fourstring
Active Member
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2015
- Messages
- 25
- Reaction score
- 11
- Recipe Type
- All Grain
- Yeast
- S-05
- Yeast Starter
- Nope
- Batch Size (Gallons)
- 2
- Original Gravity
- 1.07
- Final Gravity
- 1.015
- Boiling Time (Minutes)
- 60
- IBU
- 22
- Color
- 11
- Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
- 2 weeks
- Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp)
- 1 month
- Tasting Notes
- Tart cherries and smoked malt
First, credit where credit is due - the inspiration for this brew came from Brooklyn Brew Shop's seasonal cookbook, which lists an excellent smoked cherry ale. If you're into small batch it's a worthwhile addition to your recipe arsenal. This is a modification that I've made over the years based on trial and error that gets a mellower result with a simplified hop and grain schedule.
Grains:
Maris Otter - 3.2 lbs 66.6%
Cherry smoked - 1.2 lbs 25%
Caramel 60 - .2 lbs 4.2%
Aromatic - .2 lbs 4.2% (can use biscuit or Victory if you don't have aromatic)
Hops:
EKG - .4 oz, 60 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, 15 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, 5 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, flameout
Other:
Irish moss (or Whirlfloc), 15 minutes
1 cup red currants (primary) picked and cleaned of stems, flameout
1 cup tart cherries (primary), pits removed, flameout
Mash at 150 degrees for 60 minutes, single infusion.
When I put the fruit in the wort at flameout, I put it in a bag and let them cool with the wort to pitching temp. Then, pull out, rinse off hop gunk, and place the fruit in primary for two weeks.
After primary is done, add another cup of cherries and currants (each) when racking to secondary, which can sit for a month or two. I freeze them first so they're all goopy and easier to pour into the 1 gallon growlers I use for secondary.
A word of caution - currants *&^%ing clog everything, so have a good filter on whatever you use to bottle and transfer between fermentors. Also, don't expect this beer to get really clear.
I bottle with honey, let sit for a few weeks to carb up, then cold crash in the fridge for another month or two. It's a pretty complex beer with a lot going on. It tastes lightly smoky, with a good tart nose from the fruit to offset the malt, caramel, and smoke. The currants turn the head a hazy, pinkish white, which is kind of interesting too.
Grains:
Maris Otter - 3.2 lbs 66.6%
Cherry smoked - 1.2 lbs 25%
Caramel 60 - .2 lbs 4.2%
Aromatic - .2 lbs 4.2% (can use biscuit or Victory if you don't have aromatic)
Hops:
EKG - .4 oz, 60 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, 15 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, 5 minutes
EKG - .1 oz, flameout
Other:
Irish moss (or Whirlfloc), 15 minutes
1 cup red currants (primary) picked and cleaned of stems, flameout
1 cup tart cherries (primary), pits removed, flameout
Mash at 150 degrees for 60 minutes, single infusion.
When I put the fruit in the wort at flameout, I put it in a bag and let them cool with the wort to pitching temp. Then, pull out, rinse off hop gunk, and place the fruit in primary for two weeks.
After primary is done, add another cup of cherries and currants (each) when racking to secondary, which can sit for a month or two. I freeze them first so they're all goopy and easier to pour into the 1 gallon growlers I use for secondary.
A word of caution - currants *&^%ing clog everything, so have a good filter on whatever you use to bottle and transfer between fermentors. Also, don't expect this beer to get really clear.
I bottle with honey, let sit for a few weeks to carb up, then cold crash in the fridge for another month or two. It's a pretty complex beer with a lot going on. It tastes lightly smoky, with a good tart nose from the fruit to offset the malt, caramel, and smoke. The currants turn the head a hazy, pinkish white, which is kind of interesting too.
