Please the SWMBO recipe advice

[feedbag]

Hey guys,

So, the SWMBO has never been really crazy about beer, but we went to a brew festival around here last weekend and they had Samuel Smith's fruit beers there. Personally they weren't my thing but she really loved the cherry and strawberry ales. I am hoping to recreate something like that for her but I couldn't really tell what the "base" beer was. They seemed to be a base of some kind of ale, maybe like an English mild, not wheat as far as I can tell. I was thinking about getting a good base recipe and flavoring half with extract, that way if it isn't great I can still drink the other half. Any suggestions from anyone who has tried this beer? And if you haven't, any suggestions on a good base for a fruit beer? Thanks guys.

 

[KYB]

I don't like the fruit extract flavorings. They taste fake. At least the Strawberry did.

 

[Brooklyn-Brewtality]

A light wheat or blonde racked onto some fruit or fruit puree in secondary always works for a fruit beer. I also really liked the Cherry Stout I made. It was dark and roasty enough, but had a slight hint of cherry to it, was nice.

And yea, avoid the extracts. They taste nasty.

 

[kinnasst]

Yeah, skip the extracts. To me, they taste like fruit-flavored plastic.

If fresh fruit is unavailable (or cost-prohibitive), the Oregon fruit purees are a good way to go. Just add some pectic enzyme too.

 

[sethful]

Personally, I don't mind the extracts. Try one and if you (err... SWMBO) doesn't like it, try something else... go for a light beer and then throw cherry or strawberry in the primary fermenter.

 

[Budzu]

I make a fruit beer that has an EXCELLENT reputation and is delicious. It does great with ladies. I'm sure you could use whatever fruit with this base beer, but Clementines, Oranges, or Tangerine zest would be your best bet. The hops are matched up for flavor.

8.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 85.0 %
1.00 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 10.0 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.0 %
0.50 oz Summit [18.50%] (60 min) Hops 34.5 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (15 min) Hops 2.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (5 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.40%] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.25 oz Summit [18.50%] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 1500 ml] Yeast-Ale

Zest 2 Clementines carefully (the skin is thin) and add zest to 1/2 cup of quality vodka. Eat or throw away the naked fruits. Seal jar of zest and vodka and set this at room temp for 2 weeks while the beer ferments. Add the mixture to the finished beer after cold crashing in your bottling bucket or keg to taste, so as not to overpower the hop flavor with Clementine. I end up using half the mixture (1 single Clementine) for 5 gallons.

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.050 SG (1.045-1.056 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.011 SG (1.010-1.015 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Color: 3.9 SRM (4.0-11.0 SRM) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 38.9 IBU (20.0-40.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 2.0 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.0 % (4.5-5.7 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 5.1 %
Actual Calories: 221 cal/pint

The taste of this is of FRESH slightly bitter clementines which you will attempt to perfectly match with the hop bitterness. If you can do this, the flavor becomes very very pleasing and balanced.
If you want to try this and need an extract recipe or an efficiency conversion let me know!

Cheers and good luck!

 

[feedbag]

I make a fruit beer that has an EXCELLENT reputation and is delicious. It does great with ladies. I'm sure you could use whatever fruit with this base beer, but Clementines, Oranges, or Tangerine zest would be your best bet. The hops are matched up for flavor.

8.50 lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 85.0 %
1.00 lb White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 10.0 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 5.0 %
0.50 oz Summit [18.50%] (60 min) Hops 34.5 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (15 min) Hops 2.7 IBU
0.50 oz Cascade [5.40%] (5 min) Hops 1.7 IBU
0.25 oz Cascade [5.40%] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.25 oz Summit [18.50%] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001) [Starter 1500 ml] Yeast-Ale

Zest 2 Clementines carefully (the skin is thin) and add zest to 1/2 cup of quality vodka. Eat or throw away the naked fruits. Seal jar of zest and vodka and set this at room temp for 2 weeks while the beer ferments. Add the mixture to the finished beer after cold crashing in your bottling bucket or keg to taste, so as not to overpower the hop flavor with Clementine. I end up using half the mixture (1 single Clementine) for 5 gallons.

Beer Profile Estimated Original Gravity: 1.050 SG (1.045-1.056 SG) Measured Original Gravity: 1.050 SG
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.011 SG (1.010-1.015 SG) Measured Final Gravity: 1.011 SG
Estimated Color: 3.9 SRM (4.0-11.0 SRM) Color [Color]
Bitterness: 38.9 IBU (20.0-40.0 IBU) Alpha Acid Units: 2.0 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 5.0 % (4.5-5.7 %) Actual Alcohol by Volume: 5.1 %
Actual Calories: 221 cal/pint

The taste of this is of FRESH slightly bitter clementines which you will attempt to perfectly match with the hop bitterness. If you can do this, the flavor becomes very very pleasing and balanced.
If you want to try this and need an extract recipe or an efficiency conversion let me know!

Cheers and good luck!

I really like the idea of making your own extract, that way I don't have to flavor an entire five gallons, it would take her forever to drink an entire batch but if I make an extract I can flavor half and leave the other half so I can drink. She is really set on a cherry flavor so I wonder what you think about making a cherry extract by soaking a few pounds of cherries in the vodka. Think that might work? I could maybe boil the mixture afterward and boil of a lot of alcohol and make a super concentrate.

 

[david_42]

. She is really set on a cherry flavor so I wonder what you think about making a cherry extract by soaking a few pounds of cherries in the vodka. Think that might work?

That's a standard method for making a liquor. Should work fine for adding to beer. She might like it all by itself.