We’re finally getting a chance to use the cherries that Sarah and the kids picked at Highland Orchards. The first beer is going to be a light ale called “Cherries in the Snow”.
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Ingredients for 5 gallons:

• 8 1/2 lbs. Alexander’s light malt extract syrup
• 1 1/2 oz. Santiam or Tettnanger hop pellets (boiling)
• 1/2 oz. Santiam or Tettnanger hops (finishing)
• 10 lbs. sour cherries
• American ale-type yeast
• 3/4 c. corn sugar

O.G.: 1.046 – 1.050
F.G.: 1.011 – 1.017
Bitterness: 33 IBU
Color: Rose

Add the malt extract and boiling hops to 1 1/2 gallons of water and boil for 60 minutes. Then use a strainer to remove as much of the boiling hops as you are able to do without worrying. Rinse/sparge those hops with some hot water to get all the good stuff out and back into the brew pot. Then add the crushed sour cherries and finishing hops to the boiling wort. The cherries should cool the wort to a temperature of about 160 degrees F. Let the cherries steep for a good 15 minutes at a temperature between 160-180 degrees F. These temperatures will pasteurize the cherries wort. Do not boil, as boiling will “set the pectin” in the fruit and will create a harmless haze in the finished beer.

After the cherried wort has steeped for 15 minutes, pour the entire contents of the wort (without sparging) into a sanitized plastic fermenter with cold water to make 5 gallons. Pitch yeast when cool. After 5 days of “primary” fermentation, carefully remove as much of the floating hops and cherries from the fermenter as humanly possible. Remember: be sure that the strainer you use is sanitized by boiling or with a sanitizing solution.

After you have removed much of the floating debris, rack (siphon) the beer into a secondary fermenter. You will notice sediment of spent cherries and hops. Avoid siphoning this sediment (don’t worry). The pits create one hell of a nuisance once they get into your siphon hose. Attach an air lock to the secondary fermenter and continue with fermentation until the beer begins to show signs of clarity. Bottle when fermentation is complete.

Age and serve chilled. It is even appropriate to add ice cubes to Cherries in the Snow.

You deserve a kiss for brewing this one!