Bender_Brau
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- Joined
- Mar 19, 2013
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Greetings, novice homebrewer and new member to the site here. I have my second batch in the fermenter at the moment and I'm planning on adding some dry hops and orange peel once fermentation has stopped. I understand dry hopping - sterilize the bag, don't worry about hop sanitation because the acids make them practically sterile - but I'd like to know a little more about adding orange peel to the batch before the time comes.
From searching around the forums, it looks like I'll need to bake the peels at 175F (or in my case, just put the oven on warm) for 45 minutes to release the oils; add half an ounce at first, then another half ounce 3 or 4 days later. I think that sounds about right for a low-gravity beer.
My questions are about the peeling process and sanitation. What part of the peel should be used, or, how much should I peel off? I've heard that going too deep will give a bitter flavor, and I'm looking more for aroma and sweetness. This is what I imagine for the peels I'll be adding:
Or is the goal to go more for orange zest, like what you'd get using a vegetable peeler?
And with sanitation, how can I be sure I'm not risking infection when I dump the peels in? Thanks guys.
From searching around the forums, it looks like I'll need to bake the peels at 175F (or in my case, just put the oven on warm) for 45 minutes to release the oils; add half an ounce at first, then another half ounce 3 or 4 days later. I think that sounds about right for a low-gravity beer.
My questions are about the peeling process and sanitation. What part of the peel should be used, or, how much should I peel off? I've heard that going too deep will give a bitter flavor, and I'm looking more for aroma and sweetness. This is what I imagine for the peels I'll be adding:
Or is the goal to go more for orange zest, like what you'd get using a vegetable peeler?
And with sanitation, how can I be sure I'm not risking infection when I dump the peels in? Thanks guys.