Adding Fruit to Beer

[Left_Coast_Buc]

Hey all. Just signed up and this is my first post.
I just started home brewing and I want to add fruit into my next batch. I've researched and read a bunch of different things so I'd like to reach out to you on here.
When is the best time to add the fruit? During secondary fermentation? During the boil?
Do you freeze the fruit first? Steep it? Cook it in the oven first?
Being new to this I'd like something simple, but I know fruit can be tricky and I want to do it right!
Any information and guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advanced.

 

[TwistedGray]

Hey all. Just signed up and this is my first post.
I just started home brewing and I want to add fruit into my next batch. I've researched and read a bunch of different things so I'd like to reach out to you on here.
When is the best time to add the fruit? During secondary fermentation? During the boil?
Do you freeze the fruit first? Steep it? Cook it in the oven first?
Being new to this I'd like something simple, but I know fruit can be tricky and I want to do it right!
Any information and guidance would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advanced.

I used to add fruit to a secondary; however, I am not adding it earlier on and it's having (for me) better results. I would not add the fruit to the boil, and I don't think anyone recommends that approach.

I always always will put fresh fruit in the freezer overnight; there are good reasons to do so (benefits through the cellular disruption when freezing the fruit).

I do remove the fruit after a few days in the beer (make sure you don't get mold on the fruit). I do not cook fruit in the oven first; however, most people that do coconut additions will roast/bake their coconut to add flavor. I imagine you can do the same to other fruit to impact that flavor; however, I'm not sure any of us do that (exception being coconut of course).

What type of beer are you brewing? That would influence how I might suggest additions.

 

[Jag75]

Hey , welcome to HBT ! You picked a doozie for your 1st brew. You ever heard of more then 1 way to skin a cat? Lol. I've done quite of few beers with fruit . I usually freeze the fruit , thaw then rack the beer over. I've pureed before as well. I leave the blueberries in for 2 weeks for my sour.

 

[Drunken Draftsman]

I split my first batch and put half of it over fruit (I was too scared to do the whole thing). I've done 10+ batches with fruit since and always just freeze my fruit, thaw, and then rack the beer into my secondary over the fruit. I've had good luck using frozen fruit instead of fresh and it tends to be cheaper, but I have also found that you get more flavor from the fresh fruit than from the frozen.

I agree that knowing what fruit you're thinking about, as well as what type of beer you're planning on putting it in, will help us to give better feedback.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

I used to add fruit to a secondary; however, I am not adding it earlier on and it's having (for me) better results. I would not add the fruit to the boil, and I don't think anyone recommends that approach.

I always always will put fresh fruit in the freezer overnight; there are good reasons to do so (benefits through the cellular disruption when freezing the fruit).

I do remove the fruit after a few days in the beer (make sure you don't get mold on the fruit). I do not cook fruit in the oven first; however, most people that do coconut additions will roast/bake their coconut to add flavor. I imagine you can do the same to other fruit to impact that flavor; however, I'm not sure any of us do that (exception being coconut of course).

What type of beer are you brewing? That would influence how I might suggest additions.

Thank you for the reply. I have an extra wheat mix that I'm going to brew. I just brewed a standard wheat and with this extra one I want to do something different.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

Hey , welcome to HBT ! You picked a doozie for your 1st brew. You ever heard of more then 1 way to skin a cat? Lol. I've done quite of few beers with fruit . I usually freeze the fruit , thaw then rack the beer over. I've pureed before as well. I leave the blueberries in for 2 weeks for my sour.

Thanks for the reply! I should've been more specific in my original post. I have an extra wheat mix that I want to use. I have already brewed a standard wheat and with this extra one I want to do something different. Thank you for the insight.

 

[TwistedGray]

How did the original come out @Left_Coast_Buc ?

 

[enkamania]

I do a couple of fruit beers and mostly puree and add after about day four of fermentation. Watermelon I've frozen the puree and then unfroze to get the concentrate out of it.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

I split my first batch and put half of it over fruit (I was too scared to do the whole thing). I've done 10+ batches with fruit since and always just freeze my fruit, thaw, and then rack the beer into my secondary over the fruit. I've had good luck using frozen fruit instead of fresh and it tends to be cheaper, but I have also found that you get more flavor from the fresh fruit than from the frozen.

I agree that knowing what fruit you're thinking about, as well as what type of beer you're planning on putting it in, will help us to give better feedback.

Thank you for the feedback. I have a wheat mix that I need to use up. I do have a lot of fresh dragonfruit that was given to me that I was thinking of using.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

How did the original come out @Left_Coast_Buc ?

Still have another week to go. I bottled it last week. I'm extremely bored with this whole quarantine nonsense. I also find brewing very therapeutic.

 

[TwistedGray]

Still have another week to go. I bottled it last week. I'm extremely bored with this whole quarantine nonsense. I also find brewing very therapeutic.

So it's been bottled for a week? If so, pop one in the fridge for a day and try it. Better to know if you like it then to brew about batch of the same.

Dragon fruit - go for 1.5-2lbs per gallon if possible, as you know it is subtle. Usually 1:1 works.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

So it's been bottled for a week? If so, pop one in the fridge for a day and try it. Better to know if you like it then to brew about batch of the same.

Dragon fruit - go for 1.5-2lbs per gallon if possible, as you know it is subtle. Usually 1:1 works.

Thank you very much @TwistedGray.
With the Dragon Fruit, should I cut it up, put in the freezer overnight, then add it to fermentation? Or is there another step somewhere? Sorry for all the questions, just want to do this the correct way. I do know this is more trial and error.

 

[Drunken Draftsman]

Thank you very much @TwistedGray.
With the Dragon Fruit, should I cut it up, put in the freezer overnight, then add it to fermentation? Or is there another step somewhere? Sorry for all the questions, just want to do this the correct way. I do know this is more trial and error.

I normally cut my fruit then freeze it for a day or two. Overnight is probably fine, I just tend to be overly cautious. Then I let the fruit thaw and add it to an empty, sanitized fermenter. After fermentation is over, when you would normally bottle, rack the beer over the fruit. I typically let that fermenter sit for a week, occasionally two, before bottling/kegging.

If you don't have a second fermenter you can add your fruit to the primary, but I would still wait for fermentation to be complete and be careful to avoid adding oxygen to the beer.

 

[Leezer]

+1 to freezing the fruit first. After that I thaw it, crush it up with either a handheld blender or potato masher, and add a calculated amount of vodka to sit for a few days in fridge. I then add this mixture to the primary fermenter. Have done this for blueberries, rasberries, and strawberry/rhubarb.

 

[TwistedGray]

As you can see, different opinions and methods.

I would cut it up, freeze it, and pitch it a day into fermentation and directly into the primary. (That's based on my personal experience.) Once finished fermenting I'd transfer to a bottling bucket then bottle and keg.

You can do a secondary, but I prefer not. You can do a tincture, but I prefer not.

 

[Left_Coast_Buc]

As you can see, different opinions and methods.

I would cut it up, freeze it, and pitch it a day into fermentation and directly into the primary. (That's based on my personal experience.) Once finished fermenting I'd transfer to a bottling bucket then bottle and keg.

You can do a secondary, but I prefer not. You can do a tincture, but I prefer not.

Thank you @TwistedGray for all the insight. It is much appreciated!

 

[TwistedGray]

Thank you @TwistedGray for all the insight. It is much appreciated!

Just an alternative approach. I'd say the first two dozen or so beers I made were fruited in some variation, and I used to do secondaries on fruit and tinctures. Used to...