3 replies to this topic

[DieselGopher]

Trying out a fruit beer for the mrs. I like the purees in mead, work great, great flavor etc. I'm just looking for insight into doing a secondary on the fruit. Should I sulphite/sorbate the beer to prevent renewed fermentation? I'm fermenting the base beer dry (finish in the single digits gravity wise) and I am fine with the fruit sweetening things up a bit. Thoughts? Suggestions?

[denny]

Just add the puree and let the small amount of fermentation you get proceed.

[Big Nake]

I tried but I could never get the balance right. I tried with real fruit and also with the Oregon fruit puree and I got a loooong secondary fermentation that dried everything out. I was going to turn to mashing high (for balance) or adding the puree when the keg was cold so the yeast wouldn't metabolize it but I did not go that route. I ended up ordering some premium fruit extracts online which are better than the LD Carlson or Crosby & Baker stuff and I just went that route with what I would consider "very good" results. I plan to make some blonde ales where some amount of lemon zest is added to vodka and then all of that added to the secondary for a citrusy-fruit character but no sugars would be involved there (I believe) so that's a different animal.

[DieselGopher]

Just add the puree and let the small amount of fermentation you get proceed.

I figured I might be overthinking it a bit. Thanks Denny!

I tried but I could never get the balance right. I tried with real fruit and also with the Oregon fruit puree and I got a loooong secondary fermentation that dried everything out. I was going to turn to mashing high (for balance) or adding the puree when the keg was cold so the yeast wouldn't metabolize it but I did not go that route. I ended up ordering some premium fruit extracts online which are better than the LD Carlson or Crosby & Baker stuff and I just went that route with what I would consider "very good" results. I plan to make some blonde ales where some amount of lemon zest is added to vodka and then all of that added to the secondary for a citrusy-fruit character but no sugars would be involved there (I believe) so that's a different animal.

The amount of fruit I'm looking for might involve an extract like that even after the purée. Time will tell. Thanks for the insight, and I'll try to remember to bump this in a few weeks.