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Sweet Potato Beer

This recipe is for a Sweet Potato Beer, amber in style.  I have mentioned this brew a few times since 2009!

Sweet Potato Amber Beer Recipe

Batch size: 6.5 gallons
OG: 1.048 (grain based, no assumptions made for sweet potatoes, but true OG should be a bit higher)
IBUs:  30
SRM: 13.3 (again, color may get more orange from potatoes)

8.0 lb US Pale Malt
3.0 lb German Pilsner Malt
0.75 lb Special B Malt (180L)
0.5 oz Magnum (14%AA) 60min
1.0 oz Willamette (5.5%AA) 15min
4 medium sized sweet potatoes (roasted in foil, 3hrs @ 350F).
1 pkg Fermentis S-04 English Ale Yeast

The potatoes are roasted in foil until well caramelized.  The plan is to stir the flesh into a gallon of the strike water first to create a “soup” or slurry of potato.  Then stir it into the main mash.  Holding the mash for 90 minutes to ensure conversion of the potato starches as well as the grain.  Run off and brew as normal.
Ferment at 65-68F for the first 4 days then ramp up to 72F to finish.

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6 Comments

  1. Adam

    Cool. My next batch has been planned to be a Sweet Potato Ale, but haven’t been able to get my base grains due to Sandy

  2. I brewed this last night and so far the wort is coming out as expected. I got about a 6 point gravity boost from the potatoes. The wort tasted really nice, with a definite finish of sweet potato in the flavor. Time will determine if that flavor lasts post-ferment.

  3. Troy

    Wouldn’t the potatoes being roasted for 3 hours @ 350 turn them to burnt mush ?

  4. Troy:
    No. I wrap them in foil and they just sort of steam and start to caramelize. Yes they are very soft but that is the point. I wanted all that flesh broken down so it incorporates into the mash better with stirring. Interesting you brought this up. I was just thinking two days ago that maybe its time for this beer to be resurrected.

    Cheers!

  5. Jeff

    Thanks for the recipe Mike, you rock! Will try this weekend. Thinking of also adding some cinnamon and a clove or two during the last 10 min. Have you tried any sweet potato friendly spices in this recipe before?

  6. Hi Jeff – I haven’t used any sweet potato friendly spices with this recipe before but your plans are solid. I say go for it.

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