Russian Plum Kolsch

My friend Chassie picked up some Russian Plums at the farmers market in September and gave them to me to make something out of. I originally planned to make a tart with the plums but in a moment of weakness, I pitted them and put the fruit in the freezer while I set out to make a kolsch to add them to. I don't know anything about Russian Plums and I think they may actually be what I have known as an Italian Prunes/Plums, which they closely resemble. The fruits, which were smaller than your average grocery store plum, but larger than the wild tart plums I grow, were very sweet and delicious. I have found that I prefer Kolsch as a base beer for fruit more than I do a wheat beer. The prickly nature of the tight carbonation and lightness of the body lets the fruit snap in your mouth kind of like a pop rock.

The result is a dry, crisp, slightly tart beer. This could have benefited from a little honey. Before it was carbonated there was a delightful plum flavor that disappeared in the bottle. This batch was sort of a mess as my bottle capper broke half way through bottling and I had to empty a bunch of bottles back into a fermenter until I got to Fort Collins to get a new capper. I suppose 15 years is a good career for a red baron capper.

Russian Plum Kolsch Recipe:

Specifics:
5.25 gallons
OG 1.046
TG 1.011
SRM 4.92
IBU 24.3
60 minute boil

Grain:
6.25 lbs. Pilsen
2 lbs. White Wheat Malt
.25 lbs. Honey Malt
.25 lbs. Golden Naked Oats
.25 lbs. Carapils

Hops:
.5 oz Northern Brewer at 60 min
.5 oz Saaz at 30 min
1 oz Saaz at 5 min

Yeast:
Wyeast 2565 Kolsch

Extras:
3 lbs. Russian Plums, pitted, frozen and thawed to secondary

Notes:
Single infusion mash at 150. Batch Sparge. Drew 7 gallons of preboil wort and boiled down to 5.25 gallons. Cooled to 65 and pitched yeast. Primary fermentation at basement room temp 60-70. Added thawed, pitted plums to secondary and moved to fridge at 55F for 3 weeks a few days later when space in fridge opened up.