Help With Designing Ag Cherry Ripe Beer

[manticle]

I just bought a refrac but I'm not sure how I would calculate that.

I'd have to use an alcometer (I have something someone sent me that may be one so if I can hunt it up and test it in something with a known abv, I'll give that a crack).

 

[sim]

cool. Im not sure if an alcometer will do it, the reading will be corrupted by the presence of sugars etc. but i think you should be able to do it if you have the beer's SG, and a refract and hydro, and the conversion calculator in most brewing software.

the refract will give a corrupted reading in relation to the amount of alcohol present, and using this number along with the reading from a hydrometer you can find a false SG. Minus this from the actual SG and that would be the amount of alcohol boiled off, represented in gravity points.

im curious because if you say it tastes alright after having boiled it for a time, then one could make low/no alcoholic beer using this method.

Anyways have fun with your refract, and good luck with the Cherry Ripe p.s.

 

[manticle]

How many ways can you spell 'ning nong'?

I just racked to bulk prime and noticed white floaties which made me think the skin infection remained.

On closer inspection, they are solid lumps of white fat that taste remarkably similar to Copha (coconut fat, main ingredient in chocolate crackles). most likely there was no infection to begin with.

I guess the aging hasn't done it any harm and the dregs from the cube taste like a chocolate milkshake (in a good way) but **** me. How many unnecessary steps and stresses could I have avoided?

Guess the head retention will be phuctennbrachen but as long as the flavour is there. Long, long journey that one.

Cherries noticeably absent so I think age has driven that away (and none were addded to the cube - if so, I might expect more presence going on previous experience with fruit in an aging beer).

 

[Matt89]

Lol that's funny, but awesome that it tastes good!

 

[milestron]

Hey - thought I'd just revive this thread since I'm giving this a shot for my next brew (more or less). It will be a bit different though as I"m planning on omitting the chocolate and coconut, I am really just going for a Dark Cherry Porter (Black Forest Cake...Beer?).

I'm using the same grain bill, but it'll be for 19 litres rather then 22. I figure It'll just be a little bit maltier which I'm hoping will balance out the tartness of the cherries.

Now my question is - any thoughts on alternate yeasts? Manticle went with Whitbread 1099. I have some s04 on hand anyway so initially I figured and I'd just use that. Then I got thinking how would it go if I went towards the Belgian side instead, like perhaps a Leffe Brune with slight cherry vibe (3787?)

Anyway hoping to hear anyones 2 cents, I'm not one to be too fussed about trying to fit into a certain style as long as good beer is the end result. I'll use the s04 down the track anyway so it's not going to go to waste. I also have a (rather old) pack of 1388 on hand although I've never used it before (can't remember what I had planned with that one)

Cheers guys