Cranberry Fields Forever

[Craigerrr]

Poached this recipe from a member here, and have it adapted to my system and such, but have a question about the pitch rate.

Is the default pitch rate specific to the selected yeast? It states Manufacturer recommended.
This is what is displayed in the yeast section of the recipe.
0.35 (M cells / ml / ° P) 255 B cells required
I have a hard time believing that 255 billion cells will take care of this 11 gallon 1072 batch.

Should I update this as follows?:
0.75 (M cells / ml / ° P) 547 B cells required

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/752261/cranberry-fields

Not sure if I will kick this one out next our re-brew my Christmas Ale again first, but it is in the cue!

Feel free to comment in general on the recipe as well if you like.

TIA
Craigerrrr

 

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

Personally I don't enjoy tartness in dark beers. I think cranberry is better suited for something crisp and dry but that's just me.

It will help if the FG is pretty high so that there is some sweetness to balance out the cranberry.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Poached this recipe from a member here, and have it adapted to my system and such, but have a question about the pitch rate.

Is the default pitch rate specific to the selected yeast? It states Manufacturer recommended.
This is what is displayed in the yeast section of the recipe.
0.35 (M cells / ml / ° P) 255 B cells required
I have a hard time believing that 255 billion cells will take care of this 11 gallon 1072 batch.

Should I update this as follows?:
0.75 (M cells / ml / ° P) 547 B cells required

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/752261/cranberry-fields

Not sure if I will kick this one out next our re-brew my Christmas Ale again first, but it is in the cue!

Feel free to comment in general on the recipe as well if you like.

TIA
Craigerrrr

The more yeast the merrier me thinks Craig I'd go with what's worked in the ale pitch department for you in the past.

 

[Mark Farrall]

<snip>Manufacturer recommended</snip>

Manufacturer recommended is a phrase that doesn't really have that much to do with the pitch rate analysis various analytically minded people have done in the past. I wouldn't pay it much attention. As Ben says, use the pitch rate you've used on similar beers. Though at 1.072 I'd start to look at the high gravity ale one or something in between that and the pro brewer rate.

And I'm ignoring all the vitality, exponential growth, wort makeup dimensions that tend to make pitch rate such a rough tool for the job.

 

[Craigerrr]

Doing a bit 9f research, I think for my 10 gallon batch I think I need to pitch 540b cells, so I I think I will do a 2 stage starter and build up to about 600b. I read that 15b cells per degree plato per 5gallons is a good pitch rate. 1.072 is 18 plato, x15b x 2 (10 gallon batch ) = 540b. 600b should be enough, and yet not too much.

 

[Craigerrr]

Appreciate the responses folks.

Oddly, what is missing from the ingredient list is the cranberries. As there is a lot going on with this recipe, I think I will do more research on brewing with cranberries before tackling this one, and when I do, I think I will scale it back to 5 gallons.

One of my favorite holiday beers is Muskoka's Winter Beard, it is a double chocolate cranberry stout. I do like the flavor and tartness from the cranberries, just need to work out the amount, and how and when to introduce them. This recipe recommends steeping them in several liters of wort during the first 30 minutes of the boil, straining back in, then removing another several liters to step for the last 30 minutes. There isn't any reference to the type either, dried, or fresh.

I think I will knock out a coffee porter for the holidays, and maybe plan to brew this one over the holidays.

 

[Craigerrr]

Here is a link to the winter beard for reference
https://muskokabrewery.com/beer/winter-beard/

 

[Nosybear]

Appreciate the responses folks.

Oddly, what is missing from the ingredient list is the cranberries. As there is a lot going on with this recipe, I think I will do more research on brewing with cranberries before tackling this one, and when I do, I think I will scale it back to 5 gallons.

One of my favorite holiday beers is Muskoka's Winter Beard, it is a double chocolate cranberry stout. I do like the flavor and tartness from the cranberries, just need to work out the amount, and how and when to introduce them. This recipe recommends steeping them in several liters of wort during the first 30 minutes of the boil, straining back in, then removing another several liters to step for the last 30 minutes. There isn't any reference to the type either, dried, or fresh.

I think I will knock out a coffee porter for the holidays, and maybe plan to brew this one over the holidays.

You can use organic cranberry juice but be sure it's 100% cranberry, not that apple juice flavored with cranberry. Cheaper and easier than mucking around with actual cranberries. I used 500 ml in 2.5 gallons and got a very tart beer, tastes like a sour with none of the fuss and risk! You can half that for some tartness and a "what is that" cranberry flavor.

 

[Craigerrr]

You can use organic cranberry juice but be sure it's 100% cranberry, not that apple juice flavored with cranberry. Cheaper and easier than mucking around with actual cranberries. I used 500 ml in 2.5 gallons and got a very tart beer, tastes like a sour with none of the fuss and risk! You can half that for some tartness and a "what is that" cranberry flavor.

Thanks Nosy
I saw your post in Yoopers new thread, didn't want to litter that thread with recipe discussion. So liter per 10 gallons, would it be best to add to fermenter? Or could I add it with 5 to go in the boil?

 

[Nosybear]

A fresh bottle would be sanitary - so I'd just add it to the fermentor while the yeast is still active. I checked the gravity on the juice I used and it came in at about 1.025 so take dilution into account as well.

 

[Craigerrr]

I just grabbed this at the grocery store. Essentially it is concentrate, not juice.

 

[Craigerrr]

I will add measured amounts to commercial beer to get a feel for how much to add

 

[Nosybear]

Option 2: Add it at packaging (but be sure to calculate it's contribution as priming sugar). It's concentrated to 4x (roughly) so the gravity should be about 1.100 - might test that, again for dilution.

 

[Iliff Avenue Brewhouse]

I just added 1/2 gallon of cherry juice from concentrate to a beer as fermentation was slowing. I didn’t want to mess with fruit. It’s finishing up but early results are great! The juice had a hydrometer reading of 1.084. Since yours is actual concentrate I would expect it to be considerably higher.

 

[Craigerrr]

I added 1mil to 250ml of a stout that I picked up, I might have nailed the amount on the first try. It does give a little bit of "hmmm, what is that" to it.

 

[Craigerrr]

Further experimentation, added 1 gram of cocoa powder, and a couple drops of vanilla along with 1ml of cranberry concentrate. Might be a winning combo! The cocoa makes it a bit chalky when just mixing it up in the glass, but I like the mix of flavors.