Adding Fruit?

[Pelikan]

I'm going to be trying my hand at a Chocolate Raspberry stout next time around. So I'm wondering, can the fruit be added right to the primary, or should I really buy a secondary and add the fruit to that?

If I do need a secondary, could I get another Ale Pail? They're just so easy to work with...

 

[apparatus]

I would get a secondary and add the fruit when ryou rack to secondary. A lot of the fruit flavor will get scrubbed away in primary fermentation.
As for a Ale Pale for the secondary, I would purchase a glass 5 gal carboy instead. You want to minimize the head space while in the secondary. I believe the Ale pale would have to much head space and oxygen exposure.

 

[Pelikan]

Won't the fruit cause a true secondary fermentation, thus displacing the O2 with CO2?

 

[apparatus]

You know that is a good point. You will trigger another fermentation with the fruit and indeed may want the extra head space for the krausen. But, if you are going to spend the money and want to secondary any other of your beers, the Ale pale would not be the best choice. In the case you are mentioning it would probably be fine though.

 

[Pelikan]

Hmm, I'll have to figure it out. I'll have to see what my local brewing store has available. I like the idea of the better bottles. The only reason I shy away from glass is due to the serious horror stories I've read about them.

 

[Pelikan]

Well, even though they had better bottles there, I went with a glass one anyway. I pretty much asked the guy "what would you use for a secondary," and he pointed to a glass five gallon and said "this is what I use." Pretty much sealed it.

I got the little carry handle thing, and am going to be really careful with it. I'm a little nervous after reading some of those stories, but whatever, I'm sure I'll be alright.