Cranberry Blonde Ale

I moved the carboy into the kegerator and set it to 60º. I placed the liquid yeast in there as well and waited 4 hours to pitch. I pitched about 1 hour after activating the smack pack. The next morning it appears to not be doing much. Krausen at 24 hours. 36 hours it was fermenting so well it pushed the stopper out of the carboy.
Consider a yeast starter for the next batch- I may have under pitched.
Fermented at 60º, at 5 days increased temp to 70º

Added 2lbs pureed cranberries in a fine mesh hop bag at 8 days.
Added 1/2 tsp sugar at cold crash, next time add more.

I was worried that the cranberries would dye the beer red, but they did not. Cranberry taste is mild not and not at all overwhelming. Cranberries did not make the beer too harsh or bitter.

Edit:
On 11/29/17 I tapped the second batch of this. I used the same grain and hops bill, but used Wyeast 1056 this time and 3 pounds of pureed cranberries. I preferred the batch I made last year. 3 pounds of cranberries added too much tartness, and left a slight tannin taste . It also died the beer a nice pinkish color. I added 3/4 tsp of granulated sugar to the keg at cold crash again. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't my best. I think I need to refocus my efforts and try making a better base beer next year. Lose the white wheat, and add some more crystal malt. This beer is lacking something to balance the cranberry and hide the tannins, and I'm not sure that I would really enjoy the base beer without the cranberry. It's also worth considering reducing or removing the bittering hops altogether if I continue to use pureed cranberry.


*In reading the Oct/Nov 2017 Beer & Brewing Magazine, they had an idea to use dried and ground Sumac berries for "tart citrus and brilliant red to your beer in much the same way that cranberries do, but without the massive tannin attack that accompanies them". I will try this for next year's batch