Adding fruit (when, where , and how)

Discussion in 'Homebrewing' started by gvickery, Nov 30, 2017.

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  1. gvickery

    gvickery Maven (1,263) May 13, 2017 Texas

    I'm not really wanting to create a "fruit beer" I was just considering adding some citrus peelings and maybe some puree. I know several brewery's have IPA's and DIPA's with additions such as these. Any info on how this is done? I know the peelings can be done while dry hopping but what about any kind of a puree? Seems like it would affect the fermentation during primary. What about secondary? I had some "Josh the guava king" last week and I really liked it. Any thoughts would be appreciated.
     
  2. MostlyNorwegian

    MostlyNorwegian Pooh-Bah (2,236) Feb 5, 2013 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    I'd be more inclined to stick with zest because it's not going to be the kind of thing yeast will find much use for in the way they would a puree, or a juice where you also have sugars which the yeast will happily locate and zero in on converting.
    Have a wack around this site https://www.eatthismuch.com/food/view/oranges,1463/
    I just now found it, and it's going in my bookmarks as well because it lists all of the nutritional values, which could get very interesting if you want to science your beer at all.
     
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  3. EvenMoreJesus

    EvenMoreJesus Initiate (0) Jun 8, 2017 Pennsylvania

    If you want to add citrus peel, I'd recommend adding it as long strips of peel without any pith (removed from the fruit with a potato peeler) instead of zest. MUCH easier to rack off of that way if you don't have the capacity to course filter. As you said, you can add these with your dry hop.

    Puree, on the other hand, is something that I don't recommend using. Reason? It's a kick in the dick to separate the beer from it. I'd advise using fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate. Just add it as vigorous primary fermentation dies down.

    Milk the Funk has a great guide for different fruits which works just as well for clean beers as it does for funky or sour ones. Here's the link.
     
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  4. Bryan12345

    Bryan12345 Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2016 Texas

    I add fruit and zest on the back end of primary fermentation. The sugars will ferment. The oils you want to stay, and vigorous fermentation causes co2 to “scrub” out some of those oils/smells/flavors.

    If folks got their panties in a bunch over secondary fermentation...fruit beers sometimes need TERTIARY fermentation! :slight_smile:
     
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  5. Bryan12345

    Bryan12345 Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2016 Texas

    Yep. That.

    @EvenMoreJesus, You. Complete. Me.

    #brewmance
     
  6. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,348) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Why the need for tertiary? Pitch fruit in primary. Bottle. Win medals. Works for me.
     
  7. Bryan12345

    Bryan12345 Initiate (0) Mar 17, 2016 Texas

    Congrats on the medals!

    Never had time for competition myself. Too busy with the quarternary fermentation of my beers and such :slight_smile:
     
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  8. gvickery

    gvickery Maven (1,263) May 13, 2017 Texas

    Thanks for all the good points y’all gave me some good ideas. My next batch is going to be an amber since I’ve already bought the ingredients. But after that I’m gonna try a DIPA with some sort of fruit additions. I cracked open my first homebrew ipa and its really good. So I’m hooked now. I’ll be hit y’all up for more input, thanks to all.
     
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