cherry Porter

[Mike P]

Hi Guys,

been thinking of something special for my cascade porter. Want to make a cherry porter. would adding this syrup recipe to the heated wort do the trick what quanity would i need I'm thinking 1/2 litre for a hint of cherry taste.

3 cups cherries (about 1 pound), pitted and halved
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 cinnamon sticks
Peel of 1 lemon, cut into 1-inch pieces, white pith removed

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until cherries soften -- 10 to 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon sticks and lemon zest and run mixture through a food mill into a medium bowl. Strain through a fine sieve. Store syrup refrigerated for up to 3 days.

[Dogger Dan]

I think you may need more cherries, like 12 lbs well ok start with six,

Go big or stay home

Dogger

[Mike P]

that much! thats twice the size of the extract

[grabman]

Mike, you'll learn that dogger does everything big

it's one of his strengths, being brave and going for it. Also then passing on his wisdom to us all

[Dogger Dan]

Really though guys,

I have a cherry stout recipe and it calls for six lbs of cherries (I was only having fun with the 12 lbs, imagine the price)

Here it is

3.3 lbs dark extract syrup
2.5 lbs light malt syrup
1.5 lbs dried malt extract
1 lb Crystal
0.5 lbs roasted barley
0.5 lbs black patent
1.5 oz Northern Brewer (boiling)
0.5 oz Willamette (finishing)
6 lbs cherries

extract the crystal, barley and black patent while water is coming to boil, remove and add remaining malts, add boiling hops and boil for an hour. In final minute add finishing hops. Have cherries in fermentor, dump boiling wort over them and let sit for 5 min. Bring up to 23 litres and ferment.

Remove from primary after three days to secondary, syphoning is frustrating because it keeps getting clogged, stick with it though.top the secondary up to 23 L with water (remember the cherry fruit displaced some of the water which should be there)

Carry on as normal.

If I remember right this was some good stuff. Cherries being the price they are I haven't made it but once.

Dogger

[db]

with that much cherry's you'd have alot of fun racking.. the trub would block your tap nice n good?

i recently put down a cacade porter with 1/2 a kilo of blackberries - cant really taste the berries tho

[Dogger Dan]

Yeh,

It was a bugger using the syphon as I said. Raise it up over the fruit and then go for it. The next best thing might be to puree the fruit and then strain. Haven't tried that yet but the thought is there. I am also thinking a false bottom wouldn't be far off the mark here either.


Dogger

[Mike P]

db

how was the cascade porter did you find it suffiencently chocolately. any recomendations for speciallity grains or hops.

thanks

michael

[db]

i don't really taste too much chocolate.. it could do with some choc grain maybe 100g or so. i think i used about 15g of cascade hops boiled for 10mins.. & dry hopped with 15g of fuggles
i think i'd be inclined to go for a tiny bit orange zest instead of lemon..

[Dogger Dan]

db

Am playing with both orange and lime. I like them both but both tend to really dry up the batch from my experience.

Dogger

[db]

yeah same dogger.. & i've also found that a little bit goes a long way. added a small amount, less than 5g in total i'd estimate, of both lemon & orange zest (along with ginger & honey) to a coopers aust. pale ale.. its been in primary for 3 days & the orange is overpowering.. i'll be adding 3-4oz more ginger when i rack to try & balance it out.. it's too early for me to comment on the dryness, but hopefully that should compliment the ginger..

[r.magnay]

what are you blokes making, beer or fruit salad???

[Dogger Dan]

db

That sounds good, do you get much kick from adding the ginger that late? I add mine for 15 min during the boil and seems to be enough but am always game to try a different way

Ross

It is all good man, all good, got to get our Vitamin C and anti-oxidents someway

Dogger

[db]

Ross - meal in a bottle mate

dogger - never done the ginger in secondary, i generally dice & boil it for 20mins or so, & was thinking it probly wont give it much kick.. thinking i'll try boiling up a syrup with 1/2 the ginger to get a bit more flavour & chuck the other half in later to get a bit more aroma

[Dogger Dan]

db

Sure, following you now,

Be careful, am thinking it may be a lot of ginger, not that its wrong or anything, Just a lot of ginger, in something that is already pretty dry. Let me know how you make out (go big or stay home)

Dogger

[db]

thats the plan dogger.. i got a pretty big orange aroma/taste to cover (take note mike p - use the peel sparingly.. esp. in a porter.. i think a tiny bit should taste ok) & i'm a big fan of ginger beer - i'm not sure if there's such a thing as too much

in regards to the dryness dogger, do you find your fg goes really low? took a reading this morn & its down to 1010 & showing no signs of slowing up

[Dogger Dan]

No not from a SG point,

I got 1.008

but dry in the sense of taste, I find the ginger will hide that last bit of sweetness, same with the orange. Am looking fwd to trying the bottles this summer, think it will blend out nicely. (I didn't sat that folks, really )
and some of that sweetness will re-appear


Dogger

[db]

db

Sure, following you now,

Be careful, am thinking it may be a lot of ginger, not that its wrong or anything, Just a lot of ginger, in something that is already pretty dry. Let me know how you make out (go big or stay home)

Dogger

Dogger, recently started drinking this one & it didn't come out too bad. added 90-100g of ginger in 2ndry & you can really taste it.. very sharp ginger flavour tho. was after something a little more mellow... i think on the next one i'll add more ginger at the start of the boil & about 50g or so in 2ndry

[gregb]

Will the Ginger, like hop, mellow with bottle age?

Greg.