Fruit Addition Question

Sorry if this has been posted before, I searched and didn't find my specific question.

I have a Smoked Porter in secondary right now. I just decided tonight that I would like to try adding Raspberry to it. (I tasted to wort when I took a gravity reading and didn't like how overpowering the smoke flavor is, and would like to mellow it out some.)

Everything I've ready says you have to rack onto the fruit. Is it too late for me to add fruit? Is my only option at this point to add fruit at bottling? I thought about racking it into a bucket and then back into the secondary on top of the fruit, but that seems like asking for trouble.

I see 2 choices, maybe others can give you more. One is to go ahead and add the raspberries to secondary and carefully stir them in so as not to splash. I would also bruise them a little so there juice can mix with the beer. Or you can use an extract at bottling. Just add it along with your priming sugar. I can always tell the difference between the extract and fresh fruit so I always go with fresh. I just don't like the taste of extract.

Personally, I don't care for the extract either. I've done it myself a few times and prefer real fruit. No reason you can't add it in now. Just keep it clean.

How can I add it without splashing now? I'm using a carboy and I'm afraid it wont be possible. I would prefer not to use extract.

If you can, try putting it in a little at a time with the carboy tilted. I'm sure it depends on your headspace, but if possible just let it slide down the side. Obviously a slow process but worth it if you don't want to use extract.

first off, try rasberry preserves. but read the ingredients, you want pure preseves.
get clear tubing with as large of a diameter that will fit into your carbouy. cut a length as near the depth of carbouy as possible.
fit top of tube with large funnel.
as the preserves fill tube, raise it to let it slide out.
after you have added all you need, rouse it just enough to distribute. DO NOT GO CRAZY AND TRY TO BLEND IT.

you could also just put the bottom of the tube just below the surface of the wort/beer and let it gently mix as it falls to the bottom.

enjoy!

why not just add the fruit to a sanitized carboy and rack from the secondary? the siphon hose would be placed against the side of the carboy to avoid splashing, and if you're worried about oxygen exposure you could purge with CO2

I like the idea of using a long tube large in diameter. That sounds like the least risky option so far.

Currently I have 2 carboys and both are full. My only other 5 gallon vessel is my bottling bucket. I'm curious what you mean by purging oxygen with CO2.

you purge a container of o2 by laying down co2. you can use your co2 tank and blast the carboy or bucket and because co2 is heavier than o2, it fills the bottom and forces the o2 out of the top. its the same principle when kegging...you purge the o2 out of the headspace with co2 so your don't oxidize your beer.

3vil said:

why not just add the fruit to a sanitized carboy and rack from the secondary? the siphon hose would be placed against the side of the carboy to avoid splashing, and if you're worried about oxygen exposure you could purge with CO2

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because i dont use a secondary. although your method would work fine also.

kurtism said:

you purge a container of o2 by laying down co2. you can use your co2 tank and blast the carboy or bucket and because co2 is heavier than o2, it fills the bottom and forces the o2 out of the top. its the same principle when kegging...you purge the o2 out of the headspace with co2 so your don't oxidize your beer.

Click to expand...

I don't currently own a co2 tank for kegging because I don't keg my beers. What I do have are emergency cartridges that I use for flat tires on my bicycle. Would this be acceptable? I don't see why they wouldn't. Unless the tanks used for home brewing have something special going on inside.

I am not in the same situation as the fordzilla, but I purchased a 6.5 gallon carboy for secondary fermentation (read: lots of head space). I am making a Raspberry Stout and don't want blow off.