Adding fruit to a wheat...

The fruit will have sugar and will ferment out. So that should boost alcohol a bit. I'm sure you could add additional sugar if you want as well, i've never done it.

I haven't added fruit in a while and I don't remember how much I added so I can't be much help but as I'm brewing my 10 gallon Wit batch and I will add strawberry's to 5 gallons of it, i'll be interested in the responses.

 

The amount of fruit to use is dependent on a couple things, how much fruit character do you want in your beer, do you want it to be a subtle addition to add complexity or do you want it front and center? Also, what type of fruit do you plan to use? There are certain fruits that are much more subtle in flavor, i.e. strawberries and kiwi, you'll need to use more of those to get a distinct flavor than say blackberries which are very flavor forward. In the few beers I've fruited I've always gone with the half-pound to pound of fruit per gallon.

Also, just my opinion, but I much prefer fresh fruit to frozen fruit when fruiting beer. For fresh fruit, I'll wash it thoroughly and then put it in the freezer. If using something like strawberries, you'll want to cut it half/quarters. When it comes time to secondary your beer, all you need to do is take it out of the freezer, let it thaw and then you are good to go. Some here may disagree with that method, but I've never had an issue with infection.

Good luck, sounds like you'll have a nice quaff-able summer brew soon.

 

My understanding is that most bacteria can't grow in an alcohol rich environment. you've already gone through primary fermentation, so infection is less of a risk? Plus you have minimal sugars to ferment (just the fruit) and you have a whole yeast cake of yeast cells that will out-compete any bacteria?

 

People regularly add frozen fruit to their secondaries without any infections. I'm not exactly sure why this works so well. I think the slight presence of alcohol inhibits the bacteria a bit. Also, I believe most bacteria is aerobic, so if the fruit is submerged this probably also keeps the bugs from getting a foothold.

 

Never added to a wheat beer, but, when I add fruit to an ale I'll boil the fruit for a couple minutes to ensure no infection. I should note I grow and pick all fruits used and take pains to keep them clean and still boil. I know what blows in the wind.
Still others use raw and have no problems, go figure.

 

I second this! I've done a few fruit additions(cherries to stouts, strawberries to a cream ales, and currently have blueberries in a wheat ale) and I have had no issues with infections using fresh fruits cut up and put in the freezer. There is some risk to be sure but most sources agree that the alcohol and PH of the beer will be enough to ward off the bacteria. Plus I'm worried that heating the fruit up will take some flavor away meaning you'd have to use even more fruit.

Freezing fresh fruit will help break the cell walls down and increase the flavor transfer. Some brewers even do a freeze-thaw-freeze. I'm trying this with my blueberry beer which I will find out the results of in another few weeks.

To your first question I've found 1 lb of fruit to 1 gallon of beer works well. Like it was said above if you want a more soft flavor just use 1/2 lb.

 

I have a question: I have a variety of fresh fruits for a berliner. Tried to be as sanitary as possible (washed and star san'd the fruit), cut the fruit, pureed the fruit, and then froze the fruit. From what Im reading the pureeing may have been a mistake (racking to the keg from secondary will most likely be a nightmare). I ferment in a bucket, should i put the fruit ~8lbs, in a 5 gallon paint strainer tied up and hanging with floss? if i do this will contact with the beer be an issue? if i do this should i try and agitate the beer (on fruit in secondary) in some manner?

OR, most likely, should i simply relax and just rack onto the fruit puree.


thanks

 

I'd put the purée right in. After the sugar ferments out the solids settle, at least for me. Putting them in a paint strainer might not get them all exposed to the beer, especially if you have to cram in a lot.

 

Your fruit will float whether you put it in before or after racking. I tend to use a muslin bag to make it less of a mess when bottling and cleaning the carboy but you don't have to do that. It also takes some added weight to keep the fruit from floating. Though with Cherries thats less of an issue than strawberries and blueberries. Currently trying out some stainless steel parts from the hardware store.

I haven't used frozen fruits so just guessing that since the fruit is already frozen its probably ready to go. If the flavor doesn't quite work out then next time you'll know to try something a little different. And that experimenting is what makes homebrewing so much fun!

 

Different fruits lend different flavors. 6lbs of raspberries in five gallons of beer nets a very raspberry forward beer. 9lbs of blueberries did nothing for the same amount of the same base beer. I used frozen dumped straight into secondary. I have been thinking about just using my primary for the same reasons I dry hop in primary.

 

No one really has said much about how long they like to leave the fruit on...

Do you just taste it and see when its ready?

I rarely sample beer i hate wasting it before its ready

 

I leave the beer on the fruit at least two weeks. You want those sugars to ferment out. I also recommend a lower attenuating yeast or some protein in the grist to add body. Fruit dries beer out like a towel.

 

I've heard putting fruit in the primary will typically lead to more aroma then flavor as the very active yeast will eat up a lot of the fruit flavors. Can't say I have tried it yet though so its all second hand information.

 

I don't see how it would be any different, fermentation is fermentation at that point. I will find out this summer!

 

You kinda have to. The fruit has sugar in it that the yeast will ferment out. That is what dries a fruit beer out so much. You essentially add in fruit flavor and sugar.

 

I've had much success using prepackaged fruit puree. I enjoy the fact that it's already pureed, pasteurized and filtered.

I typically use Oregon Specialty Fruit, whose site has a nice little section on brewing with their fruit products ( http://www.oregonfruit.com/fruit-brewing/category/brewing-with-fruit )

 

No real reason not to. You'd probably have to move to another fermentor otherwise since getting 4-5 lbs of fruit out of carboy is not easy.