How to add orange to sorghum beer?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
M

MurphyTX

Member
Joined
Feb 29, 2012
Messages
5
Reaction score
0
Location
Murphy
Can I "successfully" add orange citrus flavor to a finished kegged GF beer?

For my very first Home Brew attempt - I corny kegged 5 gallons of Briess Sorghum Beer following their website's "Hoppy to be Gluten-Free Pale Ale" recipe. It is just did not turn out tasting as good as I hoped - but I don't know what it is suppose to taste like. It came in last in my friends tasting contest but it was up against all heavy or dark stout types.

So now I am wondering what to do to make it taste better.

Thanks - Mark
 
Ok there are a few ways to add Orange to your beer.

1. Peel about 8 oranges and throw the peel in at 15 minutes till the end of the boil.

2. Follow LCasanova's instructions here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/gluten-free-blood-orange-hefe-181144/ which basically mean that you pasturise the oranges and add them to primary.

3. Soak Orange peels and add them to secondary. You'll need to soak them in a gluten free spirit like a potato vodka.

4. Rack onto Oranges that you've frozen or pasturised. Both methods will kill the wild yeasts present on the fruit, however freezing will have the added benefit of breaking down cell walls.

5. Add orange extract.

Basically if you add it to the boil or primary you will need to use more as primary fermentation will strip out the flavours. I've got an orange peel pale ale in the fermenter at the moment. I'll provide a link when I post it to my blog.
 
spaced said:
Ok there are a few ways to add Orange to your beer.

1. Peel about 8 oranges and throw the peel in at 15 minutes till the end of the boil.

2. Follow LCasanova's instructions here https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f75/gluten-free-blood-orange-hefe-181144/ which basically mean that you pasturise the oranges and add them to primary.

3. Soak Orange peels and add them to secondary. You'll need to soak them in a gluten free spirit like a potato vodka.

4. Rack onto Oranges that you've frozen or pasturised. Both methods will kill the wild yeasts present on the fruit, however freezing will have the added benefit of breaking down cell walls.

5. Add orange extract.

Basically if you add it to the boil or primary you will need to use more as primary fermentation will strip out the flavours. I've got an orange peel pale ale in the fermenter at the moment. I'll provide a link when I post it to my blog.
Click to expand...

+1 to this. i've personally had best luck in soaking orange peels in vodka during primary fermentation and adding to the secondary. it's essentially orange extract, but not fake tasting. if you can get oranges from a tree of yours or someone you know, i'd recommend that. the reasons are two-fold; one is that store-bought orange are sprayed with some nasty preservative sprays and pesticides, and second is that they almost always taste better and fresher from your own tree.
 
I was about to make the wicked messenger wit and use orange peels. So for a 5 gallon batch I should use approx 8 if I'm going to add it to the boil?

What about orange blossom honey? I was thinking of using 1lb of that to add some orange/smoothness but if it isn't necessary or won't work I'll save it for a mead.
 
I've used the packaged "sweet orange peel" in some IPAs that turned out very nice (and citrusy). Fresh zest from oranges or making a tincture is a good idea but just be careful...it can get real bitter real fast.
 
ChasidicCalvinist said:
I was about to make the wicked messenger wit and use orange peels. So for a 5 gallon batch I should use approx 8 if I'm going to add it to the boil?

What about orange blossom honey? I was thinking of using 1lb of that to add some orange/smoothness but if it isn't necessary or won't work I'll save it for a mead.
Click to expand...

Sorry no idea with the Orange blossom honey. At a minimum pasturise some and prime some bottles with it. When I can I like to do side by side comparisons, and if you only do say four bottles then if it fails it's not a big deal.

I've done an Orange Peel wit with the peels of 8 oranges and it was rated one of my best by others. This is the recipe http://gfhomebrewing.blogspot.com.au/2011/03/orange-peel-and-coriander-hefe-style.html
 
Unfortunately, none of this answered the question of if it were possible to do this to an already kegged beer.

I don't have any answers either, but if I expect any thing to be successful, it would be an orange extract from a combination of bitter and maybe sweet orange peel soaked in alcohol.
But you'd also have to vent all the beer and hope it doesn't fizz up on the addition. It may be easier to add a few drops of this orange extract right before pouring a glass.
 
Thanks for the comments.

I have oranges and clementines in the fridge but will need to get some vodka. If I understand correctly, I peel the oranges and just use the peel not the fruit. Do I remove the white part or does it matter? Do I grate them?

So I place the peels in vodka and wait for ? days. How much vodka for 4 gallons of beer? Sounds like I will have some higher alcohol brew when this is over. :drunk: I have patience as the keg is just sitting in a keezer.

Thanks for the insight. Mark
 
Try not to include the white part in your peel. This is called the pith, and it tends to be bitter and unpleasant tasting. Probably the easiest way is to grate them without grating too deep and removing the pith with the peel. I'd say you only need a couple ounces of vodka. I'd let it soak for a week. You can taste it after a week, and if it tastes orange-y enough them add it to the vented beer. If not, then let it sit for a couple more days.
 

Similar threads

C
How to add sweetness to beer after fermentation?
Replies
9
Views
1K
BrewZer
BrewZer
freaknumber3
Orange Fire Mead
Replies
3
Views
2K
freaknumber3
freaknumber3
Yesfan
US-05 Feedback and Some Other Questions/Suggestions
Replies
20
Views
2K
day_trippr
day_trippr
R
To what degree is carbonated beer protected from oxidation
Replies
8
Views
1K
DavidWood2115
D
G
First Custom Grain Bill- Thoughts?
Replies
11
Views
1K
BrewnWKopperKat
BrewnWKopperKat

Latest posts

Back
Top