Cherry Flavoring?

[sicktght311]

Anyone have a go to extract or flavoring for adding cherry flavor? I've had excellent success with Brewers Best flavors in the past with the exception of Pineapple, but apparently the reviews of the cherry are awful and its very astringent. Looking for mild cherry flavor.

 

[Miraculix]

I'd recommend using cherries for cherry flavour!

 

[magno]

I've tried multiple methods of getting cherry flavor into beer... mostly stouts. The best method, by far, that I have found is using RW Knudeson black cherry juice concentrate.

I've got a chocolate cherry stout recipe on the forum that uses this stuff.

I've been a huge evangelist for these guys here on HBT... they should send a check.

 

[AlexKay]

I've had success using juice concentrates for fruit beers as well. I order from Coloma Frozen Foods. I haven't done cherry yet -- I have a Cherry Doppelbock planned to brew next week. I have done pomegranate, watermelon, apricot, passionfruit, and banana. Banana was the only one that didn't come out great -- none of the banana flavor made it through fermentation.

Really, juice concentrates have worked so well for me and have been so easy (just add post-boil at 160 F or so) that I now wonder why anyone uses purees.

 

[sicktght311]

What concentrations are you guys using for the juice (ie: 8oz for 5 gallons, etc)

 

[AlexKay]

What concentrations are you guys using for the juice (ie: 8oz for 5 gallons, etc)

I treat it in a recipe more or less like candi syrup or other sugar. For a 2.5 gallon batch, that means 0.75-1.25 pounds of juice concentrate. It depends. Apricot is much more subtle than passionfruit, for instance.

 

[2hennepin6]

I made a stout (dry Irish in style) 4-5 years ago. 30 day secondary on previously frozen sweet cherries (like a bag from the supermarket freezer). I still have a 750 ml bottle. Next time I would (will?) use sour cherries. They impart a nicer flavor I hear. Nonetheless there was a subtle but definite cherry flavor.

 

[AzOr]

I’ve had good luck w tart cherry juice found in some grocery stores, especially health food stores. I too think it gives a better flavor than sweet cherry juice. Problem is, I’ve never seen it in concentrate form.

Disclaimer- I’ve only used in ciders and mead.

 

[wllmc]

Tons of concentrated flavoring here at Bull City Flavors Bull City Flavors a little goes a long way

 

[Everhard]

I treat it in a recipe more or less like candi syrup or other sugar. For a 2.5 gallon batch, that means 0.75-1.25 pounds of juice concentrate. It depends. Apricot is much more subtle than passionfruit, for instance.

So you're saying for a 5 gallon batch you'd do between 1.5 to 2.5lbs of concentrate? Or 1.25 to 2.25 pints? (If I'm getting my conversions right in my mind!)

I did a stout with cherry concentrate, 5 gallons worth, but no where near that volume of concentrate. The cherry flavor was incredibly subtle, too much so if I'm honest, but the stout was a success by so accounts anyway. Personally while I liked it I was worried that if I increased the cherry concentrate it would become "drier" which I wouldn't want. If that makes sense?

E.

 

[AlexKay]

So you're saying for a 5 gallon batch you'd do between 1.5 to 2.5lbs of concentrate? Or 1.25 to 2.25 pints? (If I'm getting my conversions right in my mind!)

I did a stout with cherry concentrate, 5 gallons worth, but no where near that volume of concentrate. The cherry flavor was incredibly subtle, too much so if I'm honest, but the stout was a success by so accounts anyway. Personally while I liked it I was worried that if I increased the cherry concentrate it would become "drier" which I wouldn't want. If that makes sense?

E.

Yes, between 1.5 and 2.5 pounds per five gallons. On the lower side for things like pomegranate and passionfruit, on the higher for apricot. I’ve also worried about all the sugar drying things out too much, but that hasn’t really materialized. Though in many cases I’m substituting in for sugar in Belgians or other relatively dry styles. YMMV, and so on.