Adding zest

I plan on brewing a a wheat beer using the biab method mashing at 154 for 1hr. Using Amarillo and citra hops I have been researching on adding orange zest at the end of the boil... 10-5 mins. Any ideas on how much zest to use? Sterilize the orange first? What about flavor, would it be too much citrusy from the use of citra hops... Maybe forego the zest? First time iattempting this method. Thanks!

I used 4 large navel oranges. Make sure you only get the orange part of the peel and no white stuff. It's too bitter. I put mine in at ten minutes.

How much to use really depends on how much flavor you want. If using fresh zest, be very careful to remove only the zest, and none of the pith (white fleshy part) of the orange. The pith is very bitter and will show up in the final flavor. I'd add the zest with 5 minutes left in the boil. Maybe try using the zest of 2-3 oranges and see what you get. I haven't made anything lately with orange peel, but I have a recipe that calls for 7tsp (not sure why I did it in volume rather than mass) of dried orange peel. Maybe that'll help with a starting point.

You will get citrusy flavors from both the Amarillo and Citra hops. I think orange peel would blend pretty well with them. Again, depends a lot on your recipe, how much certain flavors will be present in the final product.

I did something similar last summer with a wheat beer. I used Citra hops, but added zest from one grapefruit and that was plenty for a 5 gallon batch. I added my zest with 10 minutes remaining and I just threw it in. This beer turned out really good and a few neighbors keep asking for me to make it again.

Thanks for the input. It sounds to me like a very simple step with great benefits... I haven't had the best of luck with wheat beers in the past... Mostly bland flavors. Hoping with the hop additions and zest will do the trick in this one. I was going to use a hefe yeast...

I found that the flavor is lacking when I added zest at 5-10 minutes. Then again, I used citrus hops so it was usually all mixed. I add it at flameout and let it steep for 5-10 along with the flameout hops. I have found that a soaking the zest in vodka for a few weeks then adding it to a secondary or at bottling does give a stronger aroma and flavor.

Calichusetts said:

I found that the flavor is lacking when I added zest at 5-10 minutes. Then again, I used citrus hops so it was usually all mixed. I add it at flameout and let it steep for 5-10 along with the flameout hops. I have found that a soaking the zest in vodka for a few weeks then adding it to a secondary or at bottling does give a stronger aroma and flavor.

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I have heard that same thing about soaking fruit in vodka and using it in a secondary. I am just afraid of getting the orange peel out of the fluid an contaminating it when adding to secondary...

brew4allMI said:

I have heard that same thing about soaking fruit in vodka and using it in a secondary. I am just afraid of getting the orange peel out of the fluid an contaminating it when adding to secondary...

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I wouldn't worry too much, sanitize the container and then add the zest and vodka. The vodka will kill the nasties. I run it through a tiny two-funnel/strainer I found at the grocery store (sanitized of course) but you already have beer, so your chance of infection is quite low if you are careful. You will also be bottling this shortly there after so don't sweat it. I've done this many times without issue. I've even added the zest straight to the secondary without issue

Despite their name, Citra hops DO NOT have a very strong citrus flavor. They tend to impart more of a tropical/mango type of fruitiness. I'd go with Centennial or Cascade to pair with your Amarillo if you are going to push the citrus note.

I'm dry zesting in the next week or so, I had my wife sew up a few cheese cloth satchels, or bags with pull cords to use for dry hopping, and zesting. This will prevent any zest from getting in your beer. I put the zest of two oranges in the satchel pull the cord and wrap it around the top of the bag put a couple stainless steel nuts in the bag also to weigh it down. Then I put the satchel in a very small Tupperware container, and pour vodka over it, let that sit a day or two. When I'm ready I put the satchel, and all the vodka, which now has orange flavor in the secondary. I also did zest of two oranges at 2.5 min. Of the boil, and could smell the orange aromas after cooling the beer, and transferring to primary. If you can't get some awesome little satchels sewn up by the wife or girlfriend you can use cheese cloth and just gather it at the top, and tie with fishing line, or cooking string.

Here is a example of my cheese cloth satchels, they work like a charm, keep your beer clear, and can be cleaned and sanitized after each use for future zesting, or dry hpping.

Can your wife send me some? Haha