Brew Day Question

[lancers7x]

So I'm brewing a Hefeweizen today and have decided that I am going to add some fresh lemon zest when I rack to the secondary.

That said, would there be any benefit to also adding a small amount of fresh zest to, say, the last one or two minutes of the boil and then straining it back out when transferring it to the primary? What would the effect on the finished beer be?

Thanks!

 

[Runyanka]

Most of the lemon zest flavor and aroma will be scrubbed away during fermentation

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

It would give you added lemon aroma. I'd say go for it if you're looking for a nice lemon zest nose in the finished beer, though to Deuce's point you'll need to use a bunch of it in the boil to have any noticeable impact. I once added the zest of 8 oranges and grapefruits to a pale ale at the end of the boil and it added only a subtle aroma.

 

[unionrdr]

I've seen folks "dry hoping" with lemon,lime,&/or orange zest. It seems at that point,a lot less zest is needed. I'm thinking of trying it that way.

 

[NyPDFustercluck]

I recently had very good success with lemon zest in a Sam Summer clone that just finished bottle conditioning. I added one tablespoon of fresh zest at flameout and the lemony/citrusy note is definitely present in the finish. Hope this helps!


Edit==> I didn't strain the zest out when racking to the primary, my beer was in the secondary for four weeks and came out crystal clear in the bottles. The zest settled with the rest of the trub at the bottom of the fermenter bucket.
===========================================
Primary1: "Black Idea" Cascadian IPA
Primary2: Pinot Noir
Primary3: Air
Secondary1: Magic Hat #9 Clone
Secondary2: Cinnamon Spiced Aphelwine
Secondary3: Russian Imperial Stout
Bottle Conditioning: Sam Summer Clone, Caffery's Clone, Aphelwine, Mind-Bending Barleywine
Drinking: "Black Idea", McQuaker's Oatmeal Stout, American Amber Ale

 

[Kaz]

I would leave the zest in the primary, no need to strain it out. Also, with a hefe, why rack to a secondary? If you want some added lemon aroma, add some zest to the primary about a week before you bottle/keg.