Secondary Additions

i'm going to brew a Wit Beer and the receipe calls for an addition of fresh orange peel in the secondary, and i'm wondering how to do this without contaminating the beer, I have never added any fruit or flavorings to the secondary so this is all new to me.

You will get a different answer from each person you ask. My suggestion is soak in vodka for a moment if you are worried. Most people, I believe, just toss it in.

brewyourown4life said:

i'm going to brew a Wit Beer and the receipe calls for an addition of fresh orange peel in the secondary, and i'm wondering how to do this without contaminating the beer, I have never added any fruit or flavorings to the secondary so this is all new to me.

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I just did this last night on my "Wit The Hell Was I Thinking?" Belgian Wit.

I zested 7.5 ounces (for a 10-gallon batch). This was what I got from 6 softball sized naval oranges.

Then I placed the zest in a sauce pot with 1 cup of water (or enough to just cover the zest).

I brought it to a slight boil with the lid on and held for 5 minutes.

Removed from heat and let it sit covered for 15 minutes, then gently scooped it into the fermenter(s).

Smelled awesome. I also added two chamomile tea bags and that really had a nice floral aroma.

Boiling that zest will help release the flavor and aroma prior to adding it to your wort.

The reason for keeping it covered? If you can smell the aroma...it's escaping.

I just throw it right in, have never had a problem. The alcohol content at this point hinder much of anything from growing.:rockin: