Need help choosing a fruit for a wheat brew

I've only done blueberries, fresh blueberries - so you get a nice tartness from them and not the sweet fake junk. Watch out for strawberries and raspberries and other seeded fruits since I heard that the seeds are a pain in the ass to deal with.

 

Tangerines ?

 

Too much or too little of anything is bad for yeast. The citric acid from fruit is going to be fine for the yeast. Most of the fruit you'll use has a high water content and won't add too much acid, or sweeetness for that matter.

 

My only fruit beer had fresh blueberries. It was a blonde ale with 2/5 of a batch sent to secondary with fresh blueberries. The flavor was subtle, and a little tart, but very nice. I would do this again. In fact, I haven't made my blonde ale for a while, next time they have good blueberries around here.... \

Anybody worked with cranberries? I wouldn't mind tossing some cranberries into a secondary for a couple gallons of something (perhaps a blonde ale), it's close to thanksgiving, cranberries are usually available soon. Ooo, cranberry bread, mmmmmm... I gave myself the munchies .

 

I just kegged a roggenbier with 3# of Welches frozen berry blend (Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries in equal parts) and it's CHRONIC! Perfect blend of residual sweetness and acidity. It was supposed to be a Short's Soft Parade clone and it came pretty close to the mark (a bit too hoppy though, but I'm not complaining).

Alas, I digress......Anyway I vote for a blend of Berries.

 

Cranberry lambic?

 

if using a bavarian yeast, not sure why you'd want to add more flavor...but for experimental purposes why not banana & cloves.

 

Whatever's in season . . . head to the farmer's market. Pluots?!

 

Strawberry is a really hard flavor to get into a beer. If you consider the fruit itself, it really isn't that flavorful in comparison. Same thing goes with watermelon. In my experience the best fruit beers are a combination of fruit extract and real fruit puree (such as Oregon canned fruit) but then again I usually work the recipe up with the puree in mind and rack a portion to it.

If you're just wanting to experiment use an extract and go easy. That said, there are tons of extracts available these days and since you're only doing a gallon, what's the risk?

 

I like the idea to experiment with using a tangerine flavor in the beer, but wouldn't most of the flavor come from using the zest rather than the juice/pulp?

 

This is the route I'd go, or orange peel from the LHBS soaked in a minimum amount of vodka. I guess adding zest to a tincture would work too.

On a side note I'm not sure how orange juice would play out fermented. I just think of old orange juice in the fridge and stop there. I'm more optimistic for the OP if he wants to try it out in his split batch.

 

I am trying this myself. I quickly diced up 5 pounds of peaches and dry hopped w/ that for my hefeweizen. I'll bottle it tomorrow & hope it comes out well. Blind Tiger in Topeka, Kansas made a hefeweizen w/ apricots and it came out awesome. This is what homebrew is about, try new stuff out & drink what you like.

 

Kumquats. Citrussy, tart, sweet, aromatic.

 

I recommend avoiding the pith (white part of the peel) which adds unpleasant bitterness. Many use the zest (outer part of peel), but be careful not to zest too deeply. You can also add the internal flesh.

 

I like sour cherries or cranberries. I am a big fan of tart beers, done with fruit, bugs or both.

 

Did you do anything to the frozen fruit before you added it? What was your fermentation schedule if you don't mind sharing? Thanks

 

With pumpkin pie stout and turkey geuze?