Accidentally got orange zest in my primary.

[Johnnyhamer]

I added some orange zest during boil and some made it into the fermenter. I'm worried that 2 weeks in there will give it a rotten taste or even a vomit taste from what I've read. If possible when is the best time to open the lid and try to remove it. It has been going for 24 hours now and has a nice krausen going.

 

[ILoveBeer2]

Leave it alone. It will be fine. Fishing it out will not help and can introduce an infection.

 

[manny383]

I've got an orange creamsicle ale in the secondary right now that had a few bits of the dried orange rind in the primary for 2 weeks. It looks and smells great. RDWHAHB

 

[Johnnyhamer]

Thanks for the reassuring advice. Wort tasted great. Subtle orange flavor went very well with the wheat.

 

[Ridire]

Now you've got me nervous. I have 0.5 oz of dried orange zest I added to the boil. I dumped trub and all into fermenter. Next time I see that fermenter, beer will have been in it 5 weeks.

Should I be worried?

 

[Johnnyhamer]

From what I've been told don't worry about it. I'm just leaving it ferment for 2 weeks and bottling some of it with added orange extract.

 

[peanasky]

It'll be fine. If it was boiled with the rest of the wort, everything will be okay. From what I understand the majority of "rotting" comes from bacterial infestation and such, so boiling it and keeping it w/the wort elminates that. I've done the same with some orange zest, and everything turned out fine.

 

[JimmyN]

Theres a recipe for a blood orange hefeweizen floating around that calls for dumping the zest and flesh of 2-3 oranges into primary. I've done it, and after 3-4 weeks it tasted amazing. I wouldn't worry about it at all.

 

[Johnnyhamer]

Now you have me wanting to add oranges to the primary, JimmyN

 

[JeepDiver]

My wit's and Blue Moon Clones I leave the orange and corriander in the fermenter from anywhere between 3-6 weeks depending on when I get around too it. Been doing at least 2 batches a year, and never had a problem

 

[sweetcell]

on my first batch ever i ended up with orange zest in primary. after a few days of fermentation i panicked, bent a coathanger and spear-fished those suckers outta there. my brew had an overly-zested taste to it (maybe because i left it in there too long, or i maybe because i added too much into the boil) but it faded quickly. ended up being a kick-ass witbier.

moral of the story: don't worry.

 

[Johnnyhamer]

I debated spearfishing for orange zest -__-

 

[Johnnyhamer]

Beer taste great. A basic wheat that has a delicate citrus aroma and light citrus taste. Not as in your face a shock top.