Nectarine puree in beer

[the-adjunct-hippie]

So I want to make a split beer - half nectarine witbier/half lime witbier.

The main product is already finished, so I'm going to split it into two different secondary vessels and do one with lime and one with nectarine.

I figured I would puree the nectarines to get the most out of them (I have 3 for 2 gallons). Since fruit has a lot of bacteria, what would the best route be for this? I was thinking about sanitizing some hop bags, and then after puree'ing the nectarines to set them and the hop bags in vodka for a few hours.

Now as for the lime, what's the best way to go about adding lime? I've heard about zesting on top of the beer but I would kind of like some of the fruit too. Is puree a good method here as well? Same sanitization?

Also, is it good to freeze fruit before hand so it breaks the cell walls for more release?

How about doing a slurry with a SO2 (campden) tablet?

Thanks!

 

[jfolks]

I would do more like 6-10 nectarines in 2 gallons. You won’t get much flavor from 3. Don’t worry about sanitation - just wash them and maybe lightly spritz them with star San before processing them. Otherwise you’ll be sacrificing the delicate flavors of the fruit.

Lime zest should be sufficient - citrus fruit pulp doesn’t do well in beer. You could squeeze a bit in though. Again, just wash and sanitize.

Don’t fear the fruit!