Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:14

Description:
What I was brewing I call “Finster’s Finest Chocolate Raspberry Stout”. I substituted frozen raspberries for the cherries, and added some baker’s chocolate.

I’m going to try this recipe again, with cherries, because I think the cherry taste is more agreeable with the chocolate flavor.

After 1 week in the bottle, this brew was overpoweringly raspberry. No chocolate taste at all. At 2 weeks in the bottle, the raspberry had really mellowed, and the chocolate came thru. Yummy. Next time, I’ll used 1-1.5 lbs of cherries or raspberries. I’m looking for just the barest hint of fruit flavor. I may only use 4-6 oz of choc. also. I’m also looking for a dark-chocolate flavor in the stout, so I’ll have to continue experimenting. Ultimately, I’m aiming for a smooth stout that has overtones of those Mon-Cherie chocolate-covered cherry candies.
Ingredients:

* 3.3 lbs John Bull plain dark extract syrup
* 3 pounds plain dry malt extract
* 1 pound crystal malt
* 1/2 pound roasted barley
* 1/2 pound black patent malt
* 1-1/2 ounce Northern Brewer hops pellets
* 1/2 ounce Willamette hops pellets
* gypsum to create hard water
* 3 pounds frozen raspberries
* 2 packages Edme dry ale yeast
* 1-1/4 cups dry malt extract
* 8 ounces baker’s chocolate

OG: 1056
Procedure:
Heat 1.5 gal water to 170F. Add grains, cover, and let sit for 30 min. stirring occasionally. Remove grains. Bring to boil. Add gypsum, malt extracts, NB hops, chocolate, and boil for 60 min. Turn off heat. Add raspberries to hot wort (be careful of splashing). Cover, and let sit for 13 min. Add Willamette hops. Cover, and let sit for 2 min. Cool wort. Dump entire mess into primary, aerate, and pitch yeast (I rehydrated it while waiting for the rasp. to steep in wort).

4-5 days in primary. Rack *very carefully* into secondary, to avoid racking fruit particles. 10-14 days in secondary (I went 14).

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:13

Description:
This recipe came from Charlie Papazian many years ago. This is supposed to make a lager, but I’ve never actually produced a lager with this recipe, only an ale. The cherries add a sweetness, but are not overpowering in a dark beer. I also tried another cherry beer called “Sinfully Red Cherry Ale” from the Spring 1984 issue of Zymurgy. This used 10 pounds of cherries and made a much lighter beer.
Ingredients:

* 3.3 pounds, John Bull dark unhopped malt extract
* 2 pounds, Munton & Fison light dry extract
* 1/2 cup, black patent malt
* 2 ounces, Cascades hops
* 2 tablespoons, gypsum
* 1 teaspoon, salt
* 3-5 pounds, pitted chopped cherries
* 1/2 ounce, Hallertauer hops
* yeast

Procedure:
Steep black patent malt in 2 gallons of water bringing to boil. Strain out grain. Add extract and boil with Cascade hops, gypsum, and salt. Boil 60 minutes. Remove from heat. Add finishing hops and cherries. Steep 30 minutes. Strain into fermenter with cold water to make 5 gallons. Pitch yeast.

Last Updated on Sunday, 4 April 2010 06:32 Written by admin Sunday, 2 November 2008 07:12

Description:
Here’s an extract recipe I sort of did “on the fly” – and it turned out to be real good. It’s my first (but not last!) stab at a cherry wheat.

This really turned out great… two weeks after bottling the brew was very cherry-like, almost too much – but after 6-8 weeks it mellowed out to a much more subtle brew. I think you’ll like it.
Ingredients:

* 3 kg Ireks Weizenbier extract (hopped)
* 1/2 lb. Ireks wheat malt (grain)
* 1/2 lb. Munich malt (grain)
* 5 lb cherries (I think I used Bing)
* 2 oz. Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice Cocktail
* 1 oz. Hallertau – alpha 2.4%

Procedure:
Crack grains, bring to boil, remove @ boil
add extract
@ 30 min. add 1/2 oz. Cascade
@ 58 minutes, add 1/2 Cascade + 1 oz. Hallertau
@ 60 minutes, remove hops and turn off heat
add cranberry and crushed cherries (I removed pits)
steep for 20 minutes – temperature @ 170 degrees
pour all of wort (including cherries) into 5 gal. fermentation bucket along with cold H20 to fill Note: don’t use carboy – cherries will clog blow-off! add yeast when temperature goes below 80 degrees

I let the primary go, left cherries in for 1 week, then racked off to carboy. At two weeks, rack to bucket, boil 3/4 cup corn sugar and stir into bucket, and bottle.