I've been brewing for a year or so now, have about 9 batches brewed so far, but I just recently decided to add fruit to the secondary fermenter. I brewed 5 gallons of Summerbrau (light golden ale) and added 6 pounds of whole frozen strawberries in the secondary fermenter for 2 weeks, then bottled. They've only been conditioning for just under a week now, but after tasting it before I bottled I could already taste a 'champagne-y' flavor.
Am I just tasting the tart-ness of the strawberries (it seemed very tart), or could the addition of fruit have changed the beer somehow?
Also, I took a hydrometer reading before and after adding the fruit, and it appeared my specific gravity increased .002 (from 1.010 to 1012). Is it just possible that I mis-read the hydrometer or can this happen when fruit is added? I measured the hydrometer at the correct temperature for accurate readings. The yeast definitely kicked back on and I saw some fermentation for a good week, so I assume the beer increased in alcohol, but did it also increase in body?
Recipe:
3# DME (gold)
.5# lager grain
1# carapils
1# vienna malt grain
.75# wheat
.75 oz hallertau (boiling)
1 oz tettnang (finishing)
german ale/kolsch liquid yeast
primary fermenter: 1 week
secondary fermenter (with 6# frozen whole strawberries): 2 weeks
O.G. 1.040
F.G. (before secondary) 1.010
F.G. (after secondary) 1.012
Am I just tasting the tart-ness of the strawberries (it seemed very tart), or could the addition of fruit have changed the beer somehow?
Also, I took a hydrometer reading before and after adding the fruit, and it appeared my specific gravity increased .002 (from 1.010 to 1012). Is it just possible that I mis-read the hydrometer or can this happen when fruit is added? I measured the hydrometer at the correct temperature for accurate readings. The yeast definitely kicked back on and I saw some fermentation for a good week, so I assume the beer increased in alcohol, but did it also increase in body?
Recipe:
3# DME (gold)
.5# lager grain
1# carapils
1# vienna malt grain
.75# wheat
.75 oz hallertau (boiling)
1 oz tettnang (finishing)
german ale/kolsch liquid yeast
primary fermenter: 1 week
secondary fermenter (with 6# frozen whole strawberries): 2 weeks
O.G. 1.040
F.G. (before secondary) 1.010
F.G. (after secondary) 1.012
