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Schnitzengiggle · 05-02-2009, 02:18 AM

I used a total of 5.25 lbs of XLDME and 1 lb of clear candi sugar. I will never buy candi sugar after this last brew day. LHBS raised the price from $5 (which was pricey) to $7.50, I know times are tough, but I will save my money for yeast, DME and grains. That is quite outrageous. The last time I bough Candi sugar it was Brewers Best, this time it was LD Carlson, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I don't know what the fruit is going to do to the ABV% but it is estimated to be about 5.43%.

Zul'jin · 05-02-2009, 03:30 AM

Keep us posted on ow the beer turns out with that candi sugar.

homebrewer_99 · 05-02-2009, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zul'jin

...thirduary**...

"Tertiary" is used a lot here...

**chri5** · 05-02-2009, 06:07 AM

Sometimes the beers decides it doesn't like the fruit and spits it out.

cactusgarrett · 05-02-2009, 09:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubbelDach

Add your fruit to 2ndary and rack the beer on top. Already alcohol in the beer, so it will kill germs. Heating drives off flavor and aromatics.

Do crush and freeze your fruit first though. It breaks down the cell membranes and lets more flavor out.

This is exactly my method, too. I just wanted to throw it out there that pasteurizing is not necessary, and I've actually experienced it to be detrimental, as it was mentioned heating drives off fuity goodness. But there are many ways to do it, to be fair to all.

Clonefarmer · 05-03-2009, 01:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DubbelDach

Already alcohol in the beer, so it will kill germs.

So it's not necessary to sanitize secondary, racking cane or bottling bucket either?

mcjake · 05-03-2009, 07:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clonefarmer

So it's not necessary to sanitize secondary, racking cane or bottling bucket either?

Seems like you are pushing it there. You can have all kinds of stuff in there. Not to mention dust.

As far as the fruit goes you are giving it a good washing so it is going to be clean. Just not sterile.

derekm · 05-03-2009, 08:58 AM

I like to use fruit frozen in bags from the store. It is already steam pasturized and when you thaw it you can work it into a pulp in the bag.

Pasturizing on the stove gives the fruit a different flavor, more jam like and the pectin can make your beer very hazy. Not bad just different.

Fresh fruit is loaded with wild yeast and other crap you don't want in your beer so I would do something.

I have made a lot of fruit beers it is my wifes favorite. FYI if you use 3 or more pounds of rasberries (unless it is a lambic) you will probably lose your base beer in the flavor. It just becomes a fruity carbonated beverage.

Korben · 05-03-2009, 11:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schnitzengiggle

I used a total of 5.25 lbs of XLDME and 1 lb of clear candi sugar. I will never buy candi sugar after this last brew day. LHBS raised the price from $5 (which was pricey) to $7.50, I know times are tough, but I will save my money for yeast, DME and grains. That is quite outrageous. The last time I bough Candi sugar it was Brewers Best, this time it was LD Carlson, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it. I don't know what the fruit is going to do to the ABV% but it is estimated to be about 5.43%.

Sounds like a good brew.. and an Extract one

I think I may do this one possibly split it and do 2.5 gal on strawberries and 2.5 gal on blue berries. I actually really like that abita strawberry Harvest (call me a women if you will) but it is great on a hot afternoon. And, several people have asked me to do a blueberry beer so. This sounds like the ticket... let us know how it goes.

**DubbelDach** · 05-04-2009, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schnitzengiggle

Do you crush, freeze and then thaw, or do you freeze, thaw, then crush?

I've done the second method, but no reason the first can't work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zul'jin

I'm doing a berry beer now. 6 pounds combined of blackberry, blue berry and raspberry.

After making the wort (3 pounds extra light DME and 1 cup course brown sugar) and being in primary for 2 weeks, I pureed my thawed* berries and poured them into my secondary with 1 pound of brewers honey. Racked the beer on top.

What I should have done was made sure primary was really done. It wasn't. Secondary was explosive. Literally. I used a blow off tube and berry slurry plugged it up. Explosion #1. After unclogging it, berry slurry filled the beer bottle I was using on the other end. Explosion #2.

After 10 days of that, I'm in thirduary** for a week now.

*The berries were bought fresh. I froze them for keeping till I was ready.

**I totally just made up that word.

Primary may very well have been done. You added a considerable amount of fermentables to 2ndary, which will ferment. Definitely expect more fermentation when adding fruit to 2ndary, as fruit = sugar.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cactusgarrett

This is exactly my method, too. I just wanted to throw it out there that pasteurizing is not necessary, and I've actually experienced it to be detrimental, as it was mentioned heating drives off fuity goodness. But there are many ways to do it, to be fair to all.

Amen!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clonefarmer

So it's not necessary to sanitize secondary, racking cane or bottling bucket either?

Yeah, I see where you're going, but as another poster said, there's dirt and such because I keep my brewery in my garage. So I figure that if I'm rinsing everything anyway, might as well use sanitizer. Not pasteurizing is about preserving the flavors and aromas in the fruit, not about taking a shortcut and not sanitizing.