How to avoid rotten watermelon flavor in watermelon wheat

I made my first watermelon wheat beer, about 2kg for 5 gallon batch. It smelled like off watermelon, tasted like rotten watermelon bit left a pleasant watermelon aftertaste. The second batch I dialed down the watermelon by half in hope that it would cut down the rotten flavor. Watermelon was undetectable, but still a slight rotten fruit flavor. I froze the watermelon both times before adding to secondary. Had anyone tried boiling it down to a syrup? My thought is that it will kill the enzymes and boil off the impurities that cause the rotten flavors. Thoughts?

I put freshly squeezed watermelon juice in my primary on day 4. Never had a rotten flavor in any fruit beer.

chawn said:

I put freshly squeezed watermelon juice in my primary on day 4. Never had a rotten flavor in any fruit beer.

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Me too, juice in secondary or keg after primary is finished, 4-5 cups per 5 gal. I've made this recipe probably a dozen times. Nice watermelon flavor, certainly not rotten tasting.

I think I know what 'taste' you are referring to. I have had people call it more of a 'rind' taste.

I have had batches with and without that 'rind' taste. FWIW, I use freshly 'juiced' melon in my WW. I've had the best results when adding the watermelon to a cold secondary. If the beer starts to get warm, that watermelon juice will start to ferment. I think that slightly fermented watermelon juice is where the flavor and aroma you are talking about is coming from.

I let the juice ferment out at room temp before chilling, I've not gotten that off flavor.

Can you share your recipies? Keep in mind I bottle so I have to ferment my melons. Cheers!

Grainbill is just 50/50 2-row and white wheat for an OG 1.052-53. I have actually made this both extract and PM as well, all extract would be 6 lb wheat DME per 5 gal. I most commonly make it with Perle - small bittering charge at 60 then an oz per 5 gal at 5 min, for total IBU around 20. 4-5 cups fresh watermelon juice to secondary or keg when primary fermentation is done. It seems to ferment out pretty quick but I've also never bottled a batch as far as I remember. Like you said, you'd just want to confirm it's done before packaging. It's definitely best young, one advantage of kegging.

Edit: Wyeast 1010. Made it before with 05, I prefer the 1010.

I've brewed this twice and is amazing

http://outofkey.com/beer/brewing/watermelon-wheat-recipe/