A tribute to the Sonoran Desert...my own demonic creation:
Fermentables
6 lbs Gold Malt Syrup
3 lbs Organic Wildflower Honey (30 min)
Additions
1 oz Cascade (60 min)
1 oz Cascade (5 min)
3 (lbs) Red Prickly Pear Fruit (Tuna Roja)
Wyeast #1056 American Ale
For this experiment, I am seeking to make a floral and mildly citrus ale sweetened with the fruit of the prickly pear cactus. I purchased the honey from the Wedge Co-op--where it comes wholesale in refillable containers. The fruit was difficult to find. Most restaurants and groceries carry a green version of the prickly pear fruit (simply, "tuna"). I found one little supermercado on 28th and Blaisdale that carries the red version (tuna rojo). The owner explained that he and his brother prefer the red kind. So, for this recipe I purchased 3 lbs of the fruit. Peeled fruit (making sure to take off all of the inner part of the skin so only the red inside remains). I processed the fruit through my juicer to produce about 8 oz of puree. I added the fruit puree after pitching the wort into the carboy.
6 comments:
also, I dropped the puree into about 2 cups of boiling water before pitching it (keep everything nice and sterilized). I awoke this morning to nice action in the airlock.
Prickly pear was a big hit. Was the first beer in the new keg system. A bit awkward at first until we got the pressure right. IN the future we had it at about 25-30 for 4 days and then lowered it to around 5 for drinking.
If anybody has a good prickly pear supply...hook me up! It is tough finding that stuff in Minneapolis.
My wife and I are about to attempt a Prickly Pear ale. We are adding the prickly pear to an american cream ale recipe. We're sterilizing dehydrated fruit in grain alcohol for a couple weeks. Not sure yet if we will add it after pitching the wort, or add it to the secondary and do a tertiary.
Any suggestions?
Check out www.arizonacactusranch.com
You need prickly pear? Drop me a line: lungshadow at g mail. I'll be making Prickly Pear ale within the next few weeks as my 'backyard' is the Sonoran Desert and I have acres of Prickly Pear that I could not possibly use up. I plan on skinning and pulping the fruit at maximum ripeness, straining out the seeds and boiling to reduce / sterilize. Then I'll pack it in quart containers and freeze. If you would like some, we can make arrangements to get some shipped to you (I'm thinking frozen, with dry ice, overnight). Thanks for the recipe!
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