Beer Style: Specialty Beer Family
Explore the World of Perry
Perry, or pear cider as some refer to it, is one of the oldest alcoholic beverages in the world. Facing extinction for periods through history, perry is on the upswing and it’s a great time to learn to make your own at home. Whether it’s bubbly or still, sweet or dry, there is likely a perry for everybody’s taste.
Brewing Fruited Beers
There are many approaches to adding fruit flavors to beer. Depending on the form — fresh, frozen, juice, puree, dried, concentrate, or extract — and the point at which it’s added during the brewing process, the impact can range from being the star of the show to playing a fine supporting role.
Two Approaches to Perry
Two perrymakers — one who utilizes culinary pears and another who uses nothing but perry pears — offer advice for homebrewers on crafting a delicious perry.
Modern Sparkling Perry
Modern Sparkling Perry (1 gallon/3.8 L, scale as needed)OG = 1.068 FG = ~1.010 ABV = ~7.6% Ingredients0.9 gallon (3.4 L) pasteurized pear juice0.1 gallon (380 mL) pasteurized apple juice (the lower pH, the
Draught English-Style Still Dry Perry
Draught English-Style Still Dry Perry (1 gallon/3.8 L, scale as needed)OG = 1.050–1.065* FG = 1.002ABV = 6.3–8.3% * The original gravity of the juice is dependent on pear varieties, vintage, and growing
Lindgren Craft Brewery’s Narrow Gauge Shiitake Mushroom Saison clone
This beer features what you would expect in a saison in regards to the malt and hops balance and the fruity esters and phenols derived from the saison yeast. The shiitake mushrooms provide a notable sweet white chocolate flavor and aroma that pairs very well with the yeast to create a beer like no other.
Dole Whip Tripel
Dole Whip Tripel (5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)OG = 1.082 FG = 1.013 IBU = 27 SRM = 4 ABV = 9.1% Ingredients13 lbs. (5.9 kg) Weyermann Pilsner malt2 lbs. (0.9 kg) fonio
Fontana Farms’ Orange Mountain Pale Ale clone
Here’s the clone recipe from a farm brewery in Indiana for their blood orange pale ale that packs a citrusy punch
Funky Blondy Mixed Fermentation Sour
Brewed by students from the University of Limpopo, this blonde sour beer was awarded bronze in the Intervarsitybrew competition’s sour beer category. The recipe uses a blonde ale base to express light to moderate malty aroma, possibly with a light bread or caramel note, and it also expresses low to moderate fruitiness, with medium hop aroma. Such low characters will not interfere with the sourness, acidity and funky character contributed by fermenting yeast and bacteria.
Fermenting Whey? Yes, Whey!
If you’ve made cheese, then you’ll be left with a considerable amount of whey. Why not use it to start a new fermentation project, such as whey wine, mead, or even liquor?
Viking Blood (Cherry Melomel)
This is a cherry melomel named after the seafaring Nordic legends — the Vikings — from where it originated. So, if not for anything, make this mead simply for the lore. The honey, sourced from hives kissed by Nordic breezes lends its essence, while the cherries impart a tartness that balances its sweetness with a tantalizing acidity.
Peach Melomel
There are many ways of making a stone fruit mead, and they range from using fresh fruit to buying canned fruit, to juicing your fruit or buying the juice itself. This peach melomel recipe, which will be using canned peaches and Tupelo honey, is just one of the many ways to make a peach mead. It’s a good introductory recipe that is relatively easy and results in tasty mead. Feel free to substitute fresh peaches if they are in season.
