Dry Dock Brewing Company: Apricot Blonde clone

Dry Dock Brewing Company: Apricot Blonde clone

(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.044 FG = 1.013
IBU = 8  SRM = 6  ABV = 4.9%

Winner of the 2014 Great American Beer Festival bronze medal in the American-Style Fruit Beer category. Original gravity is calculated prior to fruit addition while ABV is calculated post fruit addition.

Ingredients
8.5 lbs. (3.9 kg) Pilsner malt
0.38 lb. (0.17 kg) crystal malt (60 °L)
3.1 lbs. (1.4 kg) Oregon Specialty Fruit apricot purée
1-4 oz. (28-113 g) apricot extract
2.3 AAU Cascade hops (60 min.) (0.33 oz./10 g at 7.1% alpha acids)
Fermentis Safale S-04 or Wyeast 1099 (Whitbread Ale) yeast
5/8 cup (125 g) dextrose (if priming)

Step by Step
Mill the grains and mash in 3 gallons (11.3 L) of water at 150 °F (65 °C) for 60 minutes. Vorlauf until the runnings are clear and sparge the grains with enough 168 °F (75 °C) water to obtain a 6-gallon (23-L) pre-boil volume. Boil the wort for 60 minutes, adding hops at the times indicated. After the boil, turn off the heat and chill the wort to 68 °F (20 °C), transfer the wort to the fermenter, aerate well, and pitch the yeast. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). On day three of primary fermentation add the apricot purée. Ferment for an additional seven days and rack to a secondary fermenter for additional clearing if desired. When fermentation and clearing is complete, transfer the beer to a bottling bucket or keg and add apricot extract 0.5 oz. (14 mL) at a time, gently stirring and tasting in between additions until the desired intensity of fruit flavor and aroma is obtained. Carbonate and package the beer as desired.

Extract with grains option:
Substitute the Pilsner malt in the all-grain recipe with 6 lbs. (2.7 kg) Pilsen liquid malt extract. Add 1.5 to 5 gallons (6 to 19 L) of water to the brew kettle (the more water the better). Crush the grain and steep at 150 °F (65 °C) for 30 minutes. Add malt extract while stirring, then boil the wort for 60 minutes. Follow the remaining portion of the all-grain recipe.

Tips for success:
Fruit extracts are an easy and often effective way to add fruit flavor and aroma to a beer, though care should be taken to not overpower the beer by using too much. The intensity of flavor and aroma will vary from one brand of extract to the next, so some experimentation is necessary in order to obtain the correct balance. Try experimenting with a small amount of your beer and then scaling up when you find the right concentration.