End of a Batch

One of the best things about homebrewing is creating a great beer, one that you would buy. While its awesome that you made that great beer, it sucks that when its done...its done, and you can't run out and pick up some more.

I sadly poured the last of my Whitefish Cranberry Wheat last night. This beer turned out great and I plan on making it again soon since I still have enough cranberries left in my freezer. While I know that brewing it again, and waiting it out, will be worth it, it is a sad day when you drink that last bottle of a great homebrew batch. I read in Randy Mosher's book that your beer is finally ready on the last bottle, and I find this to be true more often than not. I've had too many beers that were perfect when I had 2 bottles left. You never know if the next time you brew it, it'll turn out the same, or how all the variables will turn out.

So...here's to your last bottle or draft of your batch!

Salud!

The Bearded Brewer

Whitefish Cranberry Wheat

My Whitefish Cranberry Wheat was a recipe I designed for my parents for a Christmas present. I gave them a case, the recipe (my dad's a homebrewer too) and the label. My parents have a lake home on Whitefish Lake in Northwestern Wisconsin, a big cranberry growing region. In fact Stone Lake (the nearest town) is home of the hugely attended Cranberry Fest in October. This beer is made using close to two pounds of frozen cranberries. Last year I was pleased with the turn out, and this year I've been happy with the results after 2 weeks in the bottle.
The beer pours a nice light redish hue with a thick white head. The cranberry presence is very faint. There is a tangy-ness to the beer, but the cranberries aren't overwhelming at all. Its a very nice drinking wheat beer with a hint of tartness. This is my Christmas beer, and I'm excited to have a lot more of it this year to drink. It's different enough, but my whole goal was for the cranberries to be evident but faintly. The color is beautiful and its a beer thats accessible to a lot of people.

Here's the extract recipe:
6lbs Wheat Malt extract
1.25 lbs Wheat Malt
.25 lbs belgian pils
.50 lbs honey malt
1 lb Tettengar hops (60)
.50 lb Tettengar (15)
Then .75 lbs of frozen cranberries (chopped in a food proc.) at 30 minutes
Then 1 lb of frozen chopped cranberries in the secondary for a week.
The yeast is Wyeast 3068 Weistehpen Weizen

Happy holidays
-The Bearded Brewer