Cherry Wheat Assistance

[Wreck99]

I have a friend flying in to visit in a couple months and his favorite store bought beer is a Cherry Wheat, so I thought I'd try concocting an all grain recipe and brew one to be ready for him when he gets here. Says he doesn't want it too hoppy.

Please rate this recipe and I look forward to any feedback. BeerSmith shows green across the board for the American Wheat style, so I'm hopeful I'm close.

6# - Canada Malting 2-row
4# - White Wheat Malt
Some Rice Hulls in the mash

0.50 oz - Centennial @ 60
0.50 oz - Centennial @ 5
0.50 oz - Cascade @ flameout

WLP320 - American Hefeweizen Ale

2oz - Cherry Extract @ bottling / kegging

OG = 1.057
IBU = 22.4
Color = 3.9 SRM
ABV = 5.7%

Should I put some Carapils or something in for head retention?

 

[eadavis80]

I'm not an all-grain brewer, so I can't give feedback on your recipe, but I was curious what your thoughts were on the little bottles of flavoring extract at bottling time. Have you used them in the past with good results? I've read varying opinions on them. I did do NB's American Wheat extract kit which uses 1 oz. of Williamette and 1 ounce of Cascade if I'm not mistaken, but for cherry flavor, I used a bottle of tart cherry concentrate from Michigan cherries because that's what Sam Adams used in theirs. This time around I might try a sweet cherry puree instead. While I liked the last batch and it was mildly tart, I'd like to compare the sweet puree with the previous batch. Let me know your thoughts on the bottling extract.

 

[Wreck99]

This would be my first time using Cherry Extract. I've used other extracts with decent results, so I figured why not. I've also tried real fruit, which was good too. This is first time making Cherry Wheat, so I'm definitely open to advice on this one. Thank you

 

[Rhaop]

From my experience i brewed a honey wheat beer for a birthday party, i used roughly 80/20 barley to wheat ratio, i added half a lb of honey malt for alittle sweetness

Now the yeast you have is hefeweizen i used whitelabs german ale/kolsch gave me a nice clean flavor

At bottling time i bottled one case plain, then split the second case in half, i added a drop in each bottle brewer's best blackberry in 12 and cherry in the last 12, some folks said flavor was good some said too subtle, but end of the party all the beer was gone

You mentioned carapils, i had added the honey malt, you could also sub out a lb of malt and add flaked barley or wheat should help with head retention

Edit: for the life of me I can't remember but i may have used 2 drops cherry per bottle

 

[Wreck99]

From my experience i brewed a honey wheat beer for a birthday party, i used roughly 80/20 barley to wheat ratio, i added half a lb of honey malt for alittle sweetness

Now the yeast you have is hefeweizen i used whitelabs german ale/kolsch gave me a nice clean flavor

At bottling time i bottled one case plain, then split the second case in half, i added a drop in each bottle brewer's best blackberry in 12 and cherry in the last 12, some folks said flavor was good some said too subtle, but end of the party all the beer was gone

You mentioned carapils, i had added the honey malt, you could also sub out a lb of malt and add flaked barley or wheat should help with head retention

Edit: for the life of me I can't remember but i may have used 2 drops cherry per bottle

Other recipes I saw were closer to 60/40. Is 80/20 a better idea?

 

[Rhaop]

Nope 60/40 is great, wasn't saying my ratio was better just giving you what i had work for me, do you plan on adding extract first before adding priming sugar, assuming your bottling that is

 

[Wreck99]

Extract @ kegging

 

[Temp81]

I did a cherry wheat like this.

4 pounds 2 row
4 pounds red wheat
8oz Crystal 60
8oz honey malt
Mashed for 60 min at 153 with rice hulls.

Boil 60 min 1 oz saaz at 60 and 1 oz Saaz at 30.

Ferment with safbrew s-06 for 7 days or till final gravity is close to where it should be. Don't remember mine at the moment. Then rack to secondary on top of 3 pounds frozen cherries. This may take 2-3 weeks to get gravity back down. Then rack again and cold crash for about 4 days. Then keg and carb.

Hope this helps.

 

[Wreck99]

I did a cherry wheat like this.

4 pounds 2 row
4 pounds red wheat
8oz Crystal 60
8oz honey malt
Mashed for 60 min at 153 with rice hulls.

Boil 60 min 1 oz saaz at 60 and 1 oz Saaz at 30.

Ferment with safbrew s-06 for 7 days or till final gravity is close to where it should be. Don't remember mine at the moment. Then rack to secondary on top of 3 pounds frozen cherries. This may take 2-3 weeks to get gravity back down. Then rack again and cold crash for about 4 days. Then keg and carb.

Hope this helps.

That was one of my debates. Extract or real fruit.

 

[eadavis80]

I have never done cherries, but I did use frozen raspberries for a raz wheat beer. It was good. But, I'm doing the sweet cherry puree thing this time just to see what overall flavor I like most (tart cherry concentrate, sweet puree puree or frozen fruit). After this, I'll know which way I want to go for future brews. Best way to learn new things is through experimentation, right?

 

[Wreck99]

I have never done cherries, but I did use frozen raspberries for a raz wheat beer. It was good. But, I'm doing the sweet cherry puree thing this time just to see what overall flavor I like most (tart cherry concentrate, sweet puree puree or frozen fruit). After this, I'll know which way I want to go for future brews. Best way to learn new things is through experimentation, right?

I'd be curious to know your results. I have done a couple of different extracts (strawberry, watermelon, ginger), and fresh fruit (watermelon, strawberries, bananas)...haven't tried the puree idea yet.

 

[dwhite60]

I'm not an all-grain brewer, so I can't give feedback on your recipe, but I was curious what your thoughts were on the little bottles of flavoring extract at bottling time. Have you used them in the past with good results? I've read varying opinions on them. I did do NB's American Wheat extract kit which uses 1 oz. of Williamette and 1 ounce of Cascade if I'm not mistaken, but for cherry flavor, I used a bottle of tart cherry concentrate from Michigan cherries because that's what Sam Adams used in theirs. This time around I might try a sweet cherry puree instead. While I liked the last batch and it was mildly tart, I'd like to compare the sweet puree with the previous batch. Let me know your thoughts on the bottling extract.

Don't do the sweet cherry puree. I made a mead and added a can of it. It tastes like children's cough medicine. Should have used the tart cherry puree.

All the Best,
D. White

 

[eadavis80]

How many gallons of mead does a batch make? I don't know much about mead making, so I'm curious if 1 can of sweet for a batch of mead would be a different ratio of sweetness compared to 1 can of sweet in a 5-gallon batch of beer?

 

[Wreck99]

Don't do the sweet cherry puree. I made a mead and added a can of it. It tastes like children's cough medicine. Should have used the tart cherry puree.

All the Best,
D. White

So tart cherry puree over extract or real cherries?

 

[Temp81]

I prefer the frozen pie cherries (tart) for my recipe.

 

[jtratcliff]

I used 10lb fresh, whole cherries once in a 6 gal batch, frozen then thawed to break cell walls. I left the pits in, since 10lbs of cherries would be a ***** to pit by hand.

42% 2 row
33% wheat
13% Munich
4% carapils
8% honey added at flame out

Hallertau at 60 & 30 for 23 IBUs

I racked onto the fruit for a week or 2 .

Good color, so-so cherry flavor, but sort of a woody bitterness that I attributed to the pits.
So if you go with real cherries, get them pitted.

 

[slym2none]

That was one of my debates. Extract or real fruit.

 

[Wreck99]

If both, maybe 1/2 the extract and 3lbs frozen cherries?

 

[slym2none]

If both, maybe 1/2 the extract and 3lbs frozen cherries?

Sounds like what I'd try.

 

[jtratcliff]

You can always use the fruit or puree in secondary, then add as little or as much extract as needed, to taste, at bottling/kegging time.

I think the danger of too much extract is a cough syrup taste...

 

[Wreck99]

Here's where we're at now with this recipe based on feedback from everyone. Can't wait to try it.

 

[Jacinthebox]

Looks good...here's what I did for a double cherry wheat saison

5gal batch

5lb Pilsner
5lbs Wheat Malt
2lbs Vienna
Mash at 148f

90min boil

2.00 oz Tettnang [4.00 %] - Boil 60 min
1.00 oz East Kent Goldings [5.00 %] - Boil 60 min
1 Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15 mins)

Belgian Saison II Yeast (White Labs #WLP566)

I added 2 cans (3lb each) of cherry puree to the secondary...used a heat wrap to step the temp up to 85-90f over a few days...kegged after a month

turned out really nice

 

[Wreck99]

Brewed this yesterday. Will let everyone know how it turns out.

 

[Rhaop]

[emoji482]

 

[Wreck99]

Well, not that exact recipe. Just looked up and noticed what was in the thread. Subbed Tettnang for Hallertau.

 

[Lakehub]

Sub a # of pale for Munich and now your talking. I use Willamette for bittering and a quart of cherry concentrate for a 5 gallon batch. Little pricy but worth it.

 

[TheBeerGuy]

I have a friend flying in to visit in a couple months and his favorite store bought beer is a Cherry Wheat, so I thought I'd try concocting an all grain recipe and brew one to be ready for him when he gets here. Says he doesn't want it too hoppy.

Please rate this recipe and I look forward to any feedback. BeerSmith shows green across the board for the American Wheat style, so I'm hopeful I'm close.

6# - Canada Malting 2-row
4# - White Wheat Malt
Some Rice Hulls in the mash

0.50 oz - Centennial @ 60
0.50 oz - Centennial @ 5
0.50 oz - Cascade @ flameout

WLP320 - American Hefeweizen Ale

2oz - Cherry Extract @ bottling / kegging

OG = 1.057
IBU = 22.4
Color = 3.9 SRM
ABV = 5.7%

Should I put some Carapils or something in for head retention?

I just made a tart cherry american ale and also made a sweet cherry wheat as well. In both I used a combination of Oregon sweet and tart cherries in the secondary. I added two cans of sweet cherries and one tart cherry, pureed into the secondary after primary fermentation stopped. I know it is a little harder than an extract at bottling but I feel that the flavor I get from an extract is too "fake" for me even in small amounts. I found that the canned cherries impart more of a "real" flavor in my beer.

I have also split a batch into 2.5-3 gallon each and then I tried experimenting with real fruit, extracts, canned fruit, etc and then taste compare them together. Is there a difference that you like more or less? That is how I found that I like to take the time to do the canned fruit when I can for better fruit flavor and aroma at times.

Just my two cents!

Either way you go the base beer looks good! I have added carapils in a small amount like 0.5# for the 5 gallon batch.

 

[Wreck99]

It was amazing!