Sangreal Blood Orange Wheat
Sangreal, the late-medieval name for the Holy Grail, was a pun. In Old French, sang real means “Holy Grail” while sang real means “royal blood.” The Da Vinci Code achieved blockbuster status with this same pun.
Style: Fruit Beer
Brew Type: All Grain
For 5.5 gallons at 1.058, 3.7 SRM, 21.8IBUs, 6.1 percent ABV
60-minute boil
Directions
Follow the Single-Infusion Brew Process.
Add the blood orange juice into the secondary.
TIP
Can't find blood oranges? Substitute super-sweet oranges. Blood oranges are available in the early spring and virtually gone by April.
5.75 pounds Wheat Malt (American)
4.00 pounds Pale Malt Two-Row
0.50 pound Wheat Malt (German)
0.35 pound Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt
4.50 pounds Wheat Liquid Malt Extract (LME)
60 pounds Pale Liquid Malt Extract (LME)
0.90 ounce Liberty (5.2 percent AA) Pellet for 60 minutes
0.40 ounce Cascade (5.9 percent AA) Pellet for 5 minutes
1 tablet Whirlfloc
1 tablespoon Yeast Nutrient
2 Moro Blood Oranges, zested — added for 5 minutes
10 pounds Moro Blood Oranges, juiced
WLP001 California Ale
Saccharification Rest 153°F 60 minutes
Others add crushed spices directly to the fermenter in hopes of extracting the oils via alcohol. Timing dry spicing can be tricky. An alternative is to create your own tincture by soaking crushed spices in vodka for several weeks. Add this extract to taste at packaging. Another approach replicates the boil character with a spice tea. Boil spices in a small pot of water for ten to fifteen minutes. Cool and strain before use and add like extract.
No matter how you choose to add them, start with fresh spices. You don't know how long that jar of spice has hung out on the store shelf. Stale spices have all the character of dryer lint. Order spices from a reputable spice house to get the best quality for your beer.
