Needed: Sam Adams Cherry Wheat clone

[carbon111]

Yes, in one can of Oregon Puree.
...
The net difference means a 1.7% boost in ABV. From 5.6 to 7.3% on five gallons. roughly.

Holy cow!

It'll be a wonderful wheat beer, won't it?

 

[dontman]

My current Apricot beer is 7.1% and sneaks up on you like a ninja. I love it. Except on the golf course. Front nine is ok, but the back nine becomes very sloppy.

 

[ThreeTaps]

It seems this thread is getting more exposure than another I made, so I'll ask here...

Would it still taste good, and like a real blueberry beer, if I take my Blonde Ale that's been in the primary for 12 days now and move it to secondary, adding a can of Oregon Blueberry Puree and 1oz pectic enzyme, then let it sit for another 10 - 14 days. Then add 2oz of Blueberry extract at bottling time?

 

[Plan9]

It seems this thread is getting more exposure than another I made, so I'll ask here...

Would it still taste good, and like a real blueberry beer, if I take my Blonde Ale that's been in the primary for 12 days now and move it to secondary, adding a can of Oregon Blueberry Puree and 1oz pectic enzyme, then let it sit for another 10 - 14 days. Then add 2oz of Blueberry extract at bottling time?

It would probably be fine, but...

As a new brewer, I would suggest working on bewing and perfecting more straight beer styles before getting too much into fruits, extracts, and other additives. A bad beer will not be improved by adding flavorings.

 

[ThreeTaps]

It would probably be fine, but...

As a new brewer, I would suggest working on bewing and perfecting more straight beer styles before getting too much into fruits, extracts, and other additives. A bad beer will not be improved by adding flavorings.

Thanks Plan9, I do intend on brewing a lot of more straight beer styles as well. I just really like fruit beers right now (I've been a wine-o for about 4 years, which is why) and wanted to make the Blonde a Blueberry without botching it.

If it won't taste great, how a blueberry beer should taste, then I won't do it and I'll stick with the Blonde. I haven't even tasted the Blonde yet...hah.

 

[dontman]

(I will comment since you ask in a thread in which I am involved, I didn't want to post in the other lest you feel I was stalking you) I am not a fan of the extracts. I get an artificial, almost medicinal twang from them, especially the cherry. I believe a lot of people share this feeling.

But here's the thing, it really is a matter of personal taste so my opinion and others too, is of little import. You have already said what a big fan you are of the Cherry Wheat. I believe that is the second or third most hated beer on this site due to that cough syrup taste (read the thread on dumpable beers.)

So if you like it then by all means use it but like others have said just be careful. If I were you I would try it with just the puree before adding any extract. Actually, if I were you, I would just stick with kit recipes of basic styles for at least the first dozen or so batches.

 

[ThreeTaps]

Actually, if I were you, I would just stick with kit recipes of basic styles for at least the first dozen or so batches.

But that's no fun...haha.

 

[Gremlyn]

First dozen? Damn right there's no fun there, I went AG after 4 batches and only made one kit ever I guess it depends on what you're looking for, but I love to experiment (I do it with cooking too). As for your blonde, I'd leave it as is for this batch.

 

[dontman]

Actually kits didn't even exist during my first couple hundred batches so we were forced to just create recipes by feel.

More what I mean is that I don't think you are giving the sheer amazingness of homebrew the chance to show through if you are talking about completely eclipsing the deliciosity with a bunch of fruit.

Not to say that a fruit beer is not good and fun and all that but you are shortchanging that blonde if you don't believe that it will be one of the finest you ever put your mouth on without adornment.

Now if you were talking about adding a bunch of fruit or meat or whatever to a bottle of bud to make it palatable then I would say 'hell yeah, go for it' it needs it big time but this is completely different.

My advice was more directed at exploring some of the more straightforward styles to get a bearing on what to expect. Do a stout, a bitter, a pale ale, a belgian, a hefe, etc, then think about what you can do to expand. At this point you don't know what you have that you are expanding on. Believe me, there is plenty of fun in discovering that you just made one of the best simple beers you ever tasted.

 

[ThreeTaps]

Thanks for the tip, red dog. I've decided to keep the Blonde as is, and do a Blueberry Wheat later on.

 

[dontman]

I'm doing a Peach Wheat within the next week or two. I tend to keep one fruit beer or some specialty beer on tap. (I won't even joke about it being for the ladies. After that one gets kicked I plan on a Blueberry Oatmeal Stout for a holiday/winter beer.

 

[ThreeTaps]

I would do the following:

1) Heat 1 - 1.5 gal water to 160-ish and steep the specialty grains for 20 mins (lid on). Shooting for 155F final temp once grains are added.
2) Remove grain, crank the heat and bring to boil.
3) Add about 1/2 of the extract, once it is dissolved, add the bittering hops
4) With 15 min left add the rest of the extract
5) Add the aroma hops at 10 min left
6) End boil and remove bag(s), cool.
7) Prepare the dry Danstar Munich Wheat Yeast, and pitch once the wort has cooled down from an ice bath.
8) Leave in primary fermentor for 14 days.
9) Put cherry puree and enzyme in secondary, rack beer on top of puree. NO STIRRING, don't want to add any oxygen!
10) Secondary for 2 weeks.
11) Transfer to bottles, adding priming sugar and cherry extract (only if needed; taste a little to see how much cherry flavour you have).

I'm starting this batch tomorrow and will follow these directions, minus the steeping grains (as there are none).

Is 1.5G still good for the boil volume?

 

[ThreeTaps]

I'm doing a Peach Wheat within the next week or two. I tend to keep one fruit beer or some specialty beer on tap. (I won't even joke about it being for the ladies. After that one gets kicked I plan on a Blueberry Oatmeal Stout for a holiday/winter beer.

Dontman,

I just bought an Oatmeal Stout kit on homebrewers.com, and have a can of Oregon blueberry puree as well as blueberry extract (both from Northern Brewer).

Would I just follow the default directions for the oatmeal stout, then rack to secondary with the blueberry puree and bottle with some extract (if taste requires)?

 

[dontman]

You know what? Sounds good to me. Let me know what you think when you drink it. I had one last Winter that was the best fruit beer I had ever had. So I decided to clone one. Haven't gotten around to making it yet though.

Still, maybe wait on adding the extract until you've tried a batch with just the puree. I'm drinking an Apricot beer right now that is perfect with just the can of puree. Plus the Blueberry Oatmeal Stout I had was not screaming with fruit, it just had a nice background of blueberry.

 

[carbon111]

Is 1.5G still good for the boil volume?

Boil as much water as you comfortably can. 2.5 - 3 gallons is probably average for a concentrated boil.

I have a 5 gallon brewpot and my boils are usually around 3 gallons if I'm doing an extract brew or about 4 gallons if I'm doing a partial mash.

 

[ThreeTaps]

Boil as much water as you comfortably can. 2.5 - 3 gallons is probably average for a concentrated boil.

I have a 5 gallon brewpot and my boils are usually around 3 gallons if I'm doing an extract brew or about 4 gallons if I'm doing a partial mash.

Thanks, will do. 3G it is.

 

[Gremlyn]

If you have the stove top room, pick up a second pot and do a split boil. Basically you make 2 identical 1/2 batches and combine at the end.

 

[ThreeTaps]

Well, today I bottled my Blonde Ale and made the pumpkin spice, now on to the Cherry Wheat.

I have one question:

I'm so used to doing extract recipes with steeping grains that it almost seems not right to do one (this cherry wheat recipe) that doesn't have steeping grains. Am I really doing this right without those? It just seems weird to cut out the grain flavors and go straight to the boil and adding the LME.

Just looking for some re-assurance.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Well, today I bottled my Blonde Ale and made the pumpkin spice, now on to the Cherry Wheat.

I have one question:

I'm so used to doing extract recipes with steeping grains that it almost seems not right to do one (this cherry wheat recipe) that doesn't have steeping grains. Am I really doing this right without those? It just seems weird to cut out the grain flavors and go straight to the boil and adding the LME.

Just looking for some re-assurance.

You don't need grains....they just add a bit of extra flavour, but you are adding tons of flavor with your cherry, etc.

I just brewed a Honey Weizen from NorthernBrewer last week. Now I've only tasted it about 5 minutes into it's life, (just after transfer to carboy, just before yeasties went in), but it was damn good. No grains were in it, just wheat LME and honey, (and hops, duh).

I'm willing to bet that the cherries are going to be plenty of flavor for you....

 

[ThreeTaps]

Ok, thanks!

On a side note, the pumpkin ale I just did smelled really amazing. I can't wait to take a swig when I bottle it in 3 weeks. It was a kit from AHS.

 

[ThreeTaps]

For anybody still reading this, I had a strange thing happen. The OG on this beer was 1.030...which seems a bit too low. BeerSmith said it should be 1.074, however I don't know if that's taking into account the fruit already or not. In any case, I'm sure it'll be fine as the ABV will definitely increase once it's put into a secondary with the fruit, but I still wanted to get your feedback on the OG stated above.

Anybody else have this on a wheat beer originally consisting of just hops, malto-dextrin and LME (Wheat + Light)?

 

[carbon111]

With 4.5 lbs. Wheat LME and 3.3 lbs. Light LME your OG would have to be very close to 1.058 for 5 gallons and 1.053 for 5.5 gallons...unless you left something out. What was your total volume into the fermenter?

The higher gravity in the 70s is with the fruit...

 

[dontman]

For anybody still reading this, I had a strange thing happen. The OG on this beer was 1.030...which seems a bit too low. BeerSmith said it should be 1.074, however I don't know if that's taking into account the fruit already or not. In any case, I'm sure it'll be fine as the ABV will definitely increase once it's put into a secondary with the fruit, but I still wanted to get your feedback on the OG stated above.

Anybody else have this on a wheat beer originally consisting of just hops, malto-dextrin and LME (Wheat + Light)?

Short answer is Yes. Carbon pretty much said why but with extract recipes there is no guesswork involved or necessary. The fact that you, (and many many other new extract brewers for that matter) got an sg reading other than predicted is strictly from poor mix of wort or different volume of wort. Do you have 5 gallons? If so, then either the hydrometer is off (unlikely) you read the hydrometer wrong, more likely but still unlikely, or there is some layering going on in the wort vessel and you are getting your sample from a thin area of the wort.

And obviously, since you have not added the fruit yet that is not adding anything to the reading.

So, like carbon says, just assume 1.058 as your OG.

 

[shortyjacobs]

Dontman alluded to this, but just to make it clear:

One of the major sources of inaccurate hydro readings comes from adding "top up" water. You only did a 3 gallon boil, so we can assume you had around 2 gallons of wort after your boil, eh? When you put that 2 gallons of wort into your fermenter and added your 3 gallons of "top up" water, did you make sure you thoroughly stirred it before taking your hydro reading? The heavy, sugary water will "sink" to the bottom if not mixed up well. This won't affect yeast activity, as they will do a wonderful job of stirring everything up, but it will affect your initial reading if you took a sample from the watery section of the fermenter.

LME and DME are foolproof methods of sugar addition. If you add 1 lb of LME, you ALWAYS get the same bump in OG, always.

So unless you weighed your LMEs wrong, you are golden, no worries.

 

[ThreeTaps]

Thanks for the re-assurance, all. I did add top-up water, about 3G (just like shorty said), and the final volume was 5G. I'm presuming that I just didn't stir it up enough, like you all mentioned. I'm sure it was well mixed though after pitching the re-hydrated yeast, as I sloshed it around real well for 5 minutes.

In any case, both the Pumpkin Spice and the Cherry Wheat are already in an active fermentation stage less than 12 hours after they started. The blowoff tubes are both releasing a large bubble every second, so I can only imagine what a small airlock would look like. Good thing is, with the ice bottles on rotation in the water, it's at a nice 74F instead of 79F like my Blonde Ale was.

Thanks again for all the help, especially you carbon. I'm going to send you a couple 22oz-ers of this batch when it's bottle conditioned so you can also enjoy the effort you put in to helping me develop the recipe.

 

[Gremlyn]

Even if you didn't mix "well" enough when you added the yeast, the vigorous activity of fermentation will get everything mixed around and happy. Sounds like your process is dialing in nicely, keep it up

 

[ThreeTaps]

Even if you didn't mix "well" enough when you added the yeast, the vigorous activity of fermentation will get everything mixed around and happy. Sounds like your process is dialing in nicely, keep it up

Thanks gremlyn, I will. That reminds me, we still need to grab a brew sometime. Homebrew or micro, either works.

 

[Gremlyn]

Thanks gremlyn, I will. That reminds me, we still need to grab a brew sometime. Homebrew or micro, either works.

Sure thing, I've got a couple more week before my next batches are ready, but I'm always up for a micro/craft brew

 

[ThreeTaps]

Sure thing, I've got a couple more week before my next batches are ready, but I'm always up for a micro/craft brew

My first batch, the Blonde Ale, will be drinkable on the 26'th (3 wk conditioning), and the others not for another 6-7 weeks. I'll get in touch with you later on in the week after things slow down.

 

[sunshine22]

I was hoping somebody here could comment and help on this recipe I created. I want to do a partial mash brew, 3.5 gal boil... Comments greatly appreciated

2.5lbs American 2Row
2lbs American Wheat
1lb German Munich
5lbs Wheat LME
1oz Hallertau @ 60min
1oz Tettnager @ 15min
.5oz Hallertau @ 1min
Cherry Extract for flavoring
OG should be 1060
FG should be 1015
ABV 5.8%
14.30 IBU
Wyeast 1056 w/ starter