apricot wheat beer

[Jim Karr]

Now it's time for a really silly question!

I'm planning a batch of wheat beer, and I'd like to add an apricot flavor.

I am in possession of a jar of apricot preserves, all natural, no added sugar. Could this possibly be used? If so, would I add it to the fermenter directly, or throw it into the blender first to liquify?

I know I can't put it into the boil, since the pectins would be increased. Any ideas?

 

[AllHoppedUp]

Wouldn't preserves be pretty close to liquified already? Preserves are like jam right? I've only used whole fruit before. Once I added to primary, once I added to secondary. I won't be adding to secondary anymore. I failed to anticpate a second krausen and the carboy puked all over the floor.

So, I would just open'er up and toss into primary. Just my opinion.

AHU

 

[SkewedBrewing]

There are many different opinions on the subject of fruit beers. I am going to do a fruit wheat beer next, also. The best way I have come up with is making a puree and then adding it to the secondary when you rack. Just remember to put your airlock on like AllHoppedUp said, because there will be a second krausen.

 

[Passload]

How much fruit or honey puree do you add to the secondary?

 

[BrewBrothaRick]

This is not a silly question at all. I look forward to a good answer too.

 

[djmd]

I made an extract blueberry wheat, and we are drinking it now. It's pretty good - but I didn't use any specialty grains. I wish I would have - cause it would have brought the sweet side of the blueberries out a little. It's still really good though.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i'd add the fruit puree or preserves to the secondary, and rack on top of it. make sure you have some headspace, because it can have a second fermentation due to the extra sugars from the fruit and the yeast still in suspension. some can be more active than others. depends on the temp, amount of fruit added, etc.

 

[casebrew]

How much fruit or honey puree do you add to the secondary?

My reading points to about 1# of raw fruit per gallon of beer. I'd guess that preserves are concentrated some already, especially those with no sugars added. You would have to read through some fruit preseve recipes to guess at how many pounds of fruit there are in a quart of preserves. I know that Contadina puts 8 great tomatoes in that littly bitty can....

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i dug through my old recipes and found my blueberry wheat. i added a 3lb. can of Oregon blueberry fruit puree for 5 gallons. but, like casebrew mentioned, it may be different for the preserves?

 

[jazzbass]

I just did a Cherry Wheat last nite. The recipe calls for
a 46 oz can of cherry puree.

I think I may rack to a secondary, clean out the trub and rack
back to the primary for a second ferment just to avoid a possibble
mess.

 

[AllHoppedUp]

There are many different opinions on the subject of fruit beers. I am going to do a fruit wheat beer next, also. The best way I have come up with is making a puree and then adding it to the secondary when you rack. Just remember to put your airlock on like AllHoppedUp said, because there will be a second krausen.

You will either need a 6.5 gal. secondary or a blow off hose then because the krausen needs someplace to go. That is unless your batch is smaller than 5 gal.

AHU

 

[Pumbaa]

I am in possession of a jar of apricot preserves, all natural, no added sugar. Could this possibly be used?

Personally I would stick to fresh fruit or something less processed myself like dried or pureed fruit, BUT thats just a personal choice not based on anything other then my preference.

When I made my blueberry wheat beer, which is freeking awesome , I used dried blueberries right into the secondary, then racked on top of them and let the sit for a few weeks. I boiled some water, threw them in after turning the heat off and let them sit until I was ready to add them. I added the water they were sitting in as well because I didnt want to lose any flavor.

How much fruit or honey puree do you add to the secondary?

How much of the fruit flavor do you want? I used 2 lbs of dried blueberries and ended up with just a hint of the blueberry tastes, but for me it's exactly what I wanted. I wanted a ale that was a wheet ale with just a afterthought of blueberries. I have had more then a few of Lienies Berrywiess and to me it was too sweet and wanted to avoid that. Check out the recipiator and look at some of those fruit beer recipies some of them add a LOT of fruit some dont. Your best bet here is to make a batch and then tweek it while making sucessive batches to get it just the way you want it.

You will either need a 6.5 gal. secondary or a blow off hose then because the krausen needs someplace to go.

I agree here. I never thought about it when I made my batch but you are adding a pretty decent amount of sugar back into the beer and your yeast will throw another party in there, so be ready for it. Also dont expect to bottle your beer anytime soon because after the party you are going to have to wait for the mess to settle out and you'll have some extra floaters from the fruit. My "Fruit Floaters" never really seemed to settle much but I bottled anyway. I figure that if you bite into a piece of cherry pie and hit a pit you know it's real cheeries in that pie . . . so if ya get a tiny blueberry floater in your bottle of beer you know it's real blueberries.

 

[opreska]

I have a question that I think will go along with this thread. A buddy and I brewed a total of 10 gallons of the same beer. We then split it up into two seperate fermenters ( 5 gall a piece). Anyway, we decided to use extract ( the stuff that comes in the little bottles, for 5 gallons) One was blueberry, the other, apricot. We decided to add the extract right before racking. We added the extract in with the priming sugar, at the end of the boil. Brought the temp down to 80 and then added it to the wort. Well, both our beers turned out with zero flavor. Both tasted pretty much the same, not a hint of berry or apricot. Since I'm still new to brewing, I was wondering what possibly went wrong? Do you think that adding it to the priming sugar caused the flavors to go flat? Are you supposed to just add the extract directly into the beer without heating it?
Does extract just plain suck?

 

[Dude]

I have a question that I think will go along with this thread. A buddy and I brewed a total of 10 gallons of the same beer. We then split it up into two seperate fermenters ( 5 gall a piece). Anyway, we decided to use extract ( the stuff that comes in the little bottles, for 5 gallons) One was blueberry, the other, apricot. We decided to add the extract right before racking. We added the extract in with the priming sugar, at the end of the boil. Brought the temp down to 80 and then added it to the wort. Well, both our beers turned out with zero flavor. Both tasted pretty much the same, not a hint of berry or apricot. Since I'm still new to brewing, I was wondering what possibly went wrong? Do you think that adding it to the priming sugar caused the flavors to go flat? Are you supposed to just add the extract directly into the beer without heating it?
Does extract just plain suck?

First off, I'm confused on when you added this priming sugar. Did you add it right before you bottled the beer?

Second, how much extract did you add to each?

 

[opreska]

Yeah, sorry about the confusion. Yes, I added the priming sugar right before I bottled the beer. I added 2 oz of extract, along with the priming sugar. ( 2oz berry in one fermenter, 2oz apricot in another)

 

[opreska]

The directions said to add at bottling. However, I thought it might be safe to add in with the priming sugar since it might kill any bacteria. Anyway, no flavor. Do you think I should have not heated it? More extract perhaps? ( 4oz.?)

 

[TheDanimal]

The directions said to add at bottling. However, I thought it might be safe to add in with the priming sugar since it might kill any bacteria. Anyway, no flavor. Do you think I should have not heated it? More extract perhaps? ( 4oz.?)

I just used one of the those small bottles of fruity extract myself for the first time in an american light ale. One of those extract kit beers. I've never used the fruity extract before and decided to try it for the heck of it. Anyway the fruity extract I used was probably the same type of thing you had. The directions for mine were to mix the extract so that it had a concentration of 1% by volume or 4oz to 5oz per 5 gallons wort. Your 2oz might not have been enough to be able to taste it. I doubt the boiling it with the priming sugar had any undesired effects. Also, for darker beers with strong flavors to begin with, will make the fruity exctract less noticable.

I'm wondering if it will taste like artificial flavoring when its done. Anyone ever compared the fruity extracts to using actual fruits?

 

[mgortel]

When I made my blueberry wheat beer, which is freeking awesome ,

Any chance of getting your recipe?