Cherry IPA.... What are your thoughts?

[brewboyrsl]

So I'm looking to brew my second batch of beer and go all grains. I want to do a cherry Ipa and am not really sure what type (whole cherries, puree, or pie killing) to use. I'm planning on using the cherries in the second fermentation. here is what I have as my recipe I plan to use and you tell me what you think,

12 lbs 2 row
1 lb American crystal 60
1 lb Cherry wood roasted malt

1oz Cascade @ 90 min
half pound honey @ 90
1oz Cascade @ 60
1oz Cascade @ 30
1oz Cascade @ finish
10z Cascade dry hop

Yeast - not sure yet.

Any Suggestions at all. I'm a rookie and I'm looking to get a good bitterness with a good amount of floral and citrus. I want the cherry to be noticeable but not over powering. Thanks

 

[bobbytuck]

Seems to me you'd want to cut down on both the crystal and the roasted malt. Maybe .5 C60 and .25 roasted malt.

If I'd do this, I'd also add a teaspoon or so of gypsum to the boil to bring out the hops (and perhaps counteract whatever vague sweetness you might get from the cherries in the secondary. Not much, I suspect, but I know I personally don't like IPAs with any kind of residual sweetness.)

 

[beeber]

I would pick a different base beer for a cherry beer, maybe a mild, a brown ale or a belgian table beer. The cascades are going to dominate the flavor and aroma over the cherries and roasted malt for sure.

Experimentation is great, if that's what you really want, then go for it.

 

[bobbytuck]

Actually -- now that I think about it -- a cherry brown ale with Belgian yeast sounds interesting.

 

[KAMMEE]

I suggest sour cherries, or the oregon cherry puree for this type of beer. I'm going to have to agree with Beeber and say that the hops will dominate the flavor of this beer, and so the cherries probably won't shine through very much. Another point to make about using cherries, especially the sour ones, they really dry the beer out, so a pale ale base is probably fine but needs the hopping schedule adjusted so that the hops don't dominate and let the cherry shine through. Also... your cherry wood smoked malt is going to add a smoke character, not a cherry flavor. I would remove the smoked malt for a couple reasons. 1. Beers made with smoke malt don't do well with lots of hops, so if you're keeping your hop schedule, the beer will taste acrid. 2. If you want to taste cherry and not smoke, you're not going to be pleased with the smoke flavor in your beer.

If it was me, this is what I would do for the recipe:

Belgian Blonde Base:
Assume 70% Efficiency, 6 gallons
12 lb 2-row
1 lb crystal 40
1 lb flaked wheat (for head retention and wheat goes well with fruit)

Cascades at 60 to get you between 16-20 IBU's don't want to exceed much past 20 or the hops will dominate.

Add 1lb of canned cherries/cherry puree per gallon of wort.

Pitch either a neutral yeast like WLP 001, WY1056, or US 05. For a different spin, you could use a Belgian Wit yeast.

 

[KAMMEE]

I should clarify... cherries go in the secondary... not the primary, let sit on the cherries for at least a week, but would be better if you let the yeast work on those sugars for a while and let it sit in the secondary for three to four weeks.

 

[beeber]

KAMMEE, good points and I like your recipe. Sour cherries in the secondary sounds good, and let it sit for several weeks. I may have to make some too!

 

[Number68]

Actually -- now that I think about it -- a cherry brown ale with Belgian yeast sounds interesting.

sounds good to me for my next batch ::starts doing research::

 

[flabyboy]

do you have to bring the cherries up to a boil to disinfect first??

 

[beeber]

If you boil the cherries you will set the pectin and you'll have hazy beer. The ones from oregon puree are good to go as is. Just open the can and carefully pour in. Remember, you'll be adding these to the secondary. The risk of infection is generally lower at that time.

 

[BrewNow]

This tread really makes me want to brew an Ommegang Abbey Ale clone with cherries added to the secondary. Any ideas of what a malt bill would look like for 5 gallons of Ommegang?