Peaches and Cream

[Pharmbrewer]

I recently had a peach cream ale while visiting canada. It was ok (tasted like a peach pale ale) but it gave me an Idea for something a little bigger. I was thinking of brewing a barley wine style ale with a ton of peaches and a pound or so of lactose. My question is how to balance this beer. I'm invisioning a dessert type beer that would go well with some vanilla ice cream on a summer night.

My thought was to start at the lower end of gravity for the style 1.085 (without the lactose) mash low, use some cane sugar and use a highly attenuating ale yeast in order to get the final gravity low enough with all that lactose. I would then rack to secondary with 5lbs or so of peach puree. I was thinking of aiming for 50 ibu's or so with a high aa hop bittering addition only.

How does this sound balance wise to others? I want it to be sweet and creamy but not so much that its not drinkable.

Also any suggestions for a yeast, english vs american?

[LC123]

you should email shorts brewing in michigan. they did a peaches and cream high gravity golden ale that was delicious. definitely a dessert beer

[Pharmbrewer]

you should email shorts brewing in michigan. they did a peaches and cream high gravity golden ale that was delicious. definitely a dessert beer

Was this a belgian golden strong with peaches and lactose? I toyed with that idea then decieded on a barley wine instead in order to really let the peach and lactose shine through.

[Mills]

Crut works there. Shoot him a private message.

[telejunkie]

I'm going to brew something kind of similar this weekend although skipping the cream part. I'm adding 7lbs peach puree and was suggested by a person in the industry to add Peach Natural Fruit Flavor...like 1-2oz for a nice peach aroma but no more than 2oz or it will overwhelm quickly. Also said to make sure to give the yeast plenty of time to work through the puree. Oh yeah....also adding 1/2 gutted vanilla bean to mine.

[Pharmbrewer]

After some help from crut I came up with the following recipe:

Sweet Peach Panty Dropper

14 lbs 2 row
1 lb Crystal 20
1 lb Crystal 60
0.25 lb Special B
1 lb Lactose (at the end of the boil)
0.5 lb Cane Sugar (at high Krausen)

1.25 oz Magnum at 60 min

Ferment with Safale US05 at 68 F till done then rack onto 10 lbs Peach Puree in secondary for 1-2 weeks.

I plan to bottle and let condition for at least 6 months hopefully a year if I can keep my greedy hands away from it.

Prost!

[dags]

I like the look of your recipe. When you say peach puree are you getting it out of a can or making your own? any concerns about pectins?

The only fruit beer I've ever made I used tinned rasberries in a stout and bottle conditioned it, bugger all flavour came through.

Now I have a blonde ale kegged that will be getting some peach essence added to it.

[Pharmbrewer]

I like the look of your recipe. When you say peach puree are you getting it out of a can or making your own? any concerns about pectins?

At this point I'm planning to use the canned stuff as I'm a little over cautious when it comes to sanitation. Based on what JZ has said about canned stuff I don't think I would gain much by using fresh stuff and pretty much eliminate contamination risk by using canned. I used canned cherries once in a triple and it worked great. Having said that If I can save a ton of money buy getting the fresh stuff I may give the flash boil in 180 F water a try. I probably won't get to this untill the end of next month so the price of peaches at the end of aug will be the deciding factor.