Peach Pale Ale

[pearljam1984]

I looked around and didn’t see much about a recipe for a pale ale fermented with peaches. I wanted some good malt flavor and light bitterness and allow peaches to show up.
So here we go on my take and will document how it goes.

5.5g
OG- 1.056
FG- 1.012 (est)
IBUs- 24
SRM- 5.6
30min boil

Mashed at 152
12lbs- Weyermann Pale Ale Malt (92%)
1lb- Flaked Oats (8%)

30min- 1.5oz Cascade
0min- 2oz Cascade

Safale-04 Yeast
Fermented at 61 degrees

Secondary Fermentation
5lbs- Mashed Peaches

After two weeks in primary, rack to secondary over 5lbs mashed peaches.

After two weeks in secondary send to keg.

Will update accordingly.

 

[UncleAvis]

There was a recent thread talking about people picking up a peachy character from s05 when fermented outside of 62-66. I've never actually noticed it myself but it could add more peach notes for you.

 

[pearljam1984]

There was a recent thread talking about people picking up a peachy character from s05 when fermented outside of 62-66. I've never actually noticed it myself but it could add more peach notes for you.

I have heard that too. I already pitched S04 as it was what I had on hand. It’s one of my favorites.

 

[pearljam1984]

After 72 hours fermentation looked slowed. Took reading at 1.016. Going to warm to 70 for the remainder of the two weeks.

 

[pearljam1984]

After 72 hours fermentation looked slowed. Took reading at 1.016. Going to warm to 70 for the remainder of the two weeks.

Tonight(almost 6 days from yeast pitch) I took another gravity reading and it measured at 1.008. So going to let it hang tight for another couple days and let the yeast do some clean up.

 

[ba-brewer]

Before I had temp control I had a batch fermented with US-05 get very estery. Not sure it was peach though but was for sure fruity. It was a pale ale with cascade, chinook and Columbus and with the ester it smelled and tasted like fruit loops. I really liked that beer.

I believe BRY-97 West Coast Ale Yeast is also suppose to get peachy.

If you are already at 1.008 seem like your beer could get a little thin once you add the peaches.
​

I used to add the more beer fruit extracts to wheat beers for my wife, never used the peach but the apricot worked pretty well, nice aroma and flavor. An extract might help preserve some body.

 

[pearljam1984]

Before I had temp control I had a batch fermented with US-05 get very estery. Not sure it was peach though but was for sure fruity. It was a pale ale with cascade, chinook and Columbus and with the ester it smelled and tasted like fruit loops. I really liked that beer.

I believe BRY-97 West Coast Ale Yeast is also suppose to get peachy.

If you are already at 1.008 seem like your beer could get a little thin once you add the peaches.
​

I used to add the more beer fruit extracts to wheat beers for my wife, never used the peach but the apricot worked pretty well, nice aroma and flavor. An extract might help preserve some body.

Good point. I have never used an extract before. Always fear of the artificial taste.

 

[ba-brewer]

Some are extracts are better than others, you can dose a finished beer to see how it tastes without committing to a whole batch. I was bottling at the time and would add the extract in the bottle before filling, made it easy to get two or three kind of beers out of a single batch. My wife liked them OK, apricot and blueberry did not taste artificial.

Also some real fruits do better than others at adding flavor, I believe peach is one may not come across so strong.

 

[pearljam1984]

Decided to move to peaches this morning after 9 days in primary. Taste was great. Hoping to impart some peach flavor or aroma. We will see. Tasted the frozen peaches and they were actually pretty good.

Secondary- Racked 5 Gallons of Pale Ale on top of 5lbs peaches(decided for direct contact, rather than in a Muslin bag) and moved to 68 degrees. Will leave for 7-10 days.

 

[UncleAvis]

Are you using fresh peaches? Did you smash them? Peel?

 

[pearljam1984]

Are you using fresh peaches? Did you smash them? Peel?

I used frozen peaches. Pulled them out and let them thaw out. Then dropped them in bucket that had a small amount of star San solution and drained it.

They were already peeled and cut up very thin. I didn’t mash them up any further. Just dropped them in and racked on top. They immediately started floating.

 

[CKelly]

I've gotten an extremely peachy IPA without any fruit additions. I used 90% 2-row, 10% wheat, and hopped it with a bit of Azacca and a bunch of Wai-iti. It really came together with the Conan yeast though. A cold fermentation (62-64 F) will yield some very peachy esters.

I should add that I work at a yeast lab and am not sure about the availability of Conan, but if you can get your hands on it, it'll impress you!

 

[pearljam1984]

I've gotten an extremely peachy IPA without any fruit additions. I used 90% 2-row, 10% wheat, and hopped it with a bit of Azacca and a bunch of Wai-iti. It really came together with the Conan yeast though. A cold fermentation (62-64 F) will yield some very peachy esters.

I should add that I work at a yeast lab and am not sure about the availability of Conan, but if you can get your hands on it, it'll impress you!

I have used Conan before and love it!

 

[madscientist451]

My 2 cents would be to keep the secondary as cold as you can. The fermentation is going to kick off again, but peach flavor and aroma is very delicate and is easily lost in a fast, active fermentation. So go low temp and ferment slow.
If you want to be thrifty, get another beer ready, maybe a 3 gallon batch, and a different one than the first, and dump it on the used peaches after you rack off the first beer. There's still plenty of flavor left in the peaches after the first run.

 

[BrewSomeMore]

I've gotten an extremely peachy IPA without any fruit additions. I used 90% 2-row, 10% wheat, and hopped it with a bit of Azacca and a bunch of Wai-iti. It really came together with the Conan yeast though. A cold fermentation (62-64 F) will yield some very peachy esters.

I should add that I work at a yeast lab and am not sure about the availability of Conan, but if you can get your hands on it, it'll impress you!

I would agree. Conan puts out very peachy tones around 62-64. I have used it in big Juicy IPAs and session IPAs and I am sure it will work for a pale ale. S05 may or may not give you peach tones at low 60's but Conan sure does everytime.

 

[pearljam1984]

No airlock activity on the secondary to this point. Wondering how long it takes the second fermentation to kick off?

 

[pearljam1984]

Upcoming events were going to hinder me from kegging as I originally scheduled.. Soooo.. I went ahead and kegged tonight. I was hoping to not make the beer drop any lower in gravity or even leave some residual peach sweetness in the finished beer. 5 days on the peaches.

Original gravity before racking to secondary was 1.010/1.008. Today it was at 1.012. So I felt it was good to go. Ended up being around 4 Gallons.

Kegged and pulled a sample. Peach aroma was all there. Flavor was great to! Kegged and turned Co2 up to 30 and will turn back down in the AM. Hope to enjoy in a week or two. Fingers crossed some peach aroma and flavors persists.

 

[pearljam1984]

Pulled a pint after hitting with 30psi for 24 hrs. Not quite fully carbed yet, but probably 85%-90%. I think this beer is probably suited for lower than normal carbonation

Pale Ale Malt tastes great but not over the top. Getting great stickiness from the flaked oat addition.

Get the classic cascade aroma and taste. Touch of bitternesss but doesn’t take the lead. Aroma and taste are leading the way.

Peaches are there too! Aroma and flavor are working well

The cascade and peach flavors are complimentary, in my opinion. Which at first I wasn’t sure about.

I expect for it to clear a bit more, however if it doesn’t I won’t be upset.


I dig it. Even with with limited peach time in secondary, the flavors are great. Definitely wil brew again!

 

[Brewer20]

What other hops could I use instead of Cascade to get a more peachy taste from a hop.

 

[ba-brewer]

I have made the same golden ale twice now, just base malt and 2oz of galaxy and 2oz of strata (late addition slit 10min and flameout)in a 10gal which was slit fermented doing one half with 1318 and the other half with US05 then with WLP029. The halves fermented with 1318 had this really nice soft peach flavor and aroma.

I see peach listed as flavors of galaxy but have not noticed it before these beers.

 

[Brewer20]

Have you ever used Conan yeast they say it brings out a peachy texture

 

[ba-brewer]

I have not tried conan, but I have 1318 quite a few time and these were the only beers that I got a noticeable peach flavor and aroma.