Cran Crush

We first brewed this beer in November 2010 as our seasonal beer.  It is very fruity and some people just don’t like it.  I found it to be very good and plan to make it again next year.  The recipe makes 5 gallons.

5 lbs barley malt extract
2 lbs clover honey
2 lbs whole fresh cranberries
2 medium navel oranges (seedless)
2 medium apples (Fuji, Granny Smith, or Braeburn)
2 packages brewer’s yeast
1/2 tsp pectic enzyme
1 ounce Fuggle hops
1 1/4 cups corn sugar

  1. Sanitize all the equipment.
    2.  In the boil pot add 2-3 gallons of water and begin to heat.  Add the malt extract and bring to a gentle boil, stirring frequently.
    3.  Add hops when the mixture comes to a boil and continue to boil for 40 minutes.
    4.  Add honey and boil an additional 20 minutes (1 hour total boiling time).
    5.  Place the mixture (now called wort) into the fermentation container and add enough cool water to make 5 gallons.  Sprinkle yeast into the wort when it reaches 80 degrees.
    6.  Cover the fermenter and put an airlock in place.
    7.  Ferment for 7 days
  2. Chop apples, oranges, and cranberries (seeds and all) in food processor.
    9.  While stirring continuously, heat fruit mixture to steaming, but DO NOT boil.
    10.  Place fruit in sanitized secondary fermenter and allow to cool.
    11.  Use a siphon hose to transfer wort from the primary fermenter onto fruit mixture in the secondary, leaving yeast sediment in fermenter.
    12.  When siphoning, keep aside one or two cups of wort.  Stir in pectic enzyme until it dissolves, then pour into secondary.
    13.  Place the top on the secondary fermenter and install airlock.  Ferment an additional 7 days.
  3. Just prior to bottling, add corn sugar to wort (necessary for production of CO2 that produces beer’s head)
    15.  Siphon beer into bottles and cap.  Allow beer to age at room temperature for 7 to 10 days.  Chill before drinking.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *