Adding orange to a tasteless pale ale.

[thedanimal2013]

I brewed the true brew pale ale kit about a month ago and tasted it after checking the gravity and was very disappointed. It doesn't have any flavor other than the normal unaged beer flavor. I want to try adding orange and letting it sit for another week and I wanted to ask the more seasoned brewers here what I should do. Can I add orange slices instead of zest and get more flavor? Also, how do I go about sanitizing the orange?

 

[beeber]

If you are a hop fan, then why not dry hop with an ounce or two of your favorite hop? If you add orange to whole batch and don't like it, you are out of luck. If you really want orange in there, bottle as is and add slices of orange to each glass afterwards.

If you're going to go the orange route any way, then a quick wash and rinse before you cut it up is all you need to do. Your beer is mostly fermented and the risk of infection is low.

 

[thedanimal2013]

Thanks for the response. Would it be better to add only the zest or add slices? I thought about dry hopping but I thought that only added aroma. The hops that came with it smelled great but I don't remember what they were. This is only my second batch. My first batch was a brewers best Witbier that turned out great.

 

[beeber]

Zest will likely increase the bitterness a bit. If you're looking for orange flavor, then I'd go with fine slices. Perhaps chopped fine slices. Good luck, whatever your choice, it will work fine.

 

[tx-brewer]

My first brew was a hefe and at bottling time seeled to have very little taste and watered down, but after a few weeks in the bottle after cooled and carbed the flavor increased drastically and tasted fine

 

[thedanimal2013]

How many oranges should I slice? I don't want it to be overpowering, I just want a hint of orange.

 

[hillhousesawdustco]

Why don't you clue us in to the recipe for your kit, with your original and final (or current) gravities. Also, why orange? Seems like a good idea or do you happen to have a bushel of oranges laying around?

 

[thedanimal2013]

The recipe kit came with a can of light LME and 2 pounds of light DME and some 6oz of crystal grains to steep. I don't remember what kind of hops it came with but they smelled great and the OG and FG were both within the range the kit said it should be. I'm thinking of adding orange because I like beers with an orange flavor to it.

 

[Calder]

Zest an orange or two, cover with vodka for a few days (or more preferably) and add vodka to beer or bottling bucket.

The zest has the orange oil that give it it's flavor.

 

[thedanimal2013]

Thanks, that's probably what I will do.