I developed a brown ale with leftover grains from previous brews. It has about 5 oz of special B to give a little dark fruit flavor. I'm brewing this on request for a person that wants a cherry brown ale. From what I gather, they want a sweet cherry hint. How can I accomplish this? If I add cherries, the yeast will eat the sugars leaving me with a tart cherry flavor. If I use extract, then I will be adding a medicinal flavor. How can I get a sweet cherry flavor? It is already fermenting primary with US05. Should I add lactose?
If you weren't already fermenting, I would have said increase the crystal malt(s) and reduce your bittering hops. At this point, I'd say the choices are leave it alone, or add lactose, or stop the fermentation and backsweeten with table sugar (or other simple, sweet sugar). (This last option is really only viable if you keg.) Keep in mind though that pound per pound, lactose isn't particularly sweet.
You could add a tiny bit of xylitol or something similar to back-sweeten if kegging isn't an option. Definitely test on a small sample first.
A friend suggested I treat it like wine and use Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Bisulfite after fermentation is complete. Then add the cherries to the keg. Would this work?
If you have the ability to force carbonate then this is definitely an option, as long as you don't mind adulterating your beer with artificial preservatives.
