Thoughts on this?

[Meatek]

I'm planning on making a #9 inspired American apricot ale (AAA!). I put this together after looking at a couple of clone recipes, but it's not meant to be a clone.

.5# crystal 60
6# light DME
1.5 oz. tettnanager @ 60
.5 oz. cascade @ 15

Yeast: US-05

As for the apricot, I wanted to use actual fruit rather than flavoring. I was going to rack it onto dried apricots, but I figured I'd ask you knowledgeable gentlemen.

Also, my first real post here!

 

[brewit2it]

I'm planning on making a #9 inspired American apricot ale (AAA!). I put this together after looking at a couple of clone recipes, but it's not meant to be a clone.

.5# crystal 60
6# light DME
1.5 oz. tettnanager @ 60
.5 oz. cascade @ 15

Yeast: US-05

As for the apricot, I wanted to use actual fruit rather than flavoring. I was going to rack it onto dried apricots, but I figured I'd ask you knowledgeable gentlemen.

Also, my first real post here!

Welcome

I don't know anything about making apricot ale so can't be much help. Only thing I would consider is that dried fruit often has significant amounts of preservatives such as potassium sorbate which will stop your yeast in it's tracks, so you might have issues with fermentation or priming, depending on when you add the dried apricots. You might be better off with apricot extract.

 

[Scruffy1207]

Why not use fresh or frozen? Or am I missing something.

 

[bottomofthebarrel]

apricots are such a low percentage fruit.

 

[Meatek]

I'm going to take a trip to the grocery store tonight and see what I can find. I'm probably not cooking it up till sunday, so I have time to decide.

 

[yodalegomaster]

Having made an apricot beer with dried Turkish apricots, It didn't work very well, It was a big yuck. I have made other great fruit beers but i have only been successful with fresh fruit or concentrates. I did hand make a plum extract, and that may be what you have to do to make a beer with dried fruit.

 

[trevorc13]

I have heard with fruit that it should at least be frozen and thawed before using, to help crack open their cell walls. That's my only input as I have no fruit beer experience.

 

[iron_city_ap]

I'm not a fan of apricot beers. In theory they sound great, but in reality, I can't say I've had one yet that I find close to acceptable.

That being said, I'd use regular fruit instead of dried. If you go with dried, you are going to have to rely on your beer to rehydrate the fruit so the flavors can be extracted. I think you are better off going with sliced fruit.

I'm partial to using flavorings. There is nothing wrong with using actual fruit, but, you tend to end up with more haze/sediment and the cleanup is more work as well (one more thing to clean). Personally, I'm not that much of a purist that I feel the need to get flavor from the actual fruit rather than artificial flavoring.

 

[Meatek]

I'm leaning towards fresh, but I have to pick up a few things from my LHBS anyway, I'll have to take a look at flavorings while I'm there.

 

[NyPDFustercluck]

I made a #9 clone a few months back and used a 33oz can of pasteurized apricot pureè. The beer came out pretty good, but the price on the pureè was a little steep for me ($27) I think if I were to do it again, I'd either use extract or see if I could find fresh apricots. The base recipe I used was from BYO's 250 clone recipes edition. A quick search of these forums should turn up the recipe. Good luck and let us know how it comes out

 

[Aschecte]

I've never had much luck with apricots and the first response with preservatives is very accurate unless you get 100% organic fruit or better yet dehydrate fresh ones but if thats the case use fresh or puree you'll prob be better off. best case use extract and you WILL get the flavor your looking for.