something light and easy for summer

[goatee]

7 lbs of 2 row
1lb of maris otter
1lb of carmel 10l

60 min mash at 152 60 min boil
2oz of cascade at 60
2oz of cascade at 30min

2,25 oz of dried lemon peel. and enough hibiscus tea to turn it pink.
about 2 tablespoons of honey
1 whirlflock ..5 gallon batch

im racking to secondary ferm. in the morning. aud if its not right, i may cheat and throw a couple scoops of countrytime lemonade in it. or even a bit more hibiscus. though i dont want to. its more for color and i dont want to go overboard on tart. then i have to add more honey to back sweeten.

is geletin used to clarify? maybe if its too dark i can add another whirlflock or geletin?
what do you guys think?

still the noob

 

[COBrewTalk_Jess]

That sounds refreshing. I'll be interested in hearing how it turns out.
What kind of yeast did you pitch?

 

[Donoroto]

The honey prior to fermentation won't add sweetness, it'll subtract it, as the yeast will ferment it. And add alcohol.

After the fact, honey and/or lemonade mix (with sugar) will also be fermented, but keep it cold enough and that fermentation will be slow indeed.

Whirlfloc after the boil isn't terribly effective, gelatin will be better, neither is a miracle worker though. "Dark" can't really be changed easily, only "cloudy". A few drops of beet juice can give you red.

Cold crash it for 2 or 3 days to let the 'dust settle' and thus clarify it. You can let it sit longer as well, it'll only get clearer. 2 weeks isn't unheard of, but I personally can't wait so long...

 

[Hawkbox]

Yeah any sugar you add is going to ferment but it looks refreshing and I’d sure drink a pint of it.

 

[GFHomebrew]

You could even up the honey contribution to lighten the body a bit more might make it more sessionable.

 

[goatee]

the grain bill was pretty light and i just wanted to get rid of the last bit of honey i had. whirlflock was before the end of boil, but i see what you mean about another one after the fact... (i did ask that didnt i?)
i may do a bit ,ore honey after the cold crash to back sweeten it. idk.. im not holding my breath on this one. seems like when i do my own thing its ,,,poor to midgrade at best. drinkable but,,, not my go to.

BUT!!! i have another idea. i used to make mead and it was junk. a ton of honey and a little flavor = stringent junk.
what if i did a ton of ,,peach? puree it put it in a brew bag. table sugar, a little lemon for the acid/zest. boil it. ferment it, keg it, force carb it. a peach sparkling wine.

when it comes to beer im sticking with the recipes. unless this turns out good then,, who knows?

 

[goatee]

That sounds refreshing. I'll be interested in hearing how it turns out.
What kind of yeast did you pitch?

thats the other thing... belgian saison 1 or 2 idr white labs.. fantastic product! some of the best beer i have EVER had was my own brew with this yeast.. i just dont think its the right yeast for this job. but we will see.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Yeah, I'm with Hawk, honey is just expensive sugar and if you add it to impart flavor, post boil, you risk adding infections. My experience for something light and easy is a smash beer....it sounds like you are looking for something citrus...try some citra or mosaic hops with that 2 row.

 

[Head First]

STOP STOP STOP!
The original recipe you started with will come out great if your process of brewing and fermenting is good. Don't over think a simple summer siper! If you used a Saison yeast expect a tart or fruity result and with cascade and zest it should all blend together. If you want a fruit beer then try it next batch. Leave the recipe alone and be sure of all of your process. Saison make great table beer or thirst quenched.
For a fruit beer keep the IBU down and use a clean bittering hop to let the fruit stand out. Some hops as mentioned do impart more fruity flavors but save that for another beer.
Your recipe is solid and will be what you originally were planing.