Key Lime Pie Berliner

[chrisbrew]

I'm trying out a similar recipe. In your post #29 version did you use key limes or regular limes? I picked up a bag of key limes and am trying to gauge how much zest I need for the boil for a good lime flavor.

 

[Jaybird]

I love seeing this! My daughter just came back from Canada where she had a Key Lime pie beer she fell in LOVE with and asked me to brew her 1. Not having ANY IDEA what the hell would go in a beer like this I am glad to see somone already did the leg work and the firs ( now second) go at it. I will have to put this on the brew schedule and give it a go.

Cheers
Jay

 

[italarican]

I'm trying out a similar recipe. In your post #29 version did you use key limes or regular limes? I picked up a bag of key limes and am trying to gauge how much zest I need for the boil for a good lime flavor.

I used regular limes in this latest version b/c that's what I had that was fresh. I didn't measure the weight of the zest unfortunately, but I believe there are rough conversions for lime vs. key lime out there. The limes I used were fairly standard sized for limes.

 

[italarican]

I love seeing this! My daughter just came back from Canada where she had a Key Lime pie beer she fell in LOVE with and asked me to brew her 1. Not having ANY IDEA what the hell would go in a beer like this I am glad to see somone already did the leg work and the firs ( now second) go at it. I will have to put this on the brew schedule and give it a go.

Cheers
Jay

Nice! I'd be interested to hear how it goes whether or not you do the lactose thing.

 

[chrisbrew]

I used regular limes in this latest version b/c that's what I had that was fresh. I didn't measure the weight of the zest unfortunately, but I believe there are rough conversions for lime vs. key lime out there. The limes I used were fairly standard sized for limes.

Thanks I think I went heavy on the key lime zest but I want it to really pop. I plan to add more as a dry hop addition with vanilla beans. Using lactose as well so there is a lot going on with this one which always makes me nervous...I'll report back with how it turned out.

 

[ryking13]

I did a new version of this. It's much closer to what I was envisioning and was a massive hit at a get-together I just had! Sour and non-sour lovers both loved the sweet & mildly tart combo. Someone who said they'd never had a beer they liked said, "wow; this actually tastes like pie!"

This version was a blend of a clean "graham cracker" beer and a lime sour. I thought a ratio of 60% clean beer to 40% sour was the right balance.

SOUR MASH
Yeast: Safale S-04
Batch Size (Gallons): 3 (only 2 put into final beer)
OG: 1.038
FG: 1.014
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 @ 68F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 @ 68F

Mash
2 lbs Pilsner
2 lbs White Wheat

Mash 147F, 60 min
Sparge 168F, 10 min
Chill to 110F, add uncrushed grain and let sit at 110F for 72 hours

Return to pot, 60 min boil

Hops
0.25 oz Hallertau Traditional, 60 min

Extras
Zest of 4 limes @ 1 min boil
Zest of 5 limes @ secondary (7 days)
0.75 oz Mexican vanilla extract (the real stuff!) @ secondary (7 days)

CLEAN MASH
Yeast: Safale S-04
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
OG: 1.078
FG: 1.010
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 @ 68F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 @ 68F

Mash
2 lbs Pilsner
2 lbs White Wheat
2 lbs Biscuit
8 oz flaked oats
1 box (14.4 oz) Honey Maid Graham Crackers

Mash 154F, 60 min
Sparge 168F, 10 min

Hops
0.25 oz Hallertau Traditional, 60 min

Extras
Zest of 5 limes @ secondary (7 days)
1.25 oz Mexican vanilla extract @ secondary (7 days)

Beers blended in the keg: 3 gallons clean beer, 2 gallons sour mash

Really interested in brewing a similar beer here. I'm curious why it needs to be split into a sour and clean beer? What would/could happen if you did one brew with the biscuit malt/oats/graham crackers in one batch?

 

[chrisbrew]

Really interested in brewing a similar beer here. I'm curious why it needs to be split into a sour and clean beer? What would/could happen if you did one brew with the biscuit malt/oats/graham crackers in one batch?

I think he split it in order to balance the sourness and other flavors where he wanted it. I did it as one brew and that's how I would recommend it personally. You can monitor the sourness with an accurate pH meter and kill the lacto when you hit your desired sour level.

 

[italarican]

Really interested in brewing a similar beer here. I'm curious why it needs to be split into a sour and clean beer? What would/could happen if you did one brew with the biscuit malt/oats/graham crackers in one batch?

For me it wasn't just acidity: I wanted more body for a dessert, pie-like beer. But it was mainly about wanting to taste the balance I wanted where sweet pie was holding up some tangy lactic notes. I think blending is the way to go for the flavor balances I want, but you could definitely just do it all in one batch and have a fine dessert beer.

 

[Low Expectations]

I've been wanting to do a key lime pie beer for a while now. After doing my first sour mash, I thought a sour mash berliner would be a good base for key lime pie additions. I'm thinking of giving this beer a shot in a few weeks. Any suggestions or comments are welcome!

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Safale S-04
Batch Size (Gallons): 3
Projected OG: 1.033
Projected FG: 1.010
IBU: 6
Boiling Time (Minutes): 30
Color: 3
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 14 @ 68F
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 7 @ 68F

Mash
2.0 lbs Pilsner (57%)
1.25 lbs American Wheat (36%)
0.25 lbs Biscuit (7%)
1 box (14 oz) graham crackers, crushed

Sour Mash Steps
Mash 150F for 60 min
Sparge 168F for 10 min
Chill to 105F, add uncrushed grain and let sit at 105F for 48 hours

Return to pot, 30 min boil

Hops
0.25 oz Hallertau, 30 min

Extras
Zest of 2 key limes @ 5 min boil
Juice of 2 key limes @ secondary (7 days)
5 oz toasted coconut soaked in marshmallow vodka @ secondary (7 days)

Hi Italarican, I am planning to brew this tomorrow. I have only been brewing for a year and just had a question about the graham crackers. Will they be in the initial mash or added to the carboy after fermentation. I'm assuming they will be in their own steeping bag. I will be converting this recipe to extract as I don't have the equipment currently for All Grain. Thanks for your help!

 

[italarican]

Hi Italarican, I am planning to brew this tomorrow. I have only been brewing for a year and just had a question about the graham crackers. Will they be in the initial mash or added to the carboy after fermentation. I'm assuming they will be in their own steeping bag. I will be converting this recipe to extract as I don't have the equipment currently for All Grain. Thanks for your help!

Yeah, if you get the biscuit malt too just crush the graham crackers and put them with whatever you're steeping.