Bananas in Secondary - Do They Float?

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015.

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  1. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I'm planning a beer that will feature real banana flavor, from ripened/peeled/frozen/thawed/smushed/chunked bananas in secondary. My question for anyone who has done this... do the bananas tend to float to the top as with most other fruits? TIA!
     
    #1 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
  2. DunkelFester

    DunkelFester Zealot (607) Aug 24, 2004 Pennsylvania

    no idea. Wouldn't it be a lot easier and (arguably?) more effective to blend ripe bananas into a puree and just pour it in to secondary?
     
    #2 DunkelFester, Dec 18, 2015
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  3. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    I haven't used bananas in beer, but using banana juice in a cider gave a very off-putting banana flavor. Sort of like over-ripe bananas, but if you let bananas foster rot on your counter for a few months...and then took a bite.

    So, I guess I really can't help with the particular concern...I just hope it works out better than banana have worked for me.
     
    #3 JohnSnowNW, Dec 18, 2015
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  4. DunkelFester

    DunkelFester Zealot (607) Aug 24, 2004 Pennsylvania

    You can 'juice' a banana?
     
    #4 DunkelFester, Dec 18, 2015
  5. JohnSnowNW

    JohnSnowNW Initiate (0) Feb 6, 2013 Minnesota

    Well, I can't...but you can purchase banana juice.
     
    #5 JohnSnowNW, Dec 18, 2015
  6. ssam

    ssam Pundit (997) Dec 2, 2008 California

    Bananas indeed float.
    Source: Life of Pi
     
    #6 ssam, Dec 18, 2015
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  7. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    Were they peeled/smushed etc?
     
    #7 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
  8. Brew_Betty

    Brew_Betty Initiate (0) Jan 5, 2015 Wisconsin

    [​IMG]
     
    #8 Brew_Betty, Dec 18, 2015
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  9. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    ^ A picture is worth a thousand words. I take it there's a thread over there, based on the link's properties. Gotta wonder about trying to get a hydrometer reading in a sea of bananas though.
     
    #9 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
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  10. Hop-Droppen-Roll

    Hop-Droppen-Roll Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2013 Minnesota

    Noob questions:

    Do you want them to float? Why or why not?

    If not, could you try putting them in a muslin bag and weighing it down?
     
    #10 Hop-Droppen-Roll, Dec 18, 2015
  11. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I don't really have a preference. But knowing the answer will help me decide how to handle a 2nd ingredient that I'm also adding.
     
    #11 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
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  12. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    #12 Lukass, Dec 18, 2015
  13. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I just-say-no to bottled extracts. The beers I've tasted, both home brews and commercial, that I've known to use extracts haven't made me want to try them. There may be some good extracts out there, but I stick with frozen/thawed fresh fruit when I can, and buy frozen when I can't.

    It's a stout. The sub-style and the 2nd ingredient are classified for now, until I determine if the beer is a success.
     
    #13 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
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  14. Lukass

    Lukass Pooh-Bah (2,891) Dec 16, 2012 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah

    Sounds interesting. I've been contemplating an imperial stout fermented with 3068 for some time now. Could taste like a banana split, but could also taste like crap! Good luck with the bananas.
     
    #14 Lukass, Dec 18, 2015
  15. VikeMan

    VikeMan Grand Pooh-Bah (3,067) Jul 12, 2009 Pennsylvania
    Pooh-Bah

    I decided against trying to get banana flavor from a hefe strain, because I don't want the phenolic flavors that go along with it.
     
    #15 VikeMan, Dec 18, 2015
  16. DunkelFester

    DunkelFester Zealot (607) Aug 24, 2004 Pennsylvania

    Banana Milk(shake) Stout? 2nd ingredient is vanilla beans?

    Chocolate-covered Banana?

    PB&B Elvis Stout?

    hmmm...
     
    #16 DunkelFester, Dec 18, 2015
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  17. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    34/70 throws banana and almost no clove/phenolics in low 60s
     
    #17 GreenKrusty101, Dec 18, 2015
  18. pweis909

    pweis909 Grand Pooh-Bah (3,250) Aug 13, 2005 Wisconsin
    Pooh-Bah

    34/70 is a lager strain.
     
    #18 pweis909, Dec 18, 2015
  19. GreenKrusty101

    GreenKrusty101 Initiate (0) Dec 4, 2008 Nevada

    #19 GreenKrusty101, Dec 19, 2015
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