Ideas for a beer for a birth

[Fendercaster]

Hey all,
While my beers are currently fermenting away im looking at doing a batch for my soon to be first niece. My sis and best mate are having their first baby, a girl, and im looking at putting down a beer. More specifically one that is pink toned and sessionable. Although im thinking something wheat and raspberries id like to go down the ale way.
More input the better!
Id like to put down a lot of about 30lts. So i can keg some and bottle about 12 long necks for a pressie.

Cheers again!

 

[GibboQLD]

im thinking something wheat and raspberries

I made an extract saison last year that might fit the bill -- finished with a nice tartness from the wheat & raspberries, and without being too dry (not to mention being very pink):



Since I wasn't expecting the final level of tartness, the only thing I'd change next time is to knock the IBU down to around the 30 mark to balance it out, as the tartness & bitterness clash a little bit as the brew warms up.


Raspberry Wheat Saison
Batch size: 10.5L

1kg x Light DME
0.5kg x Wheat DME
0.1kg x Med Crystal (~60L)
Belle Saison yeast (fermented @ ambient during July in QLD, temps typically between 18° & 26°)

30g x Hallertauer Mittelfrüh @ 30min
15g x Hallertauer Mittelfrüh @ 10min
15g x Nelson Sauvin @ 5min

450g x Frozen Raspberries added after primary fermentation finished.

Carb to approx 2.8vol

OG / FG: 1.055 / 1.011
IBU: ~40
EBC: ~14
ABV: 6.2% (bottled)

 

[LAGERFRENZY]

Blushing Blonde from the Coopers recipe pages always goes down well:

http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/30/

Coopers Blonde can
Kilo of BE 2
500 grams frozen raspberries or mixed berries added to FV day in mesh bag or chux day 2

My variations are to use US 05 and brew around 17 C and either a short steep or a dry hop of 20 grams Amarillo
Serve in fluted glasses, this recipe has been known to turn non beer drinkers

 

[Fendercaster]

Blushing Blonde from the Coopers recipe pages always goes down well:

http://store.coopers.com.au/recipes/index/view/id/30/

Coopers Blonde can
Kilo of BE 2
500 grams frozen raspberries or mixed berries added to FV day in mesh bag or chux day 2

My variations are to use US 05 and brew around 17 C and either a short steep or a dry hop of 20 grams Amarillo
Serve in fluted glasses, this recipe has been known to turn non beer drinkers

Hey Krausen,
Thanks for the link, have you found the balance quite good in this? Have you done anything different? I am looking at putting this one down soon, and add berries when i rack to secondary.
Thanks again!
Fendercaster

 

[gaijin]

The beer I brewed for our daughter was an imperial stout - I know it's not pink, but the idea is that we will crack one every year on her birthday. It's black as night and called meconium stout (the first crap they have as a newborn). Her first birthday is coming up and I snuck one in early - at 9.2% it's amazingly smooth and complex and has only got better than when first brewed.

I can send the recipe if this fits the bill.

 

[LAGERFRENZY]

Hey Krausen,
Thanks for the link, have you found the balance quite good in this? Have you done anything different? I am looking at putting this one down soon, and add berries when i rack to secondary.
Thanks again!
Fendercaster

I only did it twice - once without hops and that was a bit bland as the Canadian Blonde is a very nuetral kit. Second time with Amarillo and drunk fresh lifted it. It's not a big beer the berries are more for colour with a slight background flavour - the ladies liked it and the blokes did not whinge about drinking it.

 

[Fendercaster]

The beer I brewed for our daughter was an imperial stout - I know it's not pink, but the idea is that we will crack one every year on her birthday. It's black as night and called meconium stout (the first crap they have as a newborn). Her first birthday is coming up and I snuck one in early - at 9.2% it's amazingly smooth and complex and has only got better than when first brewed.

I can send the recipe if this fits the bill.

Wow, this has definitely opened up a bag of worms. I have yet to do a stout of sorts. I love the idea.

 

[barls]

i did a big and bold barley wine. its now 3 years old and I'm looking to do something for my next one.

 

[Fendercaster]

i did a big and bold barley wine. its now 3 years old and I'm looking to do something for my next one.

Im not much or a barley wine guy yet. Havent tried it to be honest.

 

[TimT]

I think the traditional idea was definitely to do a high alcohol brew like a barleywine, to be aged and opened on their 18th birthday.

An interesting and fairly simple alternative is a high alcohol mead. These really change and improve dramatically with time, so on their 18th birthday you can emerge with these suspicious looking dusty bottles that you've been stowing away under the house, and....

 

[Matplat]

Surely even a RIS/Barleywine would go bad after 18 years...? Not sure I would be willing to commit to that, it would be a serious anti-climax if it didn't live up to expectations!

 

[Fendercaster]

crack one every year on her birthday

I love this idea and have never thought of it with beer. I do it with scotch. Get a nice bottle and stash it away for a date that the father sees suit. But a few brews. Man this has opened my mind. I think a stout is the go, i haven't brewed one yet. Might be the go this week.

 

[gaijin]

Glad the idea of a stout has triggered some suppressed love of the black nectar. Here is my recipe (double batch) if it helps.




Original Gravity

1.082

Final Gravity

1.015

Efficiency

75

Alcohol

9.0%

2-row pale ale malt

8.50

kg

2057.6

73%

Roasted barley

1

kg

158.6

9%

Pale crystal (25-40L)

1

kg

212.9

9%

Chocolate malt

0.5

kg

87.6

4%

Biscuit malt

0.6

kg

130.2

5%

Maltodextrin powder

1

kg

333.9

9%

Lactose

0.75

kg

219.1

6%

Rice hulls - 1 scoop. Single step mash 67C



Columbus

100g

60mins

49.0IBU

Styrian Celeia

70

10

2.0

Styrian Celeia

70

0

1.1

Whirlflock



10



Yeast Nutrient



10










Ferment Wyeast 1332 Northwest Ale at 18





The only thing I would change is to use some dextrose if you don't like super big mouth-feel (which it is).

Don't forget to cold crash. Reduce the amount of yeast/suspended particles as any large amounts may cause increased autolysis in the beer after a while (vegemitey-meatey flavours).

Cheers!