Cat's Claw Blackberry Ale

Classification: fruit beer, blackberry ale, extract

Source: Guy McConnell (gdmcconn@mspe5.b11.ingr.com) Issue #1069, 2/3/93

This brew turned out quite well too with a nice blackberry nose complimented by a floral note from the Cascade hop tea added at bottling. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 pounds Alexander's Pale extract syrup
1 pound Orange Blossom Honey
1 pound ( 4 cups )Crystal Malt, 10L
1/4 pound ( 1 cup ) Victory Malt
1 ounce Cascade Pellets ( bittering - 60 mins )
1/2 ounce Cascade Pellets ( finishing )
1 pint WYeast #1084 Irish Ale Yeast ( recultured )
8 pounds Blackberries
2/3 cup Orange Blossom Honey ( for priming )

Procedure:

Place crushed grain in cold water and steep for 45 minutes at 155 degrees. Sparge into brewpot and bring to a boil. Add extract and bittering hops and boil for 50 minutes. During the boil, mash berries through a strainer to extract the juice. Add honey and boil for 10 more minutes, skimming off any scum that forms. Remove from heat and pour blackberry juice into the hot wort. Stir well and allow to steep for 15 minutes. Cool and pour into primary containing 3 gallons cold (previously boiled) water. Pitch yeast and aerate well. Rack to secondary when vigorous fermentation subsides. When fermentation completes, make a "hop tea" with the finishing hops. Cool, add to bottling bucket along with honey priming solution, and bottle.