Apple Ale

[Biergarden]

I've been mulling over what the best grain bill for an apple ale might be. Part of me wants to use a cream ale base for the grain side, but the other side of me considers a Bavarian wheat as the grain bill. To be sure, I'll be adding apple puree from Amoretti post primary fermentation Tart Apple Puree.
I've used ginger in a hefe and it came out nice, so maybe apple would be good to? What is your experience in making an apple ale?

 

[Snuffy]

Personally, I have never heard of an Apple Ale. When you add your puree after primary, does it start a secondary fermentation?

 

[lumpher]

Can't say as I've ever heard of an Apple Ale, either. Closest thing I can think of is a very lightly hopped Cider with about 1/2 lb DME to add body and a neutral ale yeast, like US05. This did make me curious, though, so I looked it up and found this. An Apple Ale recipe starts about 1/3 of the way down the page:

https://doughnutlounge.com/apple-ale-beer-recipe/​

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Just get a bottle of stout and a bottle of cider and mix them in a pint glass. Poor man’s Black Velvet and the first thing I drank in pubs as a 16 year old. Or a Snake Bite Cider and lager.

 

[Rish]

Sounds kinda like a graf to me. I do mine as a wheat ale with apple juice. Abbaye yeast might be interesting.

 

[Happy Tails Brewing]

I have never made anything like this. I know another brew who made an appleweizen. It was very good. I talked to him a little and I know did it by adding apple juice after fermentation. Wheat beer normally take fruit flavors pretty well.

 

[dmtaylor]

For my apple ale, I do sort of a blonde ale or cream ale base grist, then use a gallon or two of cider for part of the liquid (not so much water), and finally use a Belgian witbier yeast because experience has shown that it throws apple and pear esters which play nicely with the apple character. I no longer use smoked malt -- it's good, but it's just not really my thing, personal preference. Here's the last recipe I had posted online many years ago. Note: this is a 3-gallon recipe. If you want to try brewing this, and you want more or less volume than 3 gallons, then scale up or down appropriately.

 

[Biergarden]

Personally, I have never heard of an Apple Ale. When you add your puree after primary, does it start a secondary fermentation?

https://www.reddsapple.com/our-beers/redds-hard-apple

It's been a long time since I have cracked one of these open, maybe because they're not available in Alaska. I'm not sure.

 

[Biergarden]

For my apple ale, I do sort of a blonde ale or cream ale base grist, then use a gallon or two of cider for part of the liquid (not so much water), and finally use a Belgian witbier yeast because experience has shown that it throws apple and pear esters which play nicely with the apple character. I no longer use smoked malt -- it's good, but it's just not really my thing, personal preference. Here's the last recipe I had posted online many years ago. Note: this is a 3-gallon recipe. If you want to try brewing this, and you want more or less volume than 3 gallons, then scale up or down appropriately.

That looks amazing! And I agree with your use of the wit yeast. The reason I shied away from using apple juice or cider is related to the volumes, where as fruit purees are 100% fermentable and are gone at the end of fermentation.
As an aside, I'll use my Bavarian hefe grain bill and hop schedule as well as yeast, similar to what you did. It's my opinion the wheat beers take well to fruit additions.
I'm glad you mentioned your experience here. It's helpful.

 

[Biergarden]

Personally, I have never heard of an Apple Ale. When you add your puree after primary, does it start a secondary fermentation?

Yes. I'll add it towards the end of fermentation to see if I can preserve some of the apple aroma. That mixed with the esters of the hefe yeast should make for an interesting experience.