They say I'm crazy

[Marshall081]

I'm 4 extract brews in to this madness. The third and fourth being my own recipes. I have one more extract kit before I go all grain. I am lucky enough to live somewhat close to a morebeer and was in there getting a Irish Red Ale kit and thought to myself just the name Cherry Irish Red even sounds good so I got my kit an some cherry extract and the cashier at the time said it will not taste good. I wanted some opinions and also to know if anyone has made or tried it.

 

[Pappers_]

If you're experimenting, you could split your batch in half after fermentation and add the fruit extract to one half.

I occasionally make a cherry cream stout, with pureed cherries. Haven't used fruit extract.

 

[Daybis]

I used cherries extract once in a stout. The cherry flavor wasn't worth it. If you want to experiment with fruit, I would brew the red ale like normal. Then I would either split the batch like Pappers suggest or purchase some cherry puree and toss that into a secondary and rack on top. I've just had better luck with the real fruit puree than I have had extracts. You might also be able to pick up some commercial Irish Red and then use an eye dropper to add some of the extract to the beer before you drink it. That way you get to taste a bit of the extract before adding it to your beer.

 

[Marshall081]

Yea that is a good idea actually I am going to get a Irish red on the way home from work right now and add some extract and see what I think. I am stuck on splitting batches unfortunately my chest freezers condenser hump inhibits me from adding a second carboy.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

I used cherries extract once in a stout. The cherry flavor wasn't worth it. If you want to experiment with fruit, I would brew the red ale like normal. Then I would either split the batch like Pappers suggest or purchase some cherry puree and toss that into a secondary and rack on top. I've just had better luck with the real fruit puree than I have had extracts. You might also be able to pick up some commercial Irish Red and then use an eye dropper to add some of the extract to the beer before you drink it. That way you get to taste a bit of the extract before adding it to your beer.

+1 I like to split experimental batches too. I also prefer real fruit over extracts.