How to Make Cranberry Beer

Cranberries are a group of evergreen shrubs in the Oxycoccus genus. The berries are edible, but the acidic taste can overwhelm the sweetness even when fully ripe. Cranberry beer is usually a rose color and can be cloudy. The following recipe should spend at least a week in the bottle and will be sweet with a distinct fruit flavor.

Things You'll Need

• 6 lbs extra light dry malt extract
• 3 bags frozen cranberries
• 1 lb Munich malt
• 2 oz Fuggles hops
• yeast

Instructions

1. Thaw the cranberries and add enough water to make 1/2 gallon of slush.

2. Place the malt extract in a grain bag and add 2 1/2 gallons of cold water. Heat the water to 160 degrees for one hour.

3. Put the Munich malt in a double layer of clean panty hose, add it to the pot and bring the water to a boil. Add half of the hops and boil for one hour. Add the other ounce of hops and the cranberry liquid and turn off the heat after a minute or two. Cool the pot to room temperature.

4. Boil, cool and filter another two gallons of water. Strain the wort into the primary fermentation vessel and top off with the water to 5 gallons. Aerate the wort, add the yeast and aerate again. Ferment for about one week.

5. Rack the beer, top off to 5 gallons and bottle. Wait at least one week before drinking. Note that the secondary fermentation occurs in the bottle for this recipe.

Resources

• Get a recipe for cranberry ale at Home Brew Digest.