Can't taste cranberries in Cranberry Wheat

[Taryn]

Hello, I am on my 2nd brew and decided to try a Cranberry Wheat recipe. I'm new to these forums and look forward actually contributing here as I get more brewing experience.

After fermenting 1 week in a primary (bucket), transferred to secondary and added the cranberries. Cranberries were frozen, thawed, heated up just before boiling, then mashed, or so I thought. It has been about 12 days in secondary and will probably be time to bottle this weekend according to hydrometer readings.

However I expected to be able to NOTICE this was a cranberry beer. (I think the problem was because I didn't mash or puncture enough of the cranberries - I thought I got them all - so that the majority of them are still floating above the liquid in the fermenter). Right now it is dark and wheaty, and may be fine as is, but I was hoping to taste cranberry too. Is there anything at this point I can do the beer to give it more cranberry? Can cranberry extract be added? My first instinct was to remove the cranberries and mash them up and put them back in, but that's probably a sanitation no-no. If I did that and somehow didn't risk sanitation during the process, I imagine I'd want to leave the secondary to ferment a little longer. but that's probably not an option either because I'm not using glass carboys..?

I would appreciate any suggestions on what my best option is at this point. Again, after 1 week in primary, and 12 days into the secondary. If cranberry extract the way to go, would I do this at bottling or do it now? Thank you for any suggestions!

 

[Wreck99]

I'm fairly new to this hobby too, so hopefully a more seasoned member can give you an answer. However, I wanted to share this with you. I'm currently brewing a Ginger Wheat beer (just to be different). It was a "pick-your-flavor wheat" extract kit from Northern Brewer. The recipe calls for the ginger flavoring to be added at bottling. I've heard this is similar for the Raspberry Wheat recipe, so maybe it's for all the wheat flavors?

 

[chickypad]

How much of the cranberries did you add? A lot of fruits are pretty subtle when added to beer and you need a lot to get the flavor to come through. You'll probably get more consistent results with extract but I have to say I haven't really enjoyed the few beers I've tasted that I know used fruit extract - kinda had an artificial candy taste.

What about adding more cranberries and letting it go a little longer?

 

[bleme]

Secondary's are good for extracting flavors from additives, but if you already have an extract, add it with the priming sugar at bottle time. Otherwise a lot of flavors bubble away during fermentation.

 

[NWAleDad]

Did the kit call for you to thaw and heat the berries up? in all of the fruit brewing i've done or heard of follow two methods.

1. Frozen - This lessons the chance of infection
2. Puree - This leaves seeds (depending on the fruit) but imparts a lot of color and makes it almost impossible to clear the beer up.

I have done number one numerous times with 8 lbs of strawberries for 5gal batch. for sanitization you can use vodka. With the frozen method i do not use the vodka, wear rubber gloves when adding the fruit and transfer the beer on top of it into the secondary. Leave the fruit for 14 days and transfer to a tertiary.

Check the fruit brewing recipe section of the site, lots of good threads.

and you need to use a lot of fruit for flavor, the natural fruit is subtle.

 

[brewmonk]

cranberries add a subtle, sour, winey, yet slightly acerbic tang. for 5 gallons I assume 2 pounds, popped in a blender (cause the skins are kinda waterproof,yes), and added. the goop can even be strained first of skins and seeds, and the juice added. reduce hops to balance the recipes malt levels.

 

[CPFITNESS]

have you ever actually eaten a cranberry? you wouldn't want to. they are bitter as all hell. they need a lot of sugar to taste good. other fruits like peaches, apples, and strawberries have a lot of sugar in them already. I dont think cranberry would be a great choice. the only cranberry beer i'm familiar with is sam adams cranberry lambic and i'm pretty sure brewing lambics is a whole other can of worms

 

[brewmonk]

the first 2 years of the sam adams cranberry lambic were fantastic. then, i think they went to a syrup additive, pthththtb!!!!!

the cranberries DO work ( i made a cran-blackberry ginger mead one year that was KILLER), but you have to design the recipe around ALL ingredient characteristics.

 

[Taryn]

That was fast - thanks for your initial answers. I haven't gotten any cranberry extract yet, but know where to buy it if needed. The recipe wasn't from a kit, but one I found on the BeerSmith software's website, below. I added the 3 lbs of cranberries into the secondary. That has to be plenty, but like I said earlier the flavor probably didn't permeate because I didn't mash them enough.

http://www.beersmith.com/Recipes2/recipe_207.htm
6 lbs & 9oz Wheat Liquid Extract
8 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 1 6.6 %
8 oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 6.6 %
0.5 oz Northern Brewer Hops
3 lb Cranberries, fresh frozen
1 pkg German Wheat (Wyeast Labs #3333)
(Fermenting instructions: 1 week in primary; 2 weeks w/cranberries in secondary)

If I added more cranberries (or took out the cranberries that are in there and mashed them up more thoroughly) would giving it extra time in the fermenter be too risky? I thought I have heard that you shouldn't ferment too long in plastic because of contamination risks. If that's the case, maybe the cranberry extract added at bottling is the way to go?

 

[brewmonk]

scoop em out and put em in a blender for 4 seconds.

as far as sanitation goes, ( since you are not supposed to boil cranberries cause of the pectin chill haze) if you didnt sparge them at least, then I think worrying about the blender or plastic adding contamination are your secondary worries.

 

[chickypad]

Leaving it in the plastic fermenter shouldn't be a contamination issue - I've never had a problem going up to several months. Could be a problem with oxidation if too much head space I suppose, but it seems like a lot of people poo-poo that idea too. I'd be more worried about contamination from trying to fish that stuff out of there and put it back in.

Unless you're talking raspberries (which are pretty potent) I've seen a lot of recipes that go 1-3 lbs of fruit per gallon of beer. Might be more info in the fruit recipe section as someone suggested. I've done 6-8 lbs for 5 gallons of fruits like peach and apricot. Maybe the cranberries are too tart to go that much, sounds like other folks here have more experience with them.

 

[CPFITNESS]

honestly, every other post here always says give it time and let it do its thing. I made a chocolate maple porter and thought I may have ****ed it up but everyone said let it go and do its thing and it may turn out fine, if not, you learned your lesson. Well that was 3 weeks ago and I just finished my first 6 pack of it and I'm hammered an it tasted good. let it ride and then change your process for your next batch. you'll probably be pleasantly surprised

 

[william_shakes_beer]

Most of the posts I have read that added fruit to beer did it in secondary after primary fermentation was complete. Never done a fruit beer, just repeating random things I have heard.

 

[Taryn]

OK, thanks to everyone for the suggestions. I know cranberries are bitter and they won't add a sweetness to the brew, but I can't even taste cranberry bitterness in the beer.. I think we'll try leaving it in the fermenter a little while longer and maybe mashing up some of the cranberries. If that doesn't do it after a few days, I might look into adding something at bottling.

I think the advice I got from my local brew shop about sanitation and not leaving things in a plastic fermenters too long are probably extra cautious, but in good reason. In time I'm sure these limits will be tested and then I'll learn. Thanks again and I'll be sure to post a follow-up about how things turned out

 

[Taryn]

Just a follow-up for how everything turned out, so thanks again for the suggestions.

Ended up scooping out about 2/3 of the cranberries and putting them into a blender for a few seconds. Blender pitcher & blade was soaked in sanitizer for a good while before using. Then kept beer in secondary for an extra 5 days and everything turned out fine. There was a nice, noticeable cranberry taste.

So if using cranberries in a recipe, well-diced up "relish" style is probably your best bet for flavor, especially for the cranberry wheat recipe I tried.

 

[Taryn]

DISCLOSURE: After all was said and done and it was time to open one of our 50+ bottles, I must disclose that my husband admitted to accidentally adding DOUBLE the hops that the recipe called for. (!)

It was pretty much not drinkable.. but at least there was some good cranberry.

 

[rodwha]

I'm curious why you waited so long to open one.

 

[unionrdr]

First of all, pectin from fruits or vegetables is natural jello. So I'd think it would help clearing rather than haze. If not, a cold crash should help to get the pectin to do it's thing. And you have to boil cranberries to make them burst to release their goodness. My wife makes her grandmother's cranberry sauce every year, & that's what I've noticed. Very colonial recipe. But bursting the berries is what gives that strong, albeit astringent flavor. Otherwise, not much flavor will be had. Straining them after the boil/bursting would yield plenty of what you need.