Best Results For Fruit Flavoring In Beer?

[MrShinyCadillacness]

I recently made a Cherry Wheat, used the recipe a local brew store supplied. And for the cherry flavoring, I added a small .125 oz bottle of concentrated cherry flavor. It was alright, but the cherry taste was somewhat artificial to me.

What do you guys do to add a certain fruit flavor? Diced Fruits? A Puree? Concentrated Flavoring? Also could you just add a kool aid packet? lol

 

[SewerRanger]

I'm curious for this one too. I'm looking to add a lot of extra banana kick to a hefewiezen and was wondering what and at what time would be the best to add some variation of banana flavoring.

 

[Got Trub?]

I don't make fruit beers but have heard that the Oregon fruit purees are the way to go. Some of the artificial flavors are better then others - and I believe cherry is one of the worst...

Another trick I have heard is to use the purees or real fruit and then do a final adjustment of the flavour with the artificial stuff if needed.

GT

 

[RICLARK]

I have never made a fruit beer because I dont like them, However I have seen pretty promenent members on here suggest real fruit cut up and put into the secondary.

 

[Ryan_PA]

You should listen to the Jamil Show on fruit beers. He claims to have made 3 versions of the same fruit beer and flavored with the Oregon fruit puree, one with real fruit, and one with extract then had the crew at B3 sample it. The results were that the puree was the best.

 

[landhoney]

I like using real fruit only, not that Oregon/puree isn't real fruit, but I like using real fresh fruit.

 

[SteveM]

I've made a number of them (check the recipe under my signature). I like using fresh fruits but there are things to consider. Extracts seem to hold their flavor better while real fruit flavors will evolve more. Real fruits give you nice colors while extracts do not. And I feel like there is a certain artificiality in the extract flavors - hard to pin down.

 

[skeeordye11]

Could we make this a poll? Extract, Real/Frozen Fruit, or Puree. Planning a Blackberry Hefe and I'd like to gather the general consensus. I've only ever used the extract and I wasn't real pleased with the results.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

Here is one more vote for real fruit only!

 

[paranode]

Real fruit puree in the secondary worked well for me. It did not have a "fake" flavor like artificial flavoring does and it was a subtle aftertone instead of an overpowering fruit flavor, just like I wanted.

I pureed peaches and held it at about 160F for 10 minutes or so to pasteurize it. Put that in secondary and it took off like crazy. Make sure you have a blowoff tube!

 

[medic_35057]

My vote is for real fruit.:rockin: I have made raspberry wheat, blueberry wheat and strawberry wheat with real fruit and they have all turned out to be incredible.

 

[skou]

I don't do fruited beer, but I do do fruited Meads. I, personally, like frozed fruit. I freeze it and thaw it a few times, and this breaks down the cell walls.

steve

 

[adamjab19]

I recently bottled a belgian with the oregon raspberry puree. When I was transferring to the bottling bucket the foam actually looked a little red! The verdict on the taste is still out for me. I think I will be able to better judge the taste after it sits in the bottle for a couple of weeks, gets carbonated and when I chill for drinking. I let the puree sit in secondary for a week and I am wishing now that I would have stirred in the middle of the week. The puree obviously sat on the bottom. So unfoprtuently I am worried all of the flavor sat down there as well, but even still the beer was "turned over" when siphoned into the bottling bucket. Addl. note, there was some bubbles in the airlock for the first couple of days.

 

[Kugster]

I did a Blueberry Wheat and used 6lbs of fresh frozen BB's. A friend of mine is a Chef and he suggested to boil some of the blueberries (2 lbs) to almost carmelazation and added it to my boil @ 15mins. Then I added 1 more pound to fermenter...WOW did that thing take off...almost blew the lid off!! I then added 3 more pounds to my secondary..crushed some of them too. Came out incredible. Even SWMBO loved it...so I'm brewing a second batch this weekend.

Oh yeah...I've used the Oregon Puree and that is real good too...I just like to keep it fresh...ya know what I mean?:rockin:

 

[adamjab19]

Having looked at my beer bottles tonight...They are totally full of junk. I am assuming leftover raspberry puree and the usually home brew junk.

Would a glass carboy dramatically reduce the junk?

What else would reduce the fruit junk in beer?

 

[BearsWickedBrew]

I did a Blueberry Wheat and used 6lbs of fresh frozen BB's. A friend of mine is a Chef and he suggested to boil some of the blueberries (2 lbs) to almost carmelazation and added it to my boil @ 15mins. Then I added 1 more pound to fermenter...WOW did that thing take off...almost blew the lid off!! I then added 3 more pounds to my secondary..crushed some of them too. Came out incredible. Even SWMBO loved it...so I'm brewing a second batch this weekend.

Oh yeah...I've used the Oregon Puree and that is real good too...I just like to keep it fresh...ya know what I mean?:rockin:

I plan on doing a blueberry wheat next for my gf (i guess...SWMBO...what does that stand for?). I'm wondering if I should just pick up a Wheat kit and then do something like mentioned above. I know that bacteria can be dormant when frozen...so is it really ok to just add thawed, previously frozen blueberries to a secondary?

 

[blacklab]

I would avoid the extract stuff. I made a Peach Wheat, and added the peach flavoring at bottling. The 'level' of peach flavor is good, not too overpowering, but the extract has a sort of soapy flavor to it. It tastes different in the way that diet drinks do - just sort of artificial. I'm going puree next time.

 

[ArcaneXor]

Is there any reason for choosing the puree over regular/whole Oregon canned fruit? The prices are comparable on a per-weight basis (after draining the syrup), but the whole fruit can be more easily dosed since the individual cans are much smaller. Ingredients (at least for blackberries) are fruit, water and sugar.

 

[blueskydog]

Hi; I'm new to this forum (and slightly new to the homebrewing community)...anyway, I'm planning on doing a Peach Wheat this weekend, and have a question about sanitation with regard to the peaches (I intend on using real fruit): are there any special measures I should take before adding them to the fermenter to avoid contamination? Thanks in advance...cheers!

 

[toastbrew]

Hi; I'm new to this forum (and slightly new to the homebrewing community)...anyway, I'm planning on doing a Peach Wheat this weekend, and have a question about sanitation with regard to the peaches (I intend on using real fruit): are there any special measures I should take before adding them to the fermenter to avoid contamination? Thanks in advance...cheers!

Yeah, you rinse well and "pasteurize" 'em in 160 degree water for awhile (10 mins, someone said). You dont want bacteria and pesticides in your beer! Hope this helps.

 

[aryiman]

How many #s of blueberries should I add in the secondary? I added 1 zest of orange with 5 mins left in my boil so I do not want the blueberries to overpower the hops and orange flavor. I just want a hint of blueberries. This is a summer wheat so I am curious, I was thinking around 2#s of blueberries in the secondary would be alright. Does anyone have an opinion on this?

 

[Bopper]

I plan on doing a blueberry wheat next for my gf (i guess...SWMBO...what does that stand for?).

SWMBO = "She Who Must Be Obeyed"

 

[Bopper]

Anyone ever add fruit to the primary and then secondary as normal(i.e. no fruit in secondary for clarification and bulk aging only)?

 

[fratermus]

I'm curious for this one too. I'm looking to add a lot of extra banana kick to a hefewiezen and was wondering what and at what time would be the best to add some variation of banana flavoring.

Using a german weizen yeast rather warm (75F) should give you "bananas that punch you in the face" feeling.

I think I prefer banana to clove.