Banana Chips

Going to do some experimenting with dried banana chips in my beer. Wondering though should I add them to the boil or the fermenter? Or both?

You might have better luck with fresh banana. No preservatives.

I had the same concern. So I bought organic ones. Shouldn't have preservatives in them. Or at least very little. Was worried about rotting with fresh?

they can rot either way if you leave them in the beer too long, not enough alcohol in beer to preserve fruit. there is a commercial banana beer that uses real banana and banana flavoring but i have no idea when they add it to the beer.

Ok then I think I will stick to the boil just to be safe. That way I can strain them out before fermenting.

What are you making? Did you even think of getting the flavor profile from the yeast?

Bull

I'm making round two of a beer that was my first brew ever. Just used an oz of liquid banana flavoring b4. The banana died out as the beer aged so I wanted to up it. It's a wheat/ale hybrid. I am using WB-06 dry wheat beer yeast.

I don't like any additional artificial flavorings added to my beer, so I would recommend trying to ferment your beer out @ about 72-75 degrees. Read as much as you can about what yeast can do. +/- 90% of the flavor profile in beer comes from yeast and how you handle it.

Bull

WLP300 underpitched and higher temp will give you plenty of banana.

drathbone said:

WLP300 underpitched and higher temp will give you plenty of banana.

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I agree, but you don't even have to under pitch it. Great yeast!

Bull

Wow. Ok. Thanks guys. I will have to plan further ahead next time since I am steeping right now not gonna be able to change anything tonight. Perfect example of a simple question being not so simple I guess...

What yeast do you have to pitch?

Why worry about bananas rotting in your beer? How many homebrewers rack onto other fruits like oranges, grapefruits, cherries, and even pumpkin for several weeks, to even longer (think kriek/lambic)?? What harm is done and what rotting have you other brewrs seen? It will be fine.


I say peel and mash a few bananas and a pound of extra 6 row in your mlt, and then maybe even add some to the fermenter after you've reached FG.

BTW, I'm not bashing those of you who have mentioned utilizing yeast profile to get banana esters, thats also a good point.