Brewing with fruit juice

[Billswill]

Has anyone every used R.W. Knudsen organic fruit juice when brewing? I decided last minute to brew a tart cherry wheat. I couldn't find any frozen or fresh tart cherries. I found this R. W. Knudsen organic "Just Tart Cherry" juice. It's organic, no preservativies, no artificial flavors. The recipe I was sort of following called for 10# of cherries. Not sure of the conversion of concentrated fruit juice to actual fruit. So, I added 2 qts to my hot wort and cooled as usual. The cooled wort had a hint of cherry flavor.

Thanks,

Bill

[JayShaw91]

Normally people add the fruit when the beer is going in to secondary. I don't know how that'd change things for you, but seeing you tasted it, that's good. I think the problem would be that the yeast will eat the sugars and not leave the residual cherry taste.

I'm thinking that after primary fermentation completes, taste it again. If it doesn't have the cherry flavor you're after, then add more of that juice to the beer and move it to a secondary fermenter (if you have one). That'll then let the cherry flavor shine through.

I can't comment on the ratio of juice to actual berries. Sorry.

[Billswill]

I brewed this beer on Saturday 5/3.

I just used what was on hand except "just tart Cherry" juice. Like I said just decided to brew a tart cherry wheat.

1# 6 row malt
1/2 # flaked wheat
1/2 # crystal malt 10L
1/2 # powder malt dextrin (cara pils)
6.6 # LWM Northwestern
2 oz mt hood hops 5.8%
1 pk bevarian wheat (wyeast 3056)
Steep grains 30 min @ 155 - 160 dgrs
4 qts water and drained grain bags
added malt dextrin & LWM
did full 6 gal boil
1.5 oz hops 60 min
.5 oz hops 15 min
2 qts "just tart cherry" juice once I cooled wort to about 200 dgrs
pitched yeast at 75 dgrs
OG 1.058

Today the krausen has gone down, still steady action in air lock. The krausen has a red hue to it. I will take another taste when xfrd to 2ndary and take an SG to see where I am. I might add another qt of juice to 2ndary.

Bill,

Keg conditioning Blue Moon clone (for the wife), Belgian Dark Trappist
2ndry another Belgian Dark Trappist
Bottled/drinking Pale Ale
Primary Honey Brown Lager & Tart Cherry Wheat

[JayShaw91]

Keep us posted!

[el beero]

I have a Flander's Red that Im now brewing my second batch of, which include Knudsen's Cherry Juice. The recipe was modified from a Zymury (or BYO?) Magazine recipe replicating New Glarus' Wisconsin Cherry...original recipe called for a whole gallon of cherry juice, which I halved and included in the secondary.

If I say so myself...the result was awesome. I cant provide it off the top of my head, but if you would like the recipe I can oblige.

I would suggest giving the secondary a good couple of weeks to do its thing (actually, you may also consider giving it an additional week with oak chips added as the vanilla flavors go well with the cherry IMHO).

Good luck..I hope this turns out for you.

[markaberrant]

I have a Flander's Red that Im now brewing my second batch of, which include Knudsen's Cherry Juice. The recipe was modified from a Zymury (or BYO?) Magazine recipe replicating New Glarus' Wisconsin Cherry...original recipe called for a whole gallon of cherry juice, which I halved and included in the secondary.

If I say so myself...the result was awesome. I cant provide it off the top of my head, but if you would like the recipe I can oblige.

I would suggest giving the secondary a good couple of weeks to do its thing (actually, you may also consider giving it an additional week with oak chips added as the vanilla flavors go well with the cherry IMHO).

Good luck..I hope this turns out for you.

Shouldn't a Flanders Red need a lot more than "a good couple weeks"? Please share your recipe.

[beerking]

Shouldn't a Flanders Red need a lot more than "a good couple weeks"? Please share your recipe.

Agreed. I brewed a Rodenbach clone 3 weeks ago (which I am using a barrel for as both primary and secondary, w/o transfer), using the Roeselaire yeast blend (Wyeast specialty series, contains pedio and lacto, maybe Brett as well), and I understand that in the bottle, you should not expect any of the funky notes for at least 3 months. My current plan is to age this in the barrel for 12-18 months (although I just tasted it the other day, and it is definitely already turning "funky").

[el beero]

Ill certainly try to remember to post but it may take a couple of days due to my schedule. It may not be a pure Flanders...so if you are judging-inclined please go easy on me.:cool:

If I remember it took about a week in primary, 2-3 weeks in secondary w/ the juice, and then another week or so with the oak. in additional to the time it took to bottle condition it was def. drinkable after that time, but aged really really well.

I'll try to remember to post when I can...

[beerking]

Ill certainly try to remember to post but it may take a couple of days due to my schedule. It may not be a pure Flanders...so if you are judging-inclined please go easy on me.:cool:

If I remember it took about a week in primary, 2-3 weeks in secondary w/ the juice, and then another week or so with the oak. in additional to the time it took to bottle condition it was def. drinkable after that time, but aged really really well.

I'll try to remember to post when I can...

Was it sour when you tasted it? A true Flanders Red should be sour. That is not to say that a beer with cherry juice and some oak aging won't be good, just that to be a true Flanders Red it should have sourness from various infection vectors.

[markaberrant]

Agreed. I brewed a Rodenbach clone 3 weeks ago (which I am using a barrel for as both primary and secondary, w/o transfer), using the Roeselaire yeast blend (Wyeast specialty series, contains pedio and lacto, maybe Brett as well), and I understand that in the bottle, you should not expect any of the funky notes for at least 3 months. My current plan is to age this in the barrel for 12-18 months (although I just tasted it the other day, and it is definitely already turning "funky").

You definitely don't want to bottle early when using wild yeast and bacteria, or drink fast! As you say, 12-18 months is about the minimum for a Flanders Red to mature... Rodenbach Grand Cru is aged for 3 years.

I'm starting up my Flanders Red project in June 08. The idea is to brew a fresh batch every year and add to the previous batch; so after next year's brew, I'll have 2 - 6 gal carboys going, one will eventually get sour cherries added. I won't start getting finished product until summer 2010, but then I will get 6 gallons every year (3 straight, 3 cherry) of blended and aged Flanders Red.

I'm planning on using neutral yeast in primary and Roeselare blend in glass secondary with (boiled) oak cubes.

[el beero]

Ok, so maybe I should be calling it a mock-flanders red?! It def. has some sour tones to it, but nothing puckeringly-sour...and it def. doesnt age for year(s) on end.

Anyway, here's what I am working with...
3 lbs light DME
1 lb wheat DME
4 lb.s Alexanders Pale LME
6 oz. Belgian Chocolate Malt
6 oz. Caramunich
Aged Halletauer (I have subbed leaf Sazz & Vanguard toasted for 1 hr @ 200 Deg. F.)
Belg. Ardennes Yeast (Wyeast 3522)

4.5 gal. boil. Steep specialty grains @ 150 deg. for 30 minutes, sparge. Bring to boil adding malt extracts, at boil add hops, boil 60 minutes.

Pitch and ferment 7-10 days primary
add 2 qts. Knudsens Just Tart Cherry juice and secondary 2 weeks. Rack to tertiary with oak chips for another week or so.

So, maybe Im not making a true Flanders Red...but its tasty.

[markaberrant]

El Beero, if you are going by BJCP guidelines, it's probably closest to a Belgian Dubbel (maybe even a Belgian Strong Dark depending on how strong it is), or a Belgian Specialty (Dubbel with Cherries). To make it a Flanders Red, you need to add lacto bacteria and brettanomyces, then age it with used oak.