Belgian Red Ale (Cherry - Galrus Knockoff)

[ku5e]

Ok guys here is my new recipe. It is sweet, not at all very hoppy. That's the way my wife and I like it. But, I am open to suggestions in any other aspect of the recipe. Please help me make this better. Thanks in advanced.

Recipe: Belgian Red Ale (Galrus Knockoff)
Brewer: Mario Martinez
Asst Brewer:
Style: Belgian Specialty Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0)

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 8.90 gal
Post Boil Volume: 7.10 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 6.08 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.63 gal
Estimated OG: 1.059 SG
Estimated Color: 23.7 SRM
Estimated IBU: 20.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.4 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
10 lbs Munich Malt - 20L (20.0 SRM) Grain 1 65.6 %
2 lbs Honey Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 2 13.1 %
2 lbs Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 13.1 %
1 lbs Caramunich Malt (56.0 SRM) Grain 4 6.6 %
4.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 5 1.6 %
0.75 oz Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 17.3 IBUs
1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 7 2.8 IBUs
1.0 pkg Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) [35.49 ml Yeast 8 -
1.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days) Other 9 -
96.00 oz Cherry Puree (Secondary 0.0 mins) Flavor 10 -


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Full Body, Batch Sparge
Total Grain Weight: 15 lbs 4.0 oz
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 22.26 qt of water at 166.5 F 156.0 F 45 min

Sparge: Batch sparge with 2 steps (1.11gal, 4.85gal) of 168.0 F water

 

[microbusbrewery]

I used the recipe from the July/August 2007 issue of Zymurgy as the basis for mine. I haven't had New Glarus' beer enough to say if it was really cloned, but it was a great beer. One of the guys in my club said he thought mine was very close to NG. It took gold in the fruit beer category at one of the comps I entered. The key is to use tart cherries; sweet cherries won't do it. Here's my recipe for a 5 gallon batch if it helps. The Trader Joe's juice is pretty tart, but I'm pretty sure it does have some sweet cherries in it. The original recipe called for Knudsen's Tart Cherry Juice. The aged hops gave me almost 0 IBU's (increased perceived sweetness).

5.0 # Dingemans' Belgian Pilsner
2.0 # Weyermann's White Wheat Malt
6.0 oz Crystal 40L
0.5 oz Roasted Barley
28.3g Aged Hops (60 min)
Wyeast 3942 Belgian Wheat Yeast in 1L starter
0.25 oz American Oak cubes soaked in Pinot grigio (secondary)
1 gallon Trader Joe's Cherry Juice (secondary)
4.0 # Tart Cherries (secondary)

Mash at 156F for 60 min. Collect 5 gallons. 60 min boil. Ferment at 65F

 

[ku5e]

I used the recipe from the July/August 2007 issue of Zymurgy as the basis for mine. I haven't had New Glarus' beer enough to say if it was really cloned, but it was a great beer. One of the guys in my club said he thought mine was very close to NG. It took gold in the fruit beer category at one of the comps I entered. The key is to use tart cherries; sweet cherries won't do it. Here's my recipe for a 5 gallon batch if it helps. The Trader Joe's juice is pretty tart, but I'm pretty sure it does have some sweet cherries in it. The original recipe called for Knudsen's Tart Cherry Juice. The aged hops gave me almost 0 IBU's (increased perceived sweetness).

5.0 # Dingemans' Belgian Pilsner
2.0 # Weyermann's White Wheat Malt
6.0 oz Crystal 40L
0.5 oz Roasted Barley
28.3g Aged Hops (60 min)
Wyeast 3942 Belgian Wheat Yeast in 1L starter
0.25 oz American Oak cubes soaked in Pinot grigio (secondary)
1 gallon Trader Joe's Cherry Juice (secondary)
4.0 # Tart Cherries (secondary)

Mash at 156F for 60 min. Collect 5 gallons. 60 min boil. Ferment at 65F

Thanks for the response.
I think I am going to change out the Vinter's Cherries to your Trader Joes Juice and bag some fresh tart cherries when I make this. I am going to keep the grain and hops bill for now, but might adjust next time I make it.

My reasoning behind the ingredients:
I like the complexity and sweetness from the Honey and Cara, the Roasted Barley, Abbey yeast, and Hallertauer are traditional. The Munich and Perle hops are predictable.

 

[microbusbrewery]

Nice. Yeah the Trader Joes juice was quite a bit cheaper (and more available). You might have a hard time finding tart cherries right now because they tend to be in season in June and July. Costco often carries them in the frozen food section but my Costco was all out. If you can't find them right now, you might be able to get by with just the juice.