DD2000GT

Recipes 

Yes, you read right - banana. I am what you would call a mad scientist brewer who enjoys trying new stuff. My youngest son just came up and asked me if I have ever used banana in a beer - he suggested maybe in a wheat.

Now, I love wheat beers and actually enjoy the banana esters the wheat beer yeast put out - and I purposely ferment a little warmer on my wheat beers to bring this flavor out a bit. But to actually use bananas - not so sure.

So - anyone out there try this? If so - what style did you put in it and what did you think of the final product? Also, any tips on using it?

chriswilkes33

Recipes 

There is a beer out there called Well's Banana Bread Beer that says it is brewed with Bananas, I remember it actually being pretty tasty. I dont think it was a wheat. No idea when they added the bananas though so you may try to find a clone recipe or check their website for info.

COLObrewer

Recipes 

Banana Cinammon porter.

Uses 1 bunch of dried bananas in boil (Bag it) and enough dried chips to cover the top in secondary. I use 1/2 cup of ground cinammon in the boil also. Full boil for both. 5gallon batch.

Tastes great, I used hefe yeast, I think WL300 or 303?, to support banana flavor.

Rest of the recipe is just your favorite robust porter.

DD2000GT

Recipes 

Dried bananas huh? I would have thought the dried would not put out much banana flavor. I like the idea of adding it to the boil, I would have dumped into the primary after high krausen... Not looking for a banana liquor, but still a pronounced banana flavor. I would have never thought about adding to a porter - sounds good actually and with the colder months coming up I like the darker brews then.

Maybe use the dried bananas in the boil like you suggest, then add fresh local honey (strong flavor) in the primary. Hmmmmm....

Thanks,
Dan

Edcculus

Recipes 

Dried bananna actually makes sense. I don't think I would have ever thought of that. Fresh would create an ungodly mess. I'd skip the honey in a robust porter though. Honey ferments completely. It would only thin the body and add alcohol. Any subtle flavors would be covered up in a porter. Use some honey malt or crystal for a touch of sweetness.

COLObrewer

Recipes 

That's what I had, I imagine you could use fresh bananas in the boil if you bag them, but I haven't tried that. Also I think they make banana extract if you wanted to adjust the flavor up at some point before kegging/bottling.

Honey would postpone your fermentation quite a bit also I would think. Mead takes a long while to finish. Maybe some honey malt, but then it wouldn't be a porter of course.

erock2112

Recipes 

What about bananas in the mash? Would that work at all?

COLObrewer

Recipes 

Boiling it for 1 hour only gives a slight flavor, so mashing it probably wouldn't extract much flavor or sugar in the mash since it is lower temperature, but I haven't tried that at all.

Yuri_Rage

Recipes 

This wine method may generate some further discussion:

http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f79/banana-wine-33636/

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