big kiwi wheat question

[deantheking101]

I am planning on making a kiwi wheat this weekend. I will be using10# of kiwi's in the primary ans 5# in the secondary. I will be shooting for a OG of 1.07. I want as much kiwi flavor as I can get. I was thinking about adding the kiwis firming the peak of fermentation. This will hopefully prevent any bad bugs. Your thoughts?

 

[Andrew5329]

Just remember that anything you don't add in during your boil you will have to pasteurize separately before you can add it in. I don't know how many people post on this forum about how their fruit beer got infected during a fruit addition.

My only thought on kiwis specifically is that they're very sugary so factor that into your calculations on how much grain to use.

 

[passedpawn]

I made a kiwi beer. Get the kiwi's very cold and peel them with a potato peeler.

Yes, add them after fermentation. Mine was just OK, but it was not infected. Good luck.

 

[deantheking101]

I made a kiwi beer. Get the kiwi's very cold and peel them with a potato peeler.

Yes, add them after fermentation. Mine was just OK, but it was not infected. Good luck.

Thanks for the tip passedpawn. When you say add them "after the fermentation" you added them 24-48 hours after you pitched the yeast?

 

[passedpawn]

Thanks for the tip passedpawn. When you say add them "after the fermentation" you added them 24-48 hours after you pitched the yeast?

Woops, I just went back and looked at my notes (June 2010) and I think I halved them and added to the boil at flameout. I wouldn't do it that way again because I remember what a mess it was getting them into my carboy.

If I did it again, I'd halve them and add when fermentation had slowed down, which for me is about 5 or 6 days after pitch.

 

[passedpawn]

IIRC, the kiwi sank to the bottom. But once the sugars inside them started fermenting, they filled with CO2 and floated. Later they sank again. Some pics

Active fermentation

At bottling time

In the glass

 

[H-Balm]

Wow, kiwi!

That sounds really interesting!
How did the final taste come out?
Worth doing again?