Raspberry Addition - Sanitize with Grapeseed Extract

I have been looking for a way to sanitize my raspberries without partially boiling them and releasing some off flavors and basically working with jam. I remember from when I lived in Mexico for a few months we use to soak everything in Grapeseed Extract. I am thinking about using it here, a few drops goes a long way and you can literally drink the stuff diluted.

Anyone have any experience using it in this type of application? I will definitely let everyone know if this works out. It may be a nice way to sanitize fruit from now on.

 

I have always frozen the raspberries, then dipped them in Starsan solution. Then put them in. That way to much of the flavor is not released when in starsan

 

Frozen fruit im pretty sure I read was already sanitized before they were flash frozen. In any case, cheap vodka wash does the trick, or starsan if ya want

 

Vodka has to be over 120 proof to kill bacteria/germs.

Starsan can be re-used multiple times over several weeks

 

I was thinking about Starsan but Grapeseed Extract is made to be consumed. I just don't want that much chemicals in my beer.

 

You can drink Starsan, it's just acid

 

um, Im pretty sure theres always starsan in every beer ive brewed and it doesnt seem to bother anything at all

 

I read you can soak your berries in water along with a campden tablet overnight to sterilize them. I hear Star San is extremely harmless when diluted with wort/beer. But it does take some getting used to (the idea).

 

Acid and a strong sulfide surfectant. aka dish soap.

if grapeseed extract works, it's because it's mostly alcohol IMHO.

Alcohol works best as a sanitizer between 45 and 75 % ABV. Above 75% it rubberizes the cell walls of the things you'd prefer it to soak into and kill.

That said, a lot of people soak their fruit additions in vodka before adding to beer and we rarely if ever hear of any problems coming from that. In addition, the vodka will help draw out alcohol-soluble flavor compounds that might not come out as easily in relatively low-ABV solutions like beer.

 

You can use alcohol- I use Everclear for a number of chores. Starsan will work also. For fresh fruit that I use for my meads, I use distilled white vinegar. Just give them a little soak and then a rinse.

 

So what are the problems with heat pasteurizing berries?

I was planning to make a Mulberry Hef soon with 1.5 cups of berries and was just going to pasteurize and add them to the secondary.

 

when you pasteurize them, it makes the sugars unfermentable, and also turns them into a jelly like substance. And getting them to the 180-190 degree temp, the water will absorb a lot of the flavor / aroma.

 

Are you sure about pasteurized sugars being unfermentable? I didn't think that 180-190f was hot enough to caramelize.

 

Well it may just be me then, but last time I tried it, I did raspberries, and a lot of the seeds exploded. And it made them rubbery. Then I switched to Starsan. But I think I may be taking the unfermentable portion from my Cider making days.

 

Test it with a small amount of berries (less than a handful) and then Taste them. Im pretty sure I remember reading that high temps gelatinize fruits

 

heat-pasteurized cider has set pectin in it, rendering it cloudy, which some say will never clear out. I'm not sure if that's true or whether it will come out with an application of pectic enzyme a few days before fermentation.

 

The non pasteurized cider doesn't clear, the pasteurized stuff does

 

That can't be true.

Earlier this year i bought a gallon of raw unfiltered unpasteurized cider. The orchard i bought it from was storing it frozen solid. When thawed out, it was still opaque.

I treated it with campden and pectic enzyme and fermented it with nottingham.

It went in brown and murky, but came out pure and clear and golden, a bit reminiscent of champagne actually.

Unfortunately i didn't use enough campden and eventually it turned into really effervescent, nasty flavored vinegar.

 

I didn't treat it

 

Starsan or a 3:1 water to white vinegar solution

 

Starsan it is. Glad I saw this thread.