal orange on the outside, but when you cut it open the pulp is very red, hence the name. The taste is about the same as a normal orange, depending on how ripe, sometimes a little sweeter.

I'm not a huge fan of weiss beir so was hoping for some other ideas on what to brew up using the oranges. Any ideas out there besides going with a hefe? Anything I do will be full extract, or possibly steeping grains w/ extract.

weisse-biers do not use oranges. you're thinking of belgians wits...have you ever tried one? they're quite good IMO, and you could definitely use the peel for that.

you could do a number of belgian beers with orange, but i don't know that it would be very good in any regular ale.

+1 to the Wit. I don't think I'll ever be without one bottled in my cellar.

I'd go one of two ways, a blood orange wheat beer (either american wheat, or a wit) or, much more intriguing, a variation on JAOM, but with a viking twist, Joe's Acient Blood Orange Mead.

Pruno???

put them in a vanilla mead for a creamsickle effect! Or maybe a chocolate Stout to get an orange cordial...

Not to familiar with Wit, is it like Lambic? I like those but are a once and awhile dessert beer in my mind. I used to be a big wheat beer drinker, especially the franziskaner Hefefrom Germany, but I have moved away from the style over the last 10 years as my pallette has grown. My wife can't stand the style, I can drink it but don't prefer it.

weisse-biers do not use oranges.

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I guess I was thinking more of how people always add fruit to the hefewiezens and other weiss style beers, not necessarly the fermenting aspect. Was planning on adding oranges in after prmary fermentation was done.

I'd go one of two ways, a blood orange wheat beer (either american wheat,

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Yeah this was my first thought, along the sames lines of Sam Adam's Cherry Wheat as that is more palatable for my wife and I, although still not the biggest fan of the wheat beers. Wheat beers are just what pops into my head to add citris fruit to, didn't know if there was another common one that may be interesting to try.

a variation on JAOM, but with a viking twist, Joe's Acient Blood Orange Mead.

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Hmm intriguing. You know I do have enough oranges to make about 5 batches of beer, at least, anyone who owns a citrus tree can tell you that they are prolific producers, espcailly since i have a Blood Orange, Tangerine and Lemon tree. We could fill 25 or 30 brown grocery bags full of fruit and still have fruit left on the trees, especially the lemon.

Keep the ideas coming, thanks!

I made a beer using orange blossom honey and chocolate malt, the result was reminiscent of a chocolate-covered orange, which is a good thing, in my opinion. Search on BYO.com for "Nosfaratu's Return." Maybe instead of the honey, you could use some of the oranges. But it sounds like you have a lot to deal with...a mead sounds like a good idea, and you might try fermenting the juice directly.

Kilted Brewer made a blood orange hefeweizen.

Google Blood Orange Hefeweizen and there are a ton of great links and recipes.

Sounds lika a Tumanu waiting to happen to me.

reminiscent of a chocolate-covered orange, which is a good thing, in my opinion

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Mmmmmm that sounds interesting and really good. I guess I am going to have to give that a try. Have a feeling I'm going to spend my spring just trying the ideas in this thread to find my favorite.

KilGoogle Blood Orange Hefeweizen and there are a ton of great links and recipes.

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Hmm here was a nice one I found, simple extract recipie Beer Brewing Blog » Blog Archive » Blood Orange Hefeweizen

I'll keep looking around. So far I have 5 great ideas, keep them coming.

1. Bloody Wit - a belgian Wit beir
2. Bloody Wheat - american style wheat
3. Blood MEAD _ Argggh straight to vallhalla in one sip!
4. Black Blood - Choclate stout or porter with blood orange
5. Blood Orange Hefeweizen - Simple extract Hefe

In Sam Calagione's book "Extreme Brewing" there is a blood orange hef recipe. I'll try and remember to look it up when I get home tonight.

Edit: Looks like the link you posted above my post is the Calagione recipe.

I like the idea of a blood orange stout or porter. Black blood!

I would make some Arancello. Not beer but very tasty still. Mix a bottle of cheap vodka and a bottle of everclear and add the zest (no pith!) of about 20 or more oranges. Let sit for a month somewhere dark. When done add simple syrup to taste.

Here is a link:dwelle.org » Arancello recipe

I'm jealous

how about juicing a bunch of them and throwing the juice in a keg with some vodka? force carb and youll have fizzy blood orange screwdrivers. i tend to think that oranges get very sour when fermented and probably wouldn't be good in large amounts in a beer.

Edcculus said:

I like the idea of a blood orange stout or porter. Black blood!

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Orc Blood! :rockin:

I would vote for the screw drivers or something. I don't think orange and citruc do well in beer generally. But, nothing ventured nothing gained. Good luck!