Mary's Ale

When I was working on my brew sheet for the Kiss of Clementine II, my daughter Mary sat looking over my shoulder fascinated with what I was working on. She asked me if the recipe was for beer. I said yes. She asked me how I named my beers. I told her that I named them after people or places or things that were inspirational to the beer I was making. The inspiration to brew this recipe came from my wife, Polly, who is a big fan of clementines. When I first met her, clementines were a seasonal fruit available only in the winter months shortly after Thanksgiving. In fact, clementines and Beaujolais Nouveau were signs of the Holidays to me. Clementine also became a term of endearment for her. So the name "Kiss of Clementine" actually refers to the sweet kisses of a loved one in the cold winter months.

Once I explained this to Mary she asked me the next logical question as only a 6 year old can, "daddy, can you name a beer after me?" I said yes, Mary. So this year's rendition of the clementine hefeweizen is affectionately referred to as Mary's Ale. Here is the recipe and brewing instructions. Enjoy.

Kiss of Clementine II (Mary's Ale)
Brewed: January 5, 2012
O.G. 1.042
68 degrees F

6.0 lbs. Wheat liquid malt extract
1.0 oz Crystal hops (2.8 alpha) (60 minutes)
1.0 oz. Sweet Orange peel (10 minutes)
12 Clementines, peeled
White Labs 029 German Ale/Kolsch yeast
2/3 cup priming sugar

The night before brewing, prepare a yeast starter using 1300 mL of water and 1 cup of DME.

Bring 2.5 gallons of water to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in wheat malt extract. Return to a boil and add bittering hops. Boil for 60 minutes. During the last 10 minutes of the boil, add the Sweet Orange peel. After 60 minutes of boiling, remove from heat and place in an ice bath in the kitchen sink.

In a separate pot, add the fruit meat to a half gallon of water. Raise temperature to 160 degrees and hold for duration of the kettle boil. When boil is complete, place in ice bath to cool then proceed.

Fill a 6.5 gallon carboy with one gallon cold, filtered water. Sparge the fruit mixture into the fermenter using a strainer to remove fruit meat. You may also use a potato masher or other sanitized device to mash the fruit juice into the fermenter. Add the cooled wort. Top off with cold water to make 5 gallons. Take gravity reading. Aerate the wort for 45 minutes using an aeration system. Pitch the yeast. Store in a dark place to ferment.

In two weeks, rack to a secondary fermenter. Continue to store in a dark place.

In two more weeks, bottle with priming sugar solution.

Beer will be ready to drink after two weeks of bottle conditioning. Makes approximately two cases.