Stuck Fermentation? Fruit beer help, please!

Running into a problem I haven't had before. I'm brewing an apricot wheat beer based on an all extract recipe posted here. Primary fermentation went fine, but now that I've added the apricot puree, i'm seeing no airlock activity and a slow, if none fermentation. Here's the recipe along with data log:

6lb Alexander Wheat LME
.75 Briess Weissen DME
1.5 oz Tettnanger 45 min
.55 oz East Kent Goldings 5 min
Whirfloc Tablet 20 min.
Nottingham yeast
O.G. 1.016

Brewed 4/16
4/23 Added 3lb. Oregon Apricot Puree to bottling bucket and racked first part of recipe on top.
No airlock activity
4/27 Gravity 1.026
4/30 Gravity 1.025

I'm floored that adding the puree hasn't started a vigorous secondary fermentation, and I'd rather not pitch more yeast as that basically creates a second primary fermentation and I'm worried about losing the apricot flavors.
Help or explanations anyone?

I am not sure I understand what you mean by "second primary fermentation".

Did you just add the puree to the primary, or did you rack on top of it into a secondary vessel, or did you do something else?

What temperature has it been at?

The temps have been between 66-70. I racked on top of the puree. By second "primary" fermentation, I mean that my understanding of the purpose of racking onto the fruit is meant to allow a slightly weaker fermentation so that the fruit flavors remain intact, as opposed to putting all ingredients together in the primary fermentation. I'd assume that pitching new yeast would negate that.

Ive either seen fruit added in the primary or a after primary is through, did you rack it halfway through the primary? That would explain the slower fermentation and you will need more yeast. Repitch and add the fruit after fermentarion. Are you bottling or kegging. If kegging add some campden tabs and potassium sorbate to save the fruit flavor or it will ferment out

Dude, you're fine... Just let it go.

Fermentation isn't always visible. Don't pitch new yeast. In fact, I'm 100% sure the yeast is finding the sugar in the apricot puree just fine, and a much smaller and weaker fermentation is taking place.Visible signs like krausen or airlock activity isn't always a great indication that fermentation is happening. You'll have good flavor and a good springtime beer on your hands. You're trying to really on your senses too much. Yeast breaks down sugars on a cellular level, you won't always be able to see the weaker stuff.

jessebymail said:

Ive either seen fruit added in the primary or a after primary is through, did you rack it halfway through the primary? That would explain the slower fermentation and you will need more yeast. Repitch and add the fruit after fermentarion. Are you bottling or kegging. If kegging add some campden tabs and potassium sorbate to save the fruit flavor or it will ferment out

Click to expand...

Bottling for now. Otherwise, I would do just that. Wont have kegging capabilities until summer.

gregger said:

Dude, you're fine... Just let it go.

Fermentation isn't always visible. Don't pitch new yeast. In fact, I'm 100% sure the yeast is finding the sugar in the apricot puree just fine, and a much smaller and weaker fermentation is taking place.Visible signs like krausen or airlock activity isn't always a great indication that fermentation is happening. You'll have good flavor and a good springtime beer on your hands. You're trying to really on your senses too much. Yeast breaks down sugars on a cellular level, you won't always be able to see the weaker stuff.

Click to expand...

That's what I'd heard, and what I'm hoping for. I'm just a little leery at the fact that this is happening to fruit. Most of my experience with fruit is that it causes explosive fermentation.

Lol. And at the rate this is going, I'm worried I'll run out of spring before it's done!

Is another fermentation after adding fruit really necessary? If I recall correctly, you don't need another fermentation after adding fruit to get the flavors from the fruit.

Just give it enough time and the fruit flavors should mingle with the beer.

But the primary fermentation wasnt finished when they racked onto the fruit i think

This is normally done by adding the Fruit to the primary, by adding the fruit to the secondary you removed most of the trub and the yeast. Right now the yeast is building backup to the right levels. It will start up just fine. I would not bottle right now, you have a lot of sugar left in suspension, and that would be very easy to get bottle bombs. I don't know any good brewers that use a secondary any more, unless they have a conical.

I feel I need to respond to this:

my understanding of the purpose of racking onto the fruit is meant to allow a slightly weaker fermentation so that the fruit flavors remain intact, as opposed to putting all ingredients together in the primary fermentation. I'd assume that pitching new yeast would negate that.

Click to expand...

Pitching new yeast isn't going to do much if there isn't anything for the yeast to eat. If there is stuff, then you want it fermented anyway.

and this:

Is another fermentation after adding fruit really necessary? If I recall correctly, you don't need another fermentation after adding fruit to get the flavors from the fruit.

Click to expand...

No you don't NEED a new fermentation, but you get one because fruit has sugar in it, and yeast eats sugar.


So if you want fruit flavor you have three choices:

1. You can let the yeast ferment the additional sugars.
2. You can pasteurize your beer or otherwise kill off the yeast so that it doesn't ferment anymore. You will also need to force carbonate the beer because priming sugar won't get eaten, either.
3. You can add a flavoring that does not contain any fermentable sugars.

Seven said:

Is another fermentation after adding fruit really necessary? If I recall correctly, you don't need another fermentation after adding fruit to get the flavors from the fruit.

Just give it enough time and the fruit flavors should mingle with the beer.

Click to expand...

It is if I'm calculating the additional sugars from the fruit to accomplish final ABV.

3. You can add a flavoring that does not contain any fermentable sugars.

Click to expand...

Exactly how I got in this mess in the first place. I've used the non-fermentable extracts before, but they taste to artificial. Also really affects the head.

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like the general concensus is to leave it alone and the yeast will multiply to the correct levels and then I'll get a good fermentation.

I suppose, should I replicate this batch in the future, I'll either make sure some of the trub gets in secondary, or just pitch the puree into the primary.

weirdboy said:

No you don't NEED a new fermentation, but you get one because fruit has sugar in it, and yeast eats sugar.

Click to expand...

Thanks for clearing that up. All this time I've been thinking that yeast eat tuna sandwiches. No wonder all of my beers have a strange, fishy taste to them.

pmdbama said:

Thanks for all the replies. Seems like the general concensus is to leave it alone and the yeast will multiply to the correct levels and then I'll get a good fermentation.

Click to expand...

I recall reading something on the beersmith blog about racking onto the fruit when the beer is nearing the end of the primary fermentation. So I think you'll be OK if you just wait it out.

that's what I was intending to do, but the primary fermentation went quickly due to the low O.G. of the first part of the recipe and I was unprepared.

There is no need to try and time the end of the fermentation for racking on the fruit. I have gone a month or more in primary before racking onto fruit with no troubles whatsoever.

gregger said:

Dude, you're fine... Just let it go.

Fermentation isn't always visible. Don't pitch new yeast. In fact, I'm 100% sure the yeast is finding the sugar in the apricot puree just fine, and a much smaller and weaker fermentation is taking place.Visible signs like krausen or airlock activity isn't always a great indication that fermentation is happening. You'll have good flavor and a good springtime beer on your hands. You're trying to really on your senses too much. Yeast breaks down sugars on a cellular level, you won't always be able to see the weaker stuff.

Click to expand...

Yeah, what he said. Just leave it sit for a couple or three weeks and it will be fine. The yeast know what to do. They have done this before.

.... and to whoever posted that no one uses secondaries anymore. Lots of people use secondaries when adding fruit.

Just wanted to update this thread. Bottled this beer on 6/13. The FG was 1.021. Still higher than what I expected but as it has sat for almost 2 months, I decided that whatever was going to ferment has fermented. I'm just going to assume that the high FG has more to do with suspended fruit than remaining sugar.