Wine like flavor

[nothreat]

I just kegged and bottled a Black Cherry Wheat. I added 4lbs of frozen, pureed (sp?) cherries to the secondary after the gravity didn't change for 4 days. While putting the beer into the keg, I sampled it (of course). It has a very wine like flavor to it. I hoped that waiting for the gravity to settle and pitching onto the frozen cherries any fermentation would stop. Is this normal and will the flavor mature into more of a beer flavor over time? It tastes fine, just not what I expected. I also used some of those carb pills in the bottles. I just put them in and filled the bottle. Will they just dissolve into the beer? Do you let them age like with normal priming sugar? This is my first fruit beer.

 

[scinerd3000]

im not quite sure i understand completly, but ill give it a shot. When you racked onto the cherries you added more sugar which will restart fermentation. If by wine flavor you mean alcohol heat, that will settle after some time as the flavors mellow and age.
What recipe/yeast/temperatures etc did you use just for reference?

 

[nothreat]

I used a basic Bavarian Wheat recipe like this:

5# 2 row
3# White Wheat
1/2 # Flaked Wheat
1/2# Carapils
2 oz German Tettnang
Safale K-97

Mash 60 Minutes
1 oz hops at boil
1 oz hops at 55 minutes

OG 1.046
FG 1.006 (4 days in a row)

Primary 2 weeks
Secondary 2 weeks

It is not alcohol heat I taste. It is like a dry wine flavor. The color is a beautiful plum. It looks really good. I did have a problem in the mash and it was about 156 instead of the 151 I wanted. Other than that is was a normal brewing operation. Maybe it will age gracefully.

 

[scinerd3000]

Take a look at this:beer off flavors...
Maybe that will give you some idea....possibly astringency? Im stumped but i would assume its going to age and become better. ALL of my brews have over the years.

 

[martinirish]

My cherry porter (4.4# black cherries for 1 month) also had a wine flavor at bottling but it tasted fine when carbonated, about 2 weeks after.

 

[nothreat]

Thanks. That gives me some hope. I made it for my wife. She doesn't like beer except fruit beers and I am trying to get her interested in my hobby.

 

[Cpt_Kirks]

I had the same issue with my last cherry wheat. I got a good bit of fermentation in the secondary with the addition of the fruit. The wine flavor has lessened with aging, but is still noticeable.

Next time, I plan to let the wheat sit in primary for three weeks, then crash cool it. I will put the cherries and beer in the secondary, and keep it cold for a week, then rack to keg.

With luck, that will prevent the wine off-flavor from secondary fermentation.