How to Brew Grape Ale

       Grape Ale contains both wine and beer in a very noticeable way. Grapes are characterised by being dry like wine, with the fermentation characteristics of wine, rather than sweet fruit juice like a breakfast drink. The beer is relatively neutral in character, but has enough maltiness to distinguish Grape Ale from simple wine. The product is highly carbonated and seems to give the impression of being more of a sparkling wine.
       Grape Ales can use red or white grapes and have a wide range of fruity and sometimes spicy flavours in wines based on the same grape variety. Malt is usually ale, pilsner or wheat malt, with pale crystalline malt rarely used and no dark malt. The use of other fruits to add a fruity flavour is not appropriate in this style; this beer is a fruit beer with a grape ale as the base style. As the base beer is relatively light, the colour is largely determined by the grape variety used.
Beer is usually brewed in the typical way, with the grape juice being added after the wort is produced and cooled, but before the yeast is added. Beer and wine are fermented together, not separately. The percentage of grape juice used varies greatly, from 15-20% to over 40%. This is determined by the volume in the fermenter, so the base beer recipe should be calculated based on the assumption that a known amount of grape juice is added. Note also that wine grape juice is usually high in sugar. In areas where the wine is fully ripe, specific gravity readings between 1.090 and 1.110 are common. Grape Ales are characterised as refreshingly complex and often very aromatic.
       Base beers are based on pale or lightly caramelised malts, such as pilsner or pale ale malt, and contain wheat and sometimes pale crystalline malt. A saccharification procedure that produces a wort with a certain degree of fermentation is desirable, as beers with a high dextrin content can impair drinkability. The juice is usually fresh, especially if a higher percentage is used. If the juice is concentrated, use a smaller percentage. The availability of fresh juice usually makes grape beer a seasonal product, as it depends on when the grapes are harvested and processed. Red or white grape varieties can be used, or a blend can be chosen.
         Hops can vary greatly, but should be carefully chosen to blend well with the chosen grape variety. Most have a fruity or floral aroma. Those hops that are too wine-like may dominate the grapes themselves. Those hops with damp, vegetal or over-sulphured flavours may not marry well with the grapes.
       There is a choice of beer or wine yeasts, and usually wine yeasts are used with grape varieties. Belgian, English or neutral American yeast strains can be used. As with hops, the pairing of aromatics from the yeast must be done carefully to complement the chosen grape variety.
        A wide range of options are available for maturing and conditioning grape malts. It can be packaged when fresh, it can be aged on yeast to add complexity (a winemaking process known as aging), it can be stored like beer to smooth out the profile, or it can be aged in barrels to add some character. These options are more like those considered by wine winemakers than beer winemakers.