Adding fruit?

[curtisdahl]

So I've heard serval people say that adding fruit in the primary really doesn't add any flavor because of the fermenting and that any fruit for flavor should be added to the secondary. Is this true from your experience? Or have I been listening to someone who is disgruntled from a failed attempt? Also if it is better to add in the secondary how long should that sit before bottling? Thanks everyone

 

[Beernik]

The rapid CO2 release from a vigorous fermentation will carry a lot of fruit aromatics out of the primary.

If you don't want to secondary, wait until almost all ther primary fermentation is complete, then add the fruit. I did this to a cherry bock because I was too lazy to rack.

Also, fruit with lots of pulp, like pumpkin and banana, form thick sludge blankets in fermentors, those you want to add to a mash or pulp in a mesh bag and add the liquid.

Most of my beers, I give 2 weeks in primary. I could probably do less. If I secondary, I given them another 2 weeks. But the basic rules apply: unless you are aging for a specific reason, once fermentation is complete, it's ready for the next step.

 

[fatbloke]

Often the thing that gives us the idea of using a specific fruit is its natural flavour. Yet if its had a full ferment that's not the flavour you're gonna end up with is it.....

Primary fermentation is quite a harsh process and as already pointed out, you can lose a lot of aromatics and more subtle flavours straight out the airlock (this is why I don't use champagne yeasts - they seem to do that more than other types).

So you can either use all the fruit as a late addition or you can rack a finished base brew off its first sediment and then stabilise it and rack it onto the fruit.

Of course, every action has a direct and opposite..........etc etc

So full primary ferment will give the most alcohol, late addition would likely give less but a more fruity flavour and racked base onto fruit a little less but slightly more flavour again and depth of fruit flavour corresponding to the amount of fruit.

Each different way has pro's and cons. The amount of juice in the fruit, whether its a fruit that has "issues" in how it reacts to the stage that you're using it at, lots of fibre etc etc.

I mean, we all love things like raspberries, but for me ? I'd use say 3 to 4lb per gallon and only maybe 1lb of that in primary, the rest either late or in secondary. Rasps lose so much of their flavour (and quite a bit of colour) but are surprisingly acidic and powerfully flavoured - they can dominate the flavour, whereas when there is still sweetness you retain more of the original flavour.

Its the wine judge in our brain that has to think on what we actually want from fruit additions and how to achieve that.....