Using Cherrys in Beer

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Hi guys

I can't seems to find answer to this question.

I'm about to do a Cherry Wheat beer. I have some frozen Cherrys and was wondering how should I put the cherrys in the beer.

Do I put them in whole/frozen, whole/thawed or do I puree them. What is the best way to make use of the Cheery flavor and colour.

Thanks

 

[TimT]

I'd just roughly dice them up, or moosh them up in a mortar and pestle, enough to break the skin to make sure the flavour gets out.

 

[manticle]

This article might help

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/articles/article39.html

 

[doon]

Slightly ot but are the cherrys that grow on trees on peoples nature strips in melbourne edible or able to be used in brews

 

[TimT]

They'd be mostly ornamental cherries I imagine. Not poisonous according to the Baron (this household's resident botanical expert), but not prolific and not sweet either. You might get some tannins from them, or a fructosey tang. Maybe. Probably a bit depends on the variety of cherry grown.

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

Thanks for the tips guys much appreciated.

 

[oglennyboy]

I did a cheery wheat this year, made a typical wheat beer & fermented with WY3068. After about 10 days I bottled half a dozen, then transferred the remaining 15 litres to a secondary & added 2kg of cheeries.
The cherries had been frozen from fresh (off the ground, some tree pick) so I thawed them and put them in a saucepan steamer for about 5min, just to have a little insurance, not a full blown sanitising.
The cherries were pretty mushy from thawing, so I put them in a big hopsock & added to the fermenter, giving it a good squeeze. Secondary ferment kicked off and I let it go for another 7 days, poking it every coupla days.
Bottled & conditioned for further week. Excellent colour, great pink tinted head, huge aroma, not a lot of obvious cherry flavour, but it was there & noticeable when drunk side-by-side against the straight wheaty. Lovely tart drop.
Will do this again with the remaining 3kg cherries in 15L. Some use maraschinos as they are quite acid, but the normal edible fruity stuff still adds something nice.
As long as you're getting them for free, not $15/kg!
cheers!

 

[ASYLUM_SPIRIT]

I did a cheery wheat this year, made a typical wheat beer & fermented with WY3068. After about 10 days I bottled half a dozen, then transferred the remaining 15 litres to a secondary & added 2kg of cheeries.
The cherries had been frozen from fresh (off the ground, some tree pick) so I thawed them and put them in a saucepan steamer for about 5min, just to have a little insurance, not a full blown sanitising.
The cherries were pretty mushy from thawing, so I put them in a big hopsock & added to the fermenter, giving it a good squeeze. Secondary ferment kicked off and I let it go for another 7 days, poking it every coupla days.
Bottled & conditioned for further week. Excellent colour, great pink tinted head, huge aroma, not a lot of obvious cherry flavour, but it was there & noticeable when drunk side-by-side against the straight wheaty. Lovely tart drop.
Will do this again with the remaining 3kg cherries in 15L. Some use maraschinos as they are quite acid, but the normal edible fruity stuff still adds something nice.
As long as you're getting them for free, not $15/kg!
cheers!

Awesome info, thanks mate. Looking forward to using this method!.