Newest Threads

pjk49202@yahoo.com · 10-01-2008, 04:26 AM

Co worker of mine brought in a bunch of peaches from her home. They are not ripe yet but was thinking that peach would be a good additive to a say a golden strong ale. Wondering if anyone has experience with brewing with actual fruit? What is the ratio of fruit to wort? Thanks in advance. Hopefully there are still a few peaches left tomorrow for me to take!!

**DubbelDach** · 10-01-2008, 03:11 PM

<search>

...

Fat Guy Brewing · 10-02-2008, 02:17 AM

Check some of the recipes in the recipe section. I have used fresh raspberries and there are a few recipes for that. It seems most use 3-4 pounds. You could try 2 techniques: one, peel peaches and cut into small pieces, pasteurize, then pour into secondary on top of the beer; two, peel peaches and put in a blender to make your own puree, then pour into secondary. Either way, put them in the secondary because I believe the yeast activity in the primary eats up the flavor. I had a peach ale once a long time ago and really liked it. Can't wait to do my own.

MgMt_Home_Brew · 10-02-2008, 12:41 PM

I did an apricot blackberry wheat this summer and I used about 6 pounds of fruits in total. It came out pretty tart but it had some good flavor. However I think if I used another fruit that was a little sweeter or more ripe it would have been better. I think next time I will just buy some puree because I didn't save much money buying the fruit and doing it myself.

I pealed the appricots, took the pits out, and smashed up the blackberries but did not pasturize them which I now know was a big no no and I got lucky. However I placed them in a grain bag in my seconday but I can't remeber how long I left the fruit in and I lost my freakin note book with all my notes in it!!!!!!

But I think it was like a week or so. But like I said I don't remeber.... I might have made a post somewhere on the thread.

Im so ****ing pissed I lost that note book....

FishinDave07 · 10-02-2008, 01:07 PM

Ray Daniels has a whole chapter to it in "Designing Great Beers." JZ from TBN & James from BasicBrewing are good podcasts to listen to. What I would do is freeze the peaches when they are ripe, thaw, chunk them up and add to secondary. Then rack your beer on top of it.

MauiMaltMan · 10-03-2008, 08:18 AM

As an avid fruit brewer, I like the freezing -> Secondary method. Pureeing is good too. I think the main point is to break down the cells (and resulting flavor) of the fruit. Freezing and blending do both well. Freezing is a little better because it'll (semi) sterilize the fruit. Fresh fruit looses a lot of it's natural flavor when cooked...just compare canned peaches to fresh!

I believe that the more fruit the merrier. Just back of a touch on your hoppiness, because that can definitely overpower the fruit. I've never tasted a brew where grains overpowered the fruit, the culprit was usually the hops.

Good Luck!

gmay10 · 10-03-2008, 08:29 PM

I made an incredible sour cherry beer. I used 8 lbs of fruit and put them in at secondary. I would definitely put them in at secondary again and take my chances. After 2 weeks in secondary with the fruit in- I put it into tertiary and let it sit there for about 1 month. It has turned out clear and the sourness has decreases with time- what a freakin beer it has been!