Another fruit in the beer thread. With questions.

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wulfsburg

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I have many questions about adding fruit flavor to beers. I want to add peach flavor to my cream ale. I have searched the forums and am having trouble getting a straight answer. This is my 4th batch and it is a cream ale recipe from Northern Brewer that I want to modify. I am going to ferment it in a primary for 9-14 days (to allow for clearing) and then possible move to a secondary depending on what people suggest with "fruiting the beer".

1.Can someone link me a complete pasteurization process?
2.Do I need to skin fresh fruit before pasteurization?
3.If I use any other fruit, is store bought fruit frozen in a bag sterile? (In other words does it need pasteurization?)
4.Is store bought puree sanitized? (I imagine so)
5.Where can I buy puree and or fruit flavored extract? Which is better to use? (I have heard to just add extract to your bottling bucket before bottling for a less hassle than adding real fruit; with the same flavor)
6.Is it common practice to put the fruit in a sock so all the fruit doesn't become a pain to separate from the beer? If so, best way to sterilize a sock?
7.I have heard of soaking fruit in vodka to sterilize it and then add it to the a secondary before racking on it. Is this a good idea?

I might change to a blonde ale, as I have 3 pounds of strawberries that were fresh , that I have frozen, but will need to be pasteurized.

I know the joy of homebrewing, is that everyone does it differently. If you could offer some insight/opinions on how YOU do it, comparing and contrasting to other reasons (in the interest of time/cost/hassle), that would be AWESOME!!
Thanks for reading.
:mug:
 
1) sulfiting would be easiest. Pick up some Campden tablets from your LHBS and follow the instructions on the package. If you want to use heat, then just put the fruit in some water, heat it to 150* to 180* and keep it there for half an hour.

2)No. The skins will contain more pectin than the meat of the fruit though, so it's still recommended.

3)No. It's clean, but not sterile.

4) Yes, canned fruit is sterilized by the canning process.

5)You can pick up both from your LHBS or most grocery stores. The puree is actual fruit, but the flavor bottles are synthetic. They will be different flavors so just go with whichever you prefer.

6) You can pick up a muslin grain bag from a brew store that should hold a few pounds of fruit. Sanitize it by dunking it in Starsan, or you can just include it with your fruit when you pasteurize it.

7) It will work. Using vodak to sterilize a few pounds of fruit will extract a fair amount of the sugar and flavor though, and if you add in that much it will probably jump your ABV up into uncomfortable levels. That type of process lends itself to adding herb flavors a bit better than adding fruit.
 
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