[udubdawg]

So initially how this came about was that we were taking a break from bottling for the first round and I had a glass of the beer above. We had just purchased a product called Mio which is something you squirt into water to make a Kool-Aid or Crystal Light type beverage in the Apricot Peach flavor. We had an extra first round entry (we made a conservatively high number as they were clearly closing out and we weren't quite sure what we were sending yet) that we would otherwise send something pretty marginal in, so we mixed up some of that and sent it. The fruit flavor was pretty artificial and it added too much sweetness, but it wasn't bad. Miraculously, this slipped through what must have been a weak fruit beer category down in Dallas.

We rebrewed the IIPA for the second round. 

John,
I tasted (but did not judge) your first round beer in Dallas though obviously I did not know it was yours, and pretty much echoed your comments.  Glad to see the rebrew worked out well; wish I could have tasted the 2nd effort!
Oh, and for the record there were only 7 fruit beers entered in Dallas.  With as long as judging took down there were you able to incorporate any judging comments into your rebrew effort?
Anyway, congrats!

cheers--
--Michael

[SpanishCastleAle]

2 Northern Brewer HopShots at 60 minutes.
2 oz CTZ, 1.5 oz Amarillo, 1.5 oz Centennial, and 3 oz Simcoe after flameout and hot steeped/whirlpooled for 30 minutes
2 oz Simcoe, 1.5 oz CTZ, 1 oz Amarillo and 1 oz Centennial dry hop at 68-72 F for 7 days. Dry hopping was carried out in a keg which was shaken to agitate the hops whenever it is walked by (a few times a day).

Wow, 15.5 oz of high IBU hops (yes, I see the timing )!  And you have done well with IPA/IIPA IIRC.  I need to try having a much heavier hand when it comes to hops in IPA/IIPAs.  I don't think I've ever used more than HALF this amount.

Are fruit beer bases often big beers?  And/or often hoppy beers?  I have an APA that has a similar grist as this (obv much smaller and no honey) and am going to get some of those extracts.

[gmac]

Are fruit beer bases often big beers?  And/or often hoppy beers?  I have an APA that has a similar grist as this (obv much smaller and no honey) and am going to get some of those extracts.

I think the fruit beer question has sort of dropped off the radar on this thread.  No problem, I got the answer I wanted but I don't think you'd want to apply the mega-hops, big beer parts of the thread to fruit beers unless you're doing some sort of fruity AIPA (or double AIPA).

[euge]

I'm planning on an apricot kolsch for this weekend. Will use 100% pils malt and Amarillo. Secondary with apricot puree in a bag and keg. Too late for the 4th of July but not the hot months ahead.

[gordonstrong]

I'm planning on an apricot kolsch for this weekend. Will use 100% pils malt and Amarillo. Secondary with apricot puree in a bag and keg. Too late for the 4th of July but not the hot months ahead.

Sounds tasty.

[gmac]

I'm planning on an apricot kolsch for this weekend. Will use 100% pils malt and Amarillo. Secondary with apricot puree in a bag and keg. Too late for the 4th of July but not the hot months ahead.

Euge, how much Amarillo will you use for this?  The only yeast I have on hand is WLP001 or Wyeast 2112.  Any thoughts on how Wyeast 2112 will do in this circumstance?  Just curious.
Thanks

[euge]

I'm planning on an apricot kolsch for this weekend. Will use 100% pils malt and Amarillo. Secondary with apricot puree in a bag and keg. Too late for the 4th of July but not the hot months ahead.

Euge, how much Amarillo will you use for this?  The only yeast I have on hand is WLP001 or Wyeast 2112.  Any thoughts on how Wyeast 2112 will do in this circumstance?  Just curious.
Thanks

I'll probably use a couple ounces. And maybe a third for a dry hop. Don't want to go over about 30 IBU. 

I've never done a lager but imagine amarillo would  be nice in one. I'd go for the wlp 001 though.

[gmac]

I've never done a lager but imagine amarillo would  be nice in one. I'd go for the wlp 001 though.

Well, when I wrote this I had WLP001.  But since then, things have changed.  I have a fridge that has 3 kegs in the bottom and one shelf at the top with the CO2 tank and some jars of yeast.  Moved a keg, pulled the CO2 hose, yeast jar goes crashing to the floor.  So, I'll have to harvest some from another fermenter next week.  I wasn't going to harvest from my current batches because I've already gotten 6 or 7 batches from this yeast.  Time to refresh.  I guess one more won't hurt as long as things taste clean when I keg.

[euge]

 

I'm impressed with stretching the yeast that far. Mine will be 4th repitch for the Aprikolsch.

[gmac]

Well, I cheat a bit.  I do a 2-3L starter in a 1 gallon jug and then when I pitch it, I leave about a tbsp of slurry in the bottom and then add boiled/cooled wort to the slurry and start a second batch from the yeast that's usually ready about a week later.  Then, I keep and re-pitch the yeast so I sort of have two strings going from the same original vial. 

[euge]

That's not cheating- more like a perpetual starter.

[ibru]

Euge- Did you make this beer (Apikolsch)? If you did, how did it turn out? A friend just brought by 12 lbs of apricots and told me to "make something". I think I'd like to go the lighte beer route making either a kolsch or a lager. I have cascade, tetnang, saaz, and sterling hops available. I'm leaning toward sterling.

Any thoughts, anyone?

Bruce

[erockrph]

For my tastes, I'd do an apricot APA with the Cascades, but that's the hop junkie in me talking. Aprikolsch sounds tasty too.

[Jimmy K]

I didn't see anyone else mention this, but might have missed it. You said you expect additional sugars from the fruit - that's true, but you'll also get additional volume from the juice. Many fruits would ferement on their own to 5-7% alcohol.  If you are using whole fruit or unconcentrated puree, the final ABV probably won't change by much.

[euge]

I just killed a keg of hefe-apriwiezen that was carbonated with a bag of apricot puree. Carbonation was perfect but the apricot flavor was pretty lame.

Didn't use enough fruit but then it probably would have been overcarbonated.