Fruit additions to beer

I don't have any personal experience in this but I have a friend who soaks the fruit in vodka for weeks then adds the vodka to the secondary. The amount of vodka and fruit I'm unsure of. I'm sorry I don't have more information from personal experience. I'll have to fix that

 

I've done fruit additions to many of my brews and typically buy fresh fruit (organic if possible) and clean everything that will come into contact with the beer. Once the fruit has been cleaned and pealed I put it in a ziplock bag and toss it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. Freezing won't sanitize but it will help break down the fruit's cell walls and slow down bacterial growth. Once my beer is in the secondary I add the fruit (usually still frozen) and when the yeast calms back down I'll bottle/keg as I normally would. The sugars in the fruit will cause the yeast to become active again so I wouldn't bottle right away.

 

IPAs ==> bonus IBUs
Fruit beer ==> low IBUs

Fruit in an IPA would be a Crime Against Nature

 

I add fruit to the primary after the malt fermentation is done or close to done.

 

Is this the exception that proves the rule?
I think the trick is to use low acid fruit, perhaps use a fruit extract or essence, and/or focus on hop aroma over bitterness. Sourness and bitterness together can be overwhelming.

 

Or grapefruit

 

I've never had grapefruit in an IPA. Hops, that some people attribute grapefruit character, but never had actual grapefruit. (There is a recent post about it that is somewhat interesting). I am fairly certain that I would not like the sourness of grapefruit with the bitterness of the hops. Zest is a different story, perhaps.

 

I add my fruit to secondary. I have had good luck with frozen fruit from the store.

 

Why put fruit in the secondary when all the yeast is in the primary?

 

Two things:
1) Fruits ... such as apricots and grapefruit are flavors associated with certain hops (e.g., Palisade ... Cascade); therefore ... they aren't fruit additions in the same way cherries or raspberries would be used.

2) The expression "the exception that proves the rule" is another way of saying an experiment's trial did not succeed. B/c the trial failed ... it proved the rule.

3) Anything in beer I don't like is a crime against nature.

 

There's plenty-o-yeast in the 2ndary to work over sugar in the fruit.

 

Careful. There are hops whose contributions are characterized by blueberry, strawberry, pineapple, passionfruit,lemon, grapes, currants etc. By extending your logic to these hops... well, draw your own conclusions.

Edit: Disclaimer -- I probably wouldn't like most of the ipas that people might try to make with these and other fruits. But I won't rule out the possibility that something good could come of it (despite the probability that something bad will come of it). This is the sort of thing I'll leave to braver souls to figure out.

 

Très curieux.
Surely someone somewhere has done a fruit add with items on your grocery list but I'd bet it wasn't you or me b/c we kinda sorta know better.

So ... what hop ... pray tell ... throws strawberry?

I'm also inclined to question many of the flavors allegedly derived from next-gen designer hops b/c for more than few varieties ... there's a wide range of opinion ... i.e., someone detects bright African cucumber while someone else it's funky dank onion.

 

Use a paint straining bag for your fruit or you will hate racking. I promise.

 

Belma, allegedly, throws strawberry.

 

Huell Melon has strawberry and honeydew. I've used them. VERY mild so a ton is needed for flavor.

 

Why leave your beer sitting on the yeast cake?
Just because you think 3+6=9 doesn't mean 4+5=\=9

 

Why cuddle when you can do it?

The yeast cake wakes up and ferments when you add more fermentables, so the beer no longer is sitting on the cake. If you use all the yeast instead of just using whatever is in suspension, the fruit will ferment quicker and you can avoid a transfer.

 

Peter, I would strongly recommend that you try fresh Ballast Point Grapefruit Sculpin IPA. That beer is OUTSTANDING in my opinion.

http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/199/89174/

Cheers!