Best way to add fruit to secondary?

I have a wheat beer that is one day into primary and I eventually want to make this a peach beer. I know contamination is always a risk but does anyone have any pointers for adding the fruit to the secondary?

Thanks!

Rack it onto the puree. Extra tasty.

Brewcrew02 said:

Rack it onto the puree. Extra tasty.

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I don't know what that means

demerson87 said:

I don't know what that means

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Put pureed peaches into secondary fermenter. Siphon brew into that container, leaving sediment behind. Using a canned puree over fresh fruit has the advantage of being free of bacteria. Sanitize the puree can, and the can opener in your kitchen is likely way too grungy / bacteria laden. Good luck!

Just use a sanitized funnel.

MisterZ said:

Put pureed peaches into secondary fermenter. Siphon brew into that container, leaving sediment behind. Using a canned puree over fresh fruit has the advantage of being free of bacteria. Sanitize the puree can, and the can opener in your kitchen is likely way too grungy / bacteria laden. Good luck!

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Very helpful. Thank you!

I used a bucket for the secondary.

Freeze the fruit, chop it up, throw it in the bucket and rack on top.

Put a Nylon mesh bag in the bucket (think BIAB) and it will be much easier to rack into a keg or get the fruit out.

I've been doing this with strawberry with great results.

Should I wait until fermentation has slowed? I see a lot of recipes that says move after 3 days. Today is day 3 for me and it is in the height of its activity.

demerson87 said:

Should I wait until fermentation has slowed? I see a lot of recipes that says move after 3 days. Today is day 3 for me and it is in the height of its activity.

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Yup, let that thing finish. I personally never take a beer from primary until the activity has stopped. Unless its a rather big beer, then they will usually continue to ferment into the secondary for a few days, even after the majority of fermenting has completed in primary. Only downside to leaving in your primary longer than 14 days, is the chance you could create an off flavor.

Also a +1 to racking onto a puree, I did an apple cream ale last year that way. It was super yummy!

spark_plug said:

Yup, let that thing finish. I personally never take a beer from primary until the activity has stopped. Unless its a rather big beer, then they will usually continue to ferment into the secondary for a few days, even after the majority of fermenting has completed in primary. Only downside to leaving in your primary longer than 14 days, is the chance you could create an off flavor.

Also a +1 to racking onto a puree, I did an apple cream ale last year that way. It was super yummy!

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Thanks for the help. I look forward to giving this a go

So, wont the sugar from the fruit purée start the fermentation back up again in your secondary? I'm planning on starting a cherry Belgium double this weekend. Wouldn't you need to wait until the fermentation stops in the secondary to avoid bottle bombs?

Daniel1980 said:

So, wont the sugar from the fruit purée start the fermentation back up again in your secondary? I'm planning on starting a cherry Belgium double this weekend. Wouldn't you need to wait until the fermentation stops in the secondary to avoid bottle bombs?

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Yea, I'm anticipating that. I won't bottle until the secondary fermentation cools off too

So what's the advantages to racking onto fruit in your secondary vs adding it to the primary and just skipping the secondary all together?

Daniel1980 said:

So what's the advantages to racking onto fruit in your secondary vs adding it to the primary and just skipping the secondary all together?

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From what I've heard, more flavor and less chance for infection (because there is alcohol present to fight off the meanies). Seems to me it'll be a cleaner flavor too because it's not sitting with all that sludge at the bottom.

The sugars available are different. The plain sugar in the fruit will make the yeast lazy in the primary and they may not want tongi the extra mile to eat the maltose (requires different enzymes).you will also drive off not of the fruit aroma in the primary. Sequential is what most do.