Shred's Raspberry Wheat Champagne Ale 1

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Intro & My First Home Beer Brewing Kit

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Shred's Raspberry Wheat Champagne Ale

Description:

An extract brew with frozen raspberries used in secondary.  This brew was, while unusual, very popular... especially among friends who claimed not to be beer drinkers.  It's light, bubbly, colorful and fruity.  I bottled it in Grolsch bottles, which popped like a champagne bottle when opened, and served in champagne flutes.  A huge success for my second original recipe and something so experimental.  Some people still say it was my best yet (as I type this a year later).

Batch Size:  3 Gallons
Measured Original Gravity: 1.054 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.008 SG
ABV:  < 6%.  Impossible to accurately calculate due to use of fermentable fruit


Recipe:

1 lbs 9.6 oz Wheat Dry Extract [Boil for 60 min]
1 lbs 8.0 oz Pilsner Liquid Extract [Boil for 60 min]
12.0 oz Corn Sugar (Boil 5 minutes)

1.00 oz Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min
0.50 oz Crystal [3.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min

1.0 pkg American Wheat Ale (Wyeast Labs #1010)

4 lbs Fruit - Frozen Raspberries (Secondary)
Pectic Enzyme was added to secondary to break down the pectin in the fruit.

1 lb Lactose added into bottling bucket (for sweetening)

Carbonated to 3.3 vols of CO2 (about 3.6 oz corn sugar)

(This is what 4 lbs of raspberries looks like after fermentation.)

Tasting Notes:

A fruity brew reminiscent of champagne in body and flavor.  Bright pink to red color (note the beer in the siphon above).  The raspberries lend a fair amount of sour flavor balanced by the lactose.  The corn sugar used in the boil helps thin the body down to something more like a light Brut.  Very effervescent and the 6-8% ABV is well-hidden.  This light-bodied, refreshing, easy drinking beer can be dangerous!