Just started this cherry wheat

[hopwortsbrew]

ALoha friends. So my red is carbing up in my bottles and I must say, it is quite tasty. So I decided hey, my Wife really enjoys cherry wheats and I might as well make a true relaxing beer, one I can enjoy after a hike or surfing and just relax so heres what I got:

7 LBS wheat malt extract
1 LB Crystal malt 10 (specialty)

1-1.25 OZ(I need to find a good small digital scale)Hallertauer(60 min)AA6.4%
1/2 OZ saaz (20 min) AA2.3%
1T irish moss (20 min) Here is where I am scared, since I used too much. Recipe called for 1 tsp!

I can of Vintners sweet cherry (3lbs)

2 packages of muntons yeast

OG 1.064

The cherry puree will be going into the secondary in two weeks along with the wort. I am not bothering with checking gravity readings during the process this time, I'm just checking on day 14 to see where I am at.

So with the excess of irish Moss whatchya think? This is mainly a dry run for perfecting a cherry wheat, my wife enjoys them and I am trying to make one that has a good hit of cherry in it when presented cold.

 

[avidhomebrewer]

I haven't used Irish moss for years; don't worry about it. I've never used sweet cherry puree, but I have made a few cherry wheat's over the years. I've added the cherry puree in the last 15 minutes and all turned out well.

What do you plan on adding in the primary if the cherry and wort will go into the secondary? Typo?

 

[hopwortsbrew]

I just meant everything is moving into it then. I have heard 3 weeks in primary, and 2 in bottle, but how does that equation work with a secondary coming into play to utilize the cherries? 2 weeks in primary, 2 weeks or three in secondary? I'm thinking at LEAST 2 weeks in primary. I started the recipe at 5 in the afternoon and by 10 that evening it was bubbling already. Quite amazing. Last one took almost 2 days to see bubbling. Not that it really matters I suppose.

 

[ogdogg]

I just brewed a Cherry Wheat 4 days ago for the ol' lady also. I'm looking around now cause I've read that 3lb. of the cherry puree doesn't give the expected flavor. Everyone is saying to add another can. Most of which I think were stouts/porters though. Has anyone had experience with adding the puree to wheat beers? Since it's lighter will the 3lb. be enough for 2 weeks in the secondary?

I've also heard of people following the 1-2-3 rule (that i'm sure they themselves have made up) :

1 week in primary
2 weeks in secondary
3 weeks (at least) in bottle (for best taste)<--You def wanna follow that

Now as long as it's done in the primary, I plan to actually follow that, but does anyone have any suggestions on the cherries?

 

[ztanner25]

Last time I tried a cherry wheat it was in a 2.13 gal Mr Beer keg. I used 3 lbs Wheat DME, hallertau hops (don't remember the exact hop schedule) and added a 15 oz. can of dark sweet cherries in heavy syrup to the primary after 7 days. Fermented all of this with safbrew wb-06 dry wheat yeast.

There are many changes that I will make next time I brew a cherry wheat. I will use different strain of yeast, perhaps us-05 or muntons to create a cleaner finish without the estery flavor profile. Also, I will use less cherries and also add a wee bit of cherry extract at bottling. I'll also use more hallertau at the end of boil or dry hop to make them slightly more noticeable.

The reason why I would use less cherries is because it was simply too much sugar content that created cidery flavors from too much adjunct in ratio with the malt. The cherry flavor really isn't all that pronounced so I think that at least some extract is necessary to obtain the level of cherry flavor I am looking for.

 

[dabblenben]

I made a three gallon batch of cherry wheat that is sitting in bottles right now using 3 pounds of frozen unsweetened cherries (1 lb per gallon). The frozen cherries do not have sugar added and thus you do not have to worry about extra fermentables.

One pound per gallon yielded a subtle cherry flavor. If you want more, increase the ratio. Also, don't leave the cherries in secondary longer than four weeks (sometimes less-taste often after two weeks). The cherry skin can impart astringent flavors.