Cherry Wheat (extract)

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DanielClouser

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Sam Adams, this is not. Strong and hoppy, I have brewed this beer with great success (warning: although it is an extract beer, the process is fairly complicated).

3.5 gal water

8 oz Torrified wheat
8 oz Carapils
(steeping grains)

6.6# Wheat DME

0.75 oz Saaz (60 min)
1# demerara sugar (20 min)
0.75 oz Cascade (15 min)
0.75 oz Amarillo (0 min)
5# cherries, pitted--add pits, too (0 min)

In a separate pot:

1 gal water
2.5# dried cherries, chopped

Bring to boil as same time as main pot, then kill flame, allowing to steep for much of the boil. Keep covered, except to add 0.25 oz each Saaz, Cascade, and Amarillo, at 60, 15, and 0 min.

Puree in sanitized food processor or blender @ 0 min, then add to main pot

Wyeast 3522

When vigorous initial fermentation subsides, feed beer 2 oz Wheat DME and 1 oz demerara sugar, dissolved in 2 cups boiling water, daily for 8 days.

Dry hop w/ 1 oz Summit, 14 days before bottling.

US-05 for bottling
 
Seems like a very complex recipe.

What are you trying to accomplish by adding hops are different times to the steeping cherries?

Why steep unmalted wheat without a basemalt to convert its starches to sugars?

Why pit the cherries, but still add them (I generally just don't go through the effort of pitting them)?

How big is your food processor (or how many rounds) to handle 2.5 lbs of cherries and 1 gallon of water?

I do plenty of complex beers, but only when there isn't a simple way to get the same results.
 
Seems like a very complex recipe.

What are you trying to accomplish by adding hops are different times to the steeping cherries?

Why steep unmalted wheat without a basemalt to convert its starches to sugars?

Why pit the cherries, but still add them (I generally just don't go through the effort of pitting them)?

How big is your food processor (or how many rounds) to handle 2.5 lbs of cherries and 1 gallon of water?

I do plenty of complex beers, but only when there isn't a simple way to get the same results.

Okay, admittedly, I didn't think out some of this.

The whole oz of Amarillo should go in the main pot, since it happens at the same time. How did I do that the first time?

The multiple hops additions happen when they do because I opened sanitized 1 oz packets of hops at that time.

Could part of the hops just be added later in the boil, to get roughly the same effect? Sure, but I did it the way I did it, mainly just because it was a way to get each oz of hops into the brew when I opened the package.

Pitting the cherries mostly is to allow the yeast easy access to the cherries sugar, and the pits themselves provide surface area. I also found that they impart a subtle woodiness.

Maybe it's more work than it's worth, but it works (except the malt thing: that, obviously, was a mistake).
 
I'd suggest freezing the cherries for ~24 hours first. The water freezes and breaks up the cell wall, when you let them thaw there is plenty of room for the yeasties to gain access (lots less work than the pitting that many cherries).

I would probably just save the .25 oz of hops and add them at the end of the boil. Adding hops to the cherries will destroy their aroma (since they are sitting hot for so long) but won't provide any bitterness since they aren't boiling. You don't have to worry about hop sanitation since you are tossing them into boiling wort (even at the end of the boil).

It sounds like a very tasty recipe, the combination of hops and cherries certainly sounds intriguing.
 
Yeah, you're probably right. I just distilled this from what I did the first time (with modifications to make up for mistakes I made--even though the final product was good).

You know, I came over here from BA to see what kind of feedback I'd get from a different source, and I end up getting you.

Of course, I like your advice because I know that you're really interested in making truly unique beers.
 
Okay, here's a revised recipe:

3.5 gal water

1# Pilsner
1# Torrified wheat
8 oz Carapils
4 oz Carafoam

Raise to 150F, hold for 45 min, raise to 170F, remove grains.

Boil:

4# Wheat DME (60 min)
0.75 oz Saaz (60 min)
3# Wheat DME (20 min)
1# Demerara sugar (20 min)
0.75 oz Cascade (15 min)
0.25 oz Saaz (0 min)
0.25 oz Cascade (0 min)
0.25 oz Amarillo (0 min)
5# fresh cherries (0 min)
Cherry tea (0 min)
0.75 oz Amarillo (when wort has cooled to 175F)

Cherry tea:

1 gal water
2.5# dried cherries

Bring to a boil, cover, remove from heat, steep for 1 hour.

Wyeast 3522

After initial fermentation subsides (day 2 or so), feed daily, for 8 days:

2 cups water
4 oz Wheat DME
1 oz Demerara sugar

Dry hop:

1 oz Summit, 14 days before bottling

US-05 at bottling
 
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