Adding apples to beer

[pdxal]

Hello everyone,
I have a sour beer finishing primary, in the style of a Berliner Weisse. I'm going to be adding Granny Smith apples to it, along with cinnamon sticks, to try to replicate a sour beer I had at Cascade Barrel House in Portland, OR.
I've added other fruits, cherries and berries straight from a can, or after pasteurizing them at 160 degrees, to regular and sour beers with success and without infection.
Any suggestions on how to add the apples? Specifically, should I core them then peel them and add to fermenter, or keep the peel on? Would the peels add more apple flavor, or too many tannins?
Also interested in suggestions on sanitizing the fruit. I'm planning on dunking it in vodka before tossing the fruit in. Any other methods?
Thanks for any and all input!
Cheers.

 

[Vance71975]

Hello everyone,
I have a sour beer finishing primary, in the style of a Berliner Weisse. I'm going to be adding Granny Smith apples to it, along with cinnamon sticks, to try to replicate a sour beer I had at Cascade Barrel House in Portland, OR.
I've added other fruits, cherries and berries straight from a can, or after pasteurizing them at 160 degrees, to regular and sour beers with success and without infection.
Any suggestions on how to add the apples? Specifically, should I core them then peel them and add to fermenter, or keep the peel on? Would the peels add more apple flavor, or too many tannins?
Also interested in suggestions on sanitizing the fruit. I'm planning on dunking it in vodka before tossing the fruit in. Any other methods?
Thanks for any and all input!
Cheers.

I would Core, Run through a blender with a cup or two of the beer and Peptic Enzyme, Let set for 90 mins, Heat to 160 hold for 30 mins, chill and dump into secondary.

 

[pdxal]

Thanks for the advice Vance.
I use pectic enzyme in all fruit beers, and apples are high in pectin, so I'm down with that idea.
Don't you think the blender would liquify the fruit so much clarity will be nil? I was thinking chunks will decrease fiber/starch release into the brew. How about the skins? In or out?
Also, have any apple beer recipes of your own to share?