Fruity Pebbles ale? need help!

[jgerard]

A few buddies and I want to brew a gallon or two of a fruity pebbles beer.
Does anyone want to take a stab at a simple recipe for us to try? We are thinging of getting some 2 row as a base malt along with the pebbles.
Cascade hopps probably, and maybe just the 2ndhalf of someirish ale we have lying around unless there is a better suggestion....

 

[jgerard]

(Oops)

 

[FREUNDOFBIER]

Hi Bud,

I was always a fruit loops man myself but this sounds interesting...i'll bite. What are you planning to do with the pebbles? Steep, mash, boil...just curious? I'll get back to you on this after you let me know. Have you tried Leinenkugels Sunset Wheat, I think this beer has a lot of the characteristics you are going for, might want to check it out as a muse.

Cascade, centennial should be good hop options. Later additions and/or dry hopping could work to really tap into some of the citrus characteristics. Might want to play with adding sweet orange peel (dried, check your LHBS).

Not necessarily going in a well thought order here sorry, but a small amount of lactose might also be appropriate for some residual sweetness.

Now for yeast, i wonder id using a hefeweizen yeast and ferment warm, 68-72 F to promote even more fruity ester compounds (think about the banana notes in a great german wheat).

I guess you are only making 1-2 gallons so maybe you don't want to invest too much $ in ingredients, but what the heck. Life is short, go big or go home.

Sounds like fun, i want to see pictures and tasting notes when all is said and done happy brewing.

freundofbier

 

[Revvy]

Just go buy some Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. I've never heard it described any other way as Fruity Pebble's beer.

You can go with the cereal in the mash or the last 10 minutes of the boil, James Spencer of Basic Brewing radio has done that. I think with Fruity Pebbles.

 

[caseyd]

well since the pebbles are are made with table sugar id only use less then a lb because it can lend a cider flavor to beer. If its corn sugar then i dont kno. But i would steep the pebbles for 20min befoe the boil and id use Galaxy hops added at 1min left in boil for aroma, they can be bitter but have a sweet fruity smell

4 lbs Pilsner Liquid Extract (3.5 SRM) Extract 2 50.0 %
4 lbs Pale Liquid Extract (8.0 SRM) Extract 1 50.0 %
2.00 oz Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 50.0 min Hop 3 35.5 IBUs
1.00 oz Galaxy [14.00 %] - Boil 1.0 min Hop 4 2.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Abbey Ale (White Labs #WLP530) [35.49 ml] Yeast 5
add 1 lb of fruity pebbles

 

[jgerard]

Awesome! I will be mashing it. I am thinking of using 2.5 pounds of (one type if possible so I can just grab 5lbs of) grains total and maybe a half pound of the fruity pebbles.
I'm thinking wheat or 2 row.
I also have some 80l crystal laying around if needed.
Cascade @
.5oz. 60
.25oz. 30
.25oz. 15

Irish moss probably

Honestly I will probably finish off my irish ale yeast because its expensive @ my lhbs and this is an experiment.

 

[caseyd]

my recipe id for 5 gal... and dont use a wheat yeast unless u want a cloudy beer.. the abby ale yeast has a good fruityness too it

 

[jgerard]

I might end up making it a 2 gallon since I'm gonna be using that yeast and putting the same amount of time forth... plus it might be tough to get the 1 gallon efficiently out of my mr beer fermenter...

The brew builder has it @ around 50 ibus and 7% alcohol, so if it tastes bad I can give it to a buddy who is obsessed with hops or wants a good buzz hah.
Plus the whole fruity pebble gimmick.

 

[TopherM]

Just go buy some Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. I've never heard it described any other way as Fruity Pebble's beer.

That's funny, I said the same thing the first time I tasted that stuff in October 2009.

 

[SenorPepe]

Just go buy some Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat. I've never heard it described any other way as Fruity Pebble's beer.

You can go with the cereal in the mash or the last 10 minutes of the boil, James Spencer of Basic Brewing radio has done that. I think with Fruity Pebbles.

lol Totally. Well, actually, my first words after trying it were "Kool-Aid Beer".

 

[jgerard]

Here it is so far!:
Target: ~2 gal
5lbs 2 row. 60 minutes at ~155
1 oz cascade for 60
.5 cascade for 30
.5 cascade for 15
.5 tsp irish moss for 15
White labs Irish ale yeast

The primary question I have are the pebbles, would it be better to mash for the last 20 minutes? Or to add during the last 15 minutes of the boil?
I also can't decide on 1 lb or a half lb.

 

[E-Mursed]

You can go with the cereal in the mash or the last 10 minutes of the boil, James Spencer of Basic Brewing radio has done that. I think with Fruity Pebbles.

Watched his video podcast of this experiment today and he used Frakneberry cereal. The cereal dissolved in the mash and the artificial strawberry flavor boiled off. Bottom line was flavors didn't get imparted from the cereal. Be aware also of the sugar level of the cereal you are using. The Frankenberry was half sugar.

 

[Revvy]

There's a discussion of the "Fruity Pebles" beer in the Iron Brewer competition here.

And the podcast about the Iron Brewer competition-

January 14, 2010 - GBS Iron Brewer Competition
Jeff Britton, president of the Garage Brewers Society of O'Fallon, Missouri, explains his club's current contest centering around mystery ingredients.
http://media.libsyn.com/media/basicbrewing/bbr01-14-10iron.mp3

 

[jgerard]

Okay going to be brewing this in an hour or so,
so here is the final recipe! I think that it might be too bitter with the whole 2 ozs of cascades though... brewbuilder says something like 70 ibu... any thoughts on it?

5lbs 2 row malt 155dF for 50mins
2oz 80l crystal
10 min mash out @ 170

Boil
1oz cascade 60 mins
.5 oz cascade 30 mins
.5 oz cascade 15 mins
:5 tsp irish moss 15 mins
8 oz fruity pebbles (too much/ little?) 10 mins
2 oranges worth of zest and juice from 1 (why not?)
1/2 vial Irish ale yeast

Please share any ideas!

 

[caseyd]

u could boild the pebbles and add it to the beer at bottling. ud get the flav and the sugar for carb!win win! all u would have to do it look at how much sugar is in an oz and see how much u need... simple math. now thats a cool way to carbonate the beer

 

[jgerard]

Ended up using 3/4 oz east kentings @ 60 mins, 1/4 oz cascade 30 mins, 1/4 oz cascade 15 mins, 2 oranges of zest, juice from 1 @ 10 mins, 7 oz fruity pebbles and a pinch of irish moss @ 10 mins

Also added 3oz 80l crystal to the mash

Okay going to be brewing this in an hour or so,
so here is the final recipe! I think that it might be too bitter with the whole 2 ozs of cascades though... brewbuilder says something like 70 ibu... any thoughts on it?

5lbs 2 row malt 155dF for 50mins
2oz 80l crystal
10 min mash out @ 170

Boil
1oz cascade 60 mins
.5 oz cascade 30 mins
.5 oz cascade 15 mins
:5 tsp irish moss 15 mins
8 oz fruity pebbles (too much/ little?) 10 mins
2 oranges worth of zest and juice from 1 (why not?)
1/2 vial Irish ale yeast

Please share any ideas!

 

[jgerard]

In bottles.

 

[zachj9292]

Ive been thinking of a simple fruity pebbles blonde:

5 gal

9 lbs of belgian pale malt
1.5 oz of tettnang at 60
a lot of fruity pebbles in the secondary

Ive heard of the cereal in the secondary would give it the flavor i was looking for, what do you guys think?

 

[bengerman]

you know, i saw this the other day on the local news.
some guy in wester WA making cereal beers.
i'll research tomorrow.

 

[DannPM]

10 lbs Pilsner
2 lbs Fruity Pebbles
1 lb Crystal 10

OG 1.068

Mash it all at 155 due to all the sugar in the fruity pebbles in order to balance the higher attenuation.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I would have brewed a hearty wheat beer (7%ish) and heavily "dry hopped" with the cereal. Boiling and mashing seem off for this kind of cereal. My .02.

 

[DannPM]

I would have brewed a hearty wheat beer (7%ish) and heavily "dry hopped" with the cereal. Boiling and mashing seem off for this kind of cereal. My .02.

I used to think that but after reading about how Hendricks gin gets some unique flavor from putting cucumbers in the mash I changed my mind about aromatics being lost in the mash/boil. They distill and it carries through, we're only brewing, I haven't looked into it but have been meaning to lately, interesting stuff.

 

[bigbeergeek]

I used to think that but after reading about how Hendricks gin gets some unique flavor from putting cucumbers in the mash I changed my mind about aromatics being lost in the mash/boil. They distill and it carries through, we're only brewing, I haven't looked into it but have been meaning to lately, interesting stuff.

We ain't makin gin here, bub.

I think adding the kiddie cereal, unboiled, is going to infuse the beer with the most authentic fruity pebbles taste and aroma. I cannot imagine adding it during the mash or boil would have nearly the same success -- regardless of the practice at Hendricks.

 

[DannPM]

We ain't makin gin here, bub.

I think adding the kiddie cereal, unboiled, is going to infuse the beer with the most authentic fruity pebbles taste and aroma. I cannot imagine adding it during the mash or boil would have nearly the same success -- regardless of the practice at Hendricks.

You may be right if it were me I would do both to cover my bases, I can see each side here but wanted to also introduce a new unconventional angle for such an unconventional brew.

Mash for flavor pebbles and dry pebble for aroma? Lol love this thread lol but that is probably influenced by the few Belgian dubbels I have had too

 

[LuckyBeagleBrewing]

You could just try what I do. Brew up a nice wheat beer. You want it to be a 60/40 wheat/2-row. Ferment it, carbonate it, and pour it directly in your fruity pebbles in the morning for breakfast instead of milk.

All kidding aside I would go as simple as you can with the wheat beer and at most use 15 ibu of a neutral bittering hop (Magnum, Horizon, etc). If you want a little more sweetness you could go with 6 oz lactose for 5 gallon. I would stick with the 60/40 wheat/2-row combo with plenty of rice hull. Mix it up on the wheat and use some flaked for added body.

 

[jgerard]

I popped one of these open yesterday, and to my surprise its the best beer I've brewed yet! I will be doing this recipe again soon without any alterations.... besides maybe some dry hopping with cascade and pebbles.

Try this recipe out! I wonder if it would be this good without the fruity pebbles? What style would it be considered?