Don't fruit the beer - or the exact opposite

**jezter6** · 03-08-2007, 02:55 PM

Ok, so I'm trying my faux lambic idea using Acidulated malt instead of souring the beer another way. I'm getting ready to move to secondary this weekend and want to 'fruit the beer.'

I have 2 batches of approx 3.5-4 gallons. In each secondary I want to fruit it up. I bought a 6# bag of Strawberries (frozen) and a 4# bag of mixed (Raspberry, BlueBerry, and Marionberry).

What should I do? I've heard that I can put them right in. I've heard that I must heat them. I've heard that heating them does bad things. I've heard that heating them is necessary to kill bacteria.

What do I do?

On a side note/joke: We're at Costco getting the fruit, and my roommate asks: "What the hell is a Marionberry?" My response: "A Washington D.C. crackhead?"

MriswitH · 03-08-2007, 02:58 PM

I'm getting ready to add some cherries to an IPA, so i'm in the same boat as you are.

From what i've read, unless you are using something like puree, it is best to bring the fruit up to 160 for 10-15 minutes. Cool it and rack your brew on top of the fruit.

magno · 03-08-2007, 03:57 PM

I would do that even if using puree.

Do NOT boil the fruit, but heat it up to sanitize it. Frozen fruit is good, because the cell walls are ruptured during freezing. It is helpful to mash the fruit a bit, to get the sugars accessible to the yeast. If it doesnt seem to be clearing as you would like, add some pectic enzyme to the secondary, or tertiary.

Haha thats the only Marionberry that I have heard of either.

Keep us posted on your progress.

- magno

Desert_Sky · 03-08-2007, 04:49 PM

Ive only made a couple of fruit beers. Extract is so easy, and it actually tastes pretty damn good. But be careful, its so easy to overdo it

real fruit just seems liek too much of a hassle. make a strawberry shortcake with the strawberries.....and use extract in your beer

**jezter6** · 03-08-2007, 05:03 PM

I've used extract in Cheesefood's caramel cream, and I just don't think extract does it right. I've also heard the extracts cause a medicinal flavor.

I am already committed to doing fresh fruit, so I just need to know HOW to do it.

robbase9 · 03-08-2007, 05:34 PM

Cocaine's a helluva drug

**jezter6** · 03-08-2007, 05:41 PM

Maybe so, but how does it help this thread?

casebrew · 03-08-2007, 07:21 PM

I used the Costco "Berry Medley" in a cider I just bottled yesterday. I seems to be lots better than the strawberry ale stuff I did last year. I guess I would rinse them to make sure to remove the chlorine from processing, then heat in water to pasturize/ break down. I mashed mine with a potato masher. It sure is PINK, and cloudy like wheat beer. Maybe I boiled it tooo hot ? I'll see in a couple weeks.

Rather than sweetening the pot of cider with sugar, I mashed malt, trying to retain some residual sweetness. FG was 1.002, so maybe 3 months in secondary was too long?

robbase9 · 03-08-2007, 08:15 PM

Marion Barry was the mayor of Washington D.C. He was busted on tape doing crack in a hotel room with prostitutes i believe. I might have made up the prostitute thing, but he really did get busted for crack. He then got re-elected.

The one guy said Marionberry, ha that's funny. get it now?

**jezter6** · 03-08-2007, 09:01 PM

Damn dude, I didn't realize you were cracking a joke at MY joke. I didn't even think about it.

My bad dude, and if I came off as harsh, I apologize.