2 kg frozen cherries

[Stinger]

Hi All,

I am after advice, I have a couple of kilo's of frozen cherries that I am keen to use in a beer in some way.
The only thing is I am probably not leaning toward anything sour which is where most info seems to point towards. but if that is what happens due to wild yeast on the fruit etc then I will see where it leads, however if anyone has experience then pipe up cos I have none!

At this stage I am thinking of bashing out an easy extract/partial mash and then chucking the cherries into the fermenter.
or should I rack off into a secondary post primary fermentation and add the cherries in there?

any ideas on types of malt - 50:50 wheatale malt? I like to keep things on the paler side

Very happy to receive suggestions

Stinger

 

[NewtownClown]

Black forest porter.....

 

[adryargument]

No boil berliner weisse, 50:50 wheatale malt.
After fermentation is complete chuck in the cherries and leave it for 6 months.

 

[NewtownClown]

sorry, not really on the paler side.

Then how about cherry hefeweizen?

Very little yeast will have survived the freezing but the fruit can still be pasteurised by simmering in a pot for 10-15 m

 

[Not For Horses]

A non sour BW?? I think not.
Cherry wheat beers are quite delicious.
Go easy on late hops though. Or avoid altogether after 30 minutes.
50 50 wheat/ale around 20 ibu then cherries in the secondary.

 

[Stinger]

black forrest porter does sound bloody nice tho

 

[JDW81]

I'd go with a cherry hefe. 50:50 wheat and pilsner to about 1050, with 18 IBUs from Hallertauer. Cherries in a secondary.

JD

 

[Stinger]

went with the cherry hefe

1kg wheat DME
2.5kg LDME

boiled 35gm northern Brewer for 20 min in 4L wort and added 15gm home grown cascades 10min

into the fermenter with WB06 and will add 2kg de pipped and destemmed cherries to secondary for 1 - 2 weeks and test samples as it goes to see how flavour develops.

Anyone have ideas on what increase in ABV% 2kg cherries would do to ~ 30L (possibly 28L by the time losses allowed for yeast cake etc)

 

[Toper]

There's really no way to tell what ABV increase you'll get..now.The stage of ripeness of the cherries determine the sugar content.Hopefully you had REALLY ripe ones,and I mean jam quality.The freezing will break the cell wall structure and let more flavour out,and kill virtually all nasties the same way.Any left will be so small that the brewing yeast will out grow them easily. No need to de pip either,they add a slight almond flavour.

 

[Dave70]

 

[Stinger]

Fermentation restarted pretty quickly and four days later seems to have stopped again but gravity is closer to 1020 so i am going to leave for another week at least and see how it develops.
It definitely has picked up a nice cherry pink colour and also a subtle flavour so we will see how it develops.
I ended up putting the cherrys into 25 lt and the other 5 into a glass carboy and dry hopped with some home grown cascade hops, which is really out of style for a hefe but you gotta try these things...

 

[hsb]

^^ FWIW and despite the evocative image, no cherries in Lindemans Kriek, just juice.

Lindemans farm brewery developed an unique alternative natural method using pure cherry juice from unfrozen cherries. This straight cherry juice is blended with selected Lambic of different ages.

Cherry Hefe sounds great. Hefekirscheweizen?