Blood Orange Juice + Beer

[dadbrew]

I've got 1 gallon of unpasteurized blood orange juice from my tree in the freezer. It's a pale reddish-orange color, and very sweet; I lightly filtered the juice, so there's a little bit of pulp in it.

I want to use this juice in a beer recipe, but I wanted to hear any suggestions y'all might have. As of right now, I'm doing partial-mash (4-5lbs grain + 1 lb DME + 3.15 lbs LME), but might be able to brew all-grain after father's day, depending on how loved I am.

Main questions:
- In terms of fermentables, my first ideas involved either wheat/pilsner, 100% pilsner, or 100% 2-row - thoughts? Going to shoot for a dry, boozy mash of 148-150.
- LME and DME would either be wheat or pale.
- When could/should/would I add the OJ? At the end of the boil to pasteurize it? At some other point?
- With the addition of OJ, I'm thinking I can either embrace the citrus character of the juice and use hops with citrusy notes or work against the citrus of the OJ with earthier, spicier hops - what would y'all enjoy or like to taste/use?
- Safale US-05 is the house yeast around here, so I'm sticking to that, unless Yooper drops something epic.


Thanks for your help.

 

[Burquebrewer]

If it were me, I'd use a mix of wheat and pilsner malts. I'd also add a hefty amount of honey and make a braggot (you want dry and boozey). For the hops, I think I'd go with a fruity/earthy hop (but not particularly citrusy...i'm thinking stone fruit) that would showcase the orange and honey. I'd add half the BO juice at flameout and half in the secondary.

As far as yeast, I like to use us-05 in my braggots.

 

[triethylborane]

For the hops, I think I'd go with a fruity/earthy hop (but not particularly citrusy...i'm thinking stone fruit) that would showcase the orange and honey.

Huell Melon came to my mind right away.

 

[Burquebrewer]

Huell Melon came to my mind right away.

Yes! Hull melon would add an interesting quality. I love hull melon hops.

 

[Burquebrewer]

As of right now, I'm doing partial-mash (4-5lbs grain + 1 lb DME + 3.15 lbs LME), but might be able to brew all-grain after father's day, depending on how loved I am.

I too judge how loved I am by the cool homebrew stuff I get at holidays! LOL. My b-day was yesterday. I got a last straw bottle filler and a gift card to the LBHS!

 

[jtratcliff]

I've made the blood orange hefeweizen recipe from Extreme Brewing... I'm not a huge hefe fan in general but I liked that one.

 

[dadbrew]

Sweet. Thanks for the help y'all. Hadn't at all considered making anything other than beer, so the braggot idea is pretty interesting. Also, that blood ernge hefeweizen sounds like a solid brew as well. Cheers!

 

[bigplunkett]

Id go blood orange ipa but hefe isnt a bad choice

 

[jlanius]

Where are you at in NOLA? I'm bottling a blood orange witbier today, when I came across your post.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Id use a tried and true hefe recipe and cherish that blood orange as I added it.. that will be a special beer!!

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

Anyone have any sources for blood orange pulp?

 

[isomerization]

Vintner's Harvest makes a Blood Orange puree that I've personally used. 1 can in 5 gallon is definitely noticeable. Would depend on the recipe whether you needed 2 cans/5 gallons.

http://www.ritebrew.com/SearchResul...h=Y&Search=blood+orange&Submit.x=0&Submit.y=0

 

[dadbrew]

Does the blood orange juice in my freezer need to be pasteurized? When does one add fruit juice to the beer?

In the boil would kill any nastiness but may mess with that pretty, delicate flavor.

Unpasteurized things post-boil make me nervous.

 

[jlanius]

I don't know why my last reply didnt post, but if you are truly worried about unpasteurized, then go in with the juice at flameout. there will be enough heat in the wort to kill of any bacteria.

 

[dadbrew]

So, yes I am truly worried about putting unpasteurized juice in my post-boil beer. Wouldn't you be? Have you ever used 1/2 gal of fruit juice in the beer? And if so, at what stage?

 

[jlanius]

165 degrees kills all bacteria. I don't how all the ingredients affect the boiling point but at flameout you're still going to be in the neighborhood of 200. If you're juice goes in at this point, before you chill your wort, the heat of the wort will, essentially pasteurize the juice. I used whole oranges not juice, and they went in at 5 minutes before the end of the boil, and stayed throughout fermentation.

 

[boasist]

I'm playing around with a recipe using blood, lemon, and orange ingredients. I was planning on using fresh for the lemons, and this for the blood orange. I've used that product before professionally and I think it's great.

Here is the recipe as well FWIW. Thank you.

Recipe: Flesh and Blood TYPE: All Grain
Style: American IPA
---RECIPE SPECIFICATIONS-----------------------------------------------
SRM: 6.4 SRM SRM RANGE: 6.0-15.0 SRM
IBU: 46.5 IBUs Tinseth IBU RANGE: 40.0-70.0 IBUs
OG: 1.073 SG OG RANGE: 1.056-1.075 SG
FG: 1.012 SG FG RANGE: 1.010-1.018 SG
BU:GU: 0.637 Calories: 246.7 kcal/12oz Est ABV: 8.0 %
EE%: 75.00 % Batch: 6.08 gal Boil: 7.40 gal BT: 60 Mins

---WATER CHEMISTRY ADDITIONS----------------


Total Grain Weight: 16 lbs 7.7 oz Total Hops: 2.50 oz oz.
---MASH/STEEP PROCESS------MASH PH:5.40 ------
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD WATER CHEMICALS BEFORE GRAINS!!<<<<<<<
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
13 lbs 4.3 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 1 80.5 %
1 lbs 7.4 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 2 8.9 %
1 lbs 3.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.2 %
8.9 oz Caravienne Malt (22.0 SRM) Grain 4 3.4 %


Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 3.10 gal of water at 168.5 F 148.0 F 75 min

---SPARGE PROCESS---
>>>>>>>>>>-RECYCLE FIRST RUNNINGS & VERIFY GRAIN/MLT TEMPS: 72.0 F/72.0 F
>>>>>>>>>>-ADD BOIL CHEMICALS BEFORE FWH
Fly sparge with 7.17 gal water at 168.0 F

---BOIL PROCESS-----------------------------
Est Pre_Boil Gravity: 1.066 SG Est OG: 1.073 SG
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.50 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 5 12.2 IBUs
0.50 oz Warrior [16.80 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 6 20.5 IBUs
1.44 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 7 -
1.22 oz Lemon Zest (Boil 15.0 mins) Spice 8 -
3.50 oz Lemon Flesh (Boil 10.0 mins) Flavor 9 -
1.00 oz Orange Peel, Sweet (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 10 -

Amt Name Type # %/IBU
0.75 oz Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
0.75 oz Warrior [15.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60. Hop 12 13.7 IBUs

---FERM PROCESS-----------------------------
Primary Start: 18 Jun 2017 - 4.00 Days at 67.0 F
Secondary Start: 22 Jun 2017 - 10.00 Days at 67.0 F
Style Carb Range: 2.20-2.70 Vols
Bottling Date: 02 Jul 2017 with 2.3 Volumes CO2:
---NOTES------------------------------------

 

[5mooth0perator]

My local coffee shop had a Seville Orange Coffe blend, that was surprisingly refreshing. I couldn't help but wonder ... Seville Orange Stout hopped with some citrus bitters.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I just purchased a 3 lbs. 1 oz. can of vintners harvest blood orange purée. Any idea on a recommended amount to go into a 5 gallon batch of hefeweizen?

 

[Revvy]

I had no issues with putting unpasteurized juice/pulp in my fermenter for my Hibiscus, Blood Orange and Sichuan Peppercorn Witbier.

 

[dadbrew]

Thanks Revvy! Cool recipe too, will have to give that one a shot. Hey TrustyOlJohnson, click on the Rev's recipe link - he used 12 blood ernge's, which I would say most likely clocks in at around 3 lbs of juice, give or take.

I'm going to brew 6 gallons of blonde ale and pull 1 gallon off once primary is complete. The ratio of .5 gallons of blood orange juice to 5 gallons of beer is 10 to 1), so I will, then:

- Add .1 gallon (approx 13 oz) of regular, store-bought OJ to the gallon fermenter and let sit in secondary for 2-3 weeks
- bottle the remaining 5 gallons of blonde ale
- bottle the 1 gallon of OJ/blonde and pray to St. Joseph for good results

 

[Revvy]

I have spent the last 2 days driving around metro-Detroit, hitting every fruit market and even whole foods....and there is almost NO blood orange ANYTHING to be found right now. I had planned to brew a juniper berry and blood orange Kolsch this weekend.

I did manage to find both Blood Orange Italian soda and Blood Orange bitters at whole paycheck. I think I'm going to go with the bitters. I think with the various botanicals in it, it will work with the Juniper Berries.....

Not sure how I'm going to handle the bitters.... I'm not even sure how much to use. I'm thinking maybe getting two bottles and reduce it to a thick concentrated syrup like I do when I make my pomegranate witbier where I take 2, 1.5 quart bottles of POM juice and boil it down by half, and add it in the last 15 of the boil.

I'm holding off on brewing the beer now til next weekend- Just in case I can come up with some else blood orange.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I looked for blood oranges, then found out they are out of season.. bought a 3lb 1oz can of blood orange vintners puree.. racked the hefe onto it and will bottle it next week.. it was a nice hefe to start.. almost no clove and light to medium banana..

 

[dadbrew]

Yeah Rev, sorry to say that citrus season, at least in Louisiana, doesn't usually start until November at the earliest. I usually harvest from my tree in late February. Lots of cool stuff on the webs about how blood ernge gets that red color from high temperature variances from day to night. If you remember to let me know how that bitters idea works out I would appreciate it! Thanks for the help.

 

[dadbrew]

Good luck Trusty! That sounds delicious

 

[isomerization]

I looked for blood oranges, then found out they are out of season.. bought a 3lb 1oz can of blood orange vintners puree.. racked the hefe onto it and will bottle it next week.. it was a nice hefe to start.. almost no clove and light to medium banana..

I recently made a blood orange wit with this same puree (more of a juice really) and it came out excellent. The blood orange flavor is actually quite prominent considering only one 49 oz can was used.

 

[boasist]

I have spent the last 2 days driving around metro-Detroit, hitting every fruit market and even whole foods....and there is almost NO blood orange ANYTHING to be found right now. I had planned to brew a juniper berry and blood orange Kolsch this weekend.

I did manage to find both Blood Orange Italian soda and Blood Orange bitters at whole paycheck. I think I'm going to go with the bitters. I think with the various botanicals in it, it will work with the Juniper Berries.....

Not sure how I'm going to handle the bitters.... I'm not even sure how much to use. I'm thinking maybe getting two bottles and reduce it to a thick concentrated syrup like I do when I make my pomegranate witbier where I take 2, 1.5 quart bottles of POM juice and boil it down by half, and add it in the last 15 of the boil.

I'm holding off on brewing the beer now til next weekend- Just in case I can come up with some else blood orange.

Chef Source in Canton has the puree I listed earlier in stock.

 

[Revvy]

Chef Source in Canton has the puree I listed earlier in stock.

You may indeed be my hero for the next little while... I never even heard of that place. :rockin:

 

[Burquebrewer]

I've just found that a local farmers market nearby in Albuquerque carries frozen, 100% not from concentrate blood orange juice. This stuff is imported from Italy. They have two types, Mongibello and Aliseo. Anyone know the differences between the two?

I'm really excited to find new quality ingredients to incorporate into my brew process.

 

[ajw85]

https://amoretti.com/collections/craft-purees/products/blood-orange-craft-puree

 

[dadbrew]

Hey Burque - looks like those two blood orange juices are brands, not types of blood oranges. Most Italian blood oranges are from Sicily, grown in that rad volcanic soil and having a super-intense red color due to that high temperature variation between day and night. One of the reasons my blood oranges aren't that "bloody" is because Louisiana doesn't have that same kind of temperature variance you find in mountainous climes, but I digress.

There are three types of blood oranges in Sicily that they usually blend together to make the juice - Moro, Tarocco, and Sanguinello. I confess, I don't know that much about blood oranges, but everything that I know I got from these two websites:

https://www.sanpellegrinofruitbeverages.com/intl/en/blood-orange-724

http://www.lsuagcenter.com/~/media/...e66229eb7bf1d7f/pub1234lahomecitruslowres.pdf

So, in short, it seems like those two blood orange juices you found are going to be pretty similar. Buy them both! Taste them! Make gorgeous mimosas with them! Brew beer with them! Blood oranges are friggin rad.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I recently made a blood orange wit with this same puree (more of a juice really) and it came out excellent. The blood orange flavor is actually quite prominent considering only one 49 oz can was used.

Thats what I'm hoping for.. it took off and started bubbling with a small krausen within a few hours after I racked the hefe onto the blood orange purée. I will taste test it tomorrow or Friday and bottle in bombers so I'll drink it quick.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I recently made a blood orange wit with this same puree (more of a juice really) and it came out excellent. The blood orange flavor is actually quite prominent considering only one 49 oz can was used.

Thats what I'm hoping for.. it took off and started bubbling with a small krausen within a few hours after I racked the hefe onto the blood orange purée. I will taste test it tomorrow or Friday and bottle in bombers so I'll drink it quick.

 

[TrustyOlJohnson]

I have had a blood orange hefe at a bar out east, and I really enjoyed it.. that was my inspiration for doing this.. I've also had the blood orange gose from Anderson Valley.. Very good!!

 

[jlanius]

I used about 10 fresh blood oranges at flameout. Just the pulp and zest. None of the white pith. Kept them in through primary. Out the keg it had barely little orange flavor. More of an aroma than a taste. Not sure what went wrong. Maybe yeast ate up all the sugar, but didn t have particularly violent fermentation. I can get pulp from the restaurant I work at. Gonna try that during either cold crash or carbing in the keg

 

[dadbrew]

Alright y'all, it's done. And it only took me 8 months.

Here's the short end of the update:

• I can brew all-grain now, and whipped up 9 gallons of a no-nonsense wheat beer (50% 2 row, 50% white wheat, Sorachi Ace and Nelson Sauvin, Nottingham yeast, OG 1.049)
• I put 5 gallons in one fermenter (bucket), and 4 gallons in another (carboy), and let them ferment out
• After 2 weeks I bottled the bucket and added 1 gallon of fresh-squeezed blood orange juice to the carboy (I double-bagged the juice in gallon ziplocs and put it in the freezer to kill any bugs, thawed it out, then dipped the bag into a bucket of starsan)
• I let the carboy sit for another 12 days and then bottled it (thanks for this tip from your Blood Orange/Hibiscus/szechuan freakshow of delicious, Revvy)
• I did not take a gravity reading on the juice, but the Nottingham took the un-juiced and the juiced beer down to 1.006, so the juiced beer definitely has a bit of a punch to it in terms of ABV.
• The juiced beer is very good - it's dry and somewhat tart, with a hint of pleasant grassiness a la sauvignon blanc (this characteristic is totally absent from the unjuiced beer). There is a definite citrus character to it that is more pronounced than I thought it would be, but it definitely plays well with the Sauvin/Sorachi. Most people who have tasted the juiced beer say that it has characteristics of a wine, which I guess is pretty cool, but it's definitely beer. I literally have no idea what I'm talking about in terms of taste, I just drink things and describe what my mouth is telling me (most often it tells me to shut up and drink more and then go make the kids their lunches for tomorrow)
• I'm definitely doing this again

 

[jlanius]

Did you filter? It's beautiful!! FWIW, freezing doesn't kill bacteria, it only keeps it from propagating. You kill it with sanitizer, or heat.