Brewing with fruit and secondary fermentation

[kdevo09]

I am brewing a stout that I have made before, but added raspberries to secondary. The addition of the raspberries predictable jumpstarted fermentation again due to the sugars from the fruit. It has slowed considerably, and I am looking to bottle tonight, but I am not sure if the fermentation is fully done. I don't want to let the beer sit too long on the raspberries because I don't want it to overpower the beer. Would it be a problem to bottle if there are some signs that fermentation is still actively occuring?

I took an OG and a FG before adding the fruit, but gravity after the fruit is now unknown, so I can't really use that as a guide...

And suggestion or insight are welcome. Thank you!

 

[McKnuckle]

I would never, ever bottle if there are visible signs of fermentation. That would be very dangerous! I think the beer will have its way with the raspberries, rendering them into pallid mush, and sitting for a few more days won't have any effect.

Even a couple of extra gravity points of post-bottling fermentation could be disastrous. No way would that be worth doing for any reason IMHO.

 

[eadavis80]

Bottle when it's good on the yeast's schedule - not yours. NEVER bottle if you can clearly tell fermentation is still happening. When you do bottle the beer, I'd suggest using a paint strainer bag over your siphon as all those seeds and fruit stuff can get clogged real easily.

 

[kdevo09]

Thank you! Where are you from? Saw you are in Bergen County. I'm in New Milford.

 

[m00ps]

you could get a rough estimate from going by the weight of the fruit you added and nutrition facts to find the total grams of sugar you added. Plug that into a recipe calculator to get the amount to add to the OG. FG is just a reading as any other normal beer

 

[StarGuira]

Have an oatmeal stout sitting on 6lbs of organic cherries for 3 weeks in secondary.. fermentation has clearly stopped.. my question is, when i tasted last week the cherry flavor wasnt really there, should i leave it for another few weeks or just bottle it and retry with more cherries or different cherries??

 

[m00ps]

Have an oatmeal stout sitting on 6lbs of organic cherries for 3 weeks in secondary.. fermentation has clearly stopped.. my question is, when i tasted last week the cherry flavor wasnt really there, should i leave it for another few weeks or just bottle it and retry with more cherries or different cherries??

So, just to be clear, its NOT a sour right?

After 3 week, it is not going to get any more cherry flavor pulled out. I would either add more very soon or just bottle it

 

[StarGuira]

Not a sour, i think im just going to bottle this one and re try with more cherries next time,maybe 10lbs.. awaiting on my fastferment now to make a mango ipa .. thanks for the reply