Brewing with Fruit for the first time

[funkyunky199]

If any of you have experience here, I defer to you. I purchased a Raspberry Wheat kit from Midwest and with it came the extract. Reading up on it a bit, I was thinking of bagging the extract and adding my own raspberry puree instead to give it (hopefully) a better flavor.

Some questions that I have about it:
1. Everything I read says about adding the fruit to the secondary. Why not add it to the primary and let the yeast do what they do at the same time?

2. Having a 6.5 gallon pail and only a 5 gallon carboy, I assume that using 2 stage fermentation I would want to use the 6.5 gallon to accommodate for some re-fermentation in the secondary? Will my airlock be able to handle the CO2 or would it be a better idea to connect a blow-off tube?

I guess that's where I will start...any help or suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[NWAleDad]

I brew a strawberry blonde and have never used extract. I primary for 14days and secondary for 14days. I rack the beer into secondary on top of 8# of frozen strawberries.

With the berries, I don't get much action. But you want all the room you can get for the added volume.

Also, good to put more wort into primary. The berries soak up some.

 

[NWAleDad]

If you puree it would be best to use vodka, this will keep everything sterile and add very little flavor.

But if the berries are frozen you lesson the chances of infection. The brew takes up alot of the flavor and aroma.

 

[teddyk]

I made a raspberry hef a few months ago. Used 3 pounds of frozen berries and simmerd them with about 1cup dextrose. Cooled the stuff down and racked over it to secondary. Its pink and has good raspberry notes but not overpowering. I watched the yeasties eat the **** out of berries, plenty of action. Swmbo and her friends loved it.

 

[amedelman]

I just started this kit as well, and I bought a few pounds of frozen raspberries to use instead of the extract. My question is between a purée and whole berries. Which one is better to do/is there a difference?

 

[MarkIafrate]

@amedelman - I'd like to know as well.

I am thinking of breaking up a few 5 gallon ingredient packages into 2.5 gallon packages. Then I can brew one normally to directions and add fruit or other flavors to the other. I'm still learning/starting out and I figure the more batches under my belt the better.

What are reasons for adding to flameout vs. primary vs. secondary?

Thanks!
Mark

 

[CPFITNESS]

@amedelman - I'd like to know as well.

I am thinking of breaking up a few 5 gallon ingredient packages into 2.5 gallon packages. Then I can brew one normally to directions and add fruit or other flavors to the other. I'm still learning/starting out and I figure the more batches under my belt the better.

What are reasons for adding to flameout vs. primary vs. secondary?

Thanks!
Mark

I think adding at flame out may be in part to avoid contamination. I just did a peach cobbler ale that called for peeling and roasting peaches in the oven which helped to caramelize them (almost like i was mashing peachese to get the sugar out) then add them at flame out and leave them for 20 minutes. it's still in primary now. I was contemplating addig more peaches in the secondary but I think I'll just leave it alone for the first time making it and see how it comes out. recipe calls for bottling with honey so I think that will add a hint of sweetness and taste that seems to be lacking right now.

 

[MarkIafrate]

I think adding at flame out may be in part to avoid contamination. I just did a peach cobbler ale that called for peeling and roasting peaches in the oven which helped to caramelize them (almost like i was mashing peachese to get the sugar out) then add them at flame out and leave them for 20 minutes. it's still in primary now. I was contemplating addig more peaches in the secondary but I think I'll just leave it alone for the first time making it and see how it comes out. recipe calls for bottling with honey so I think that will add a hint of sweetness and taste that seems to be lacking right now.

Thanks! That sounds pretty amazing. I may try to do a simpler version and just rack to secondary over some frozen whole berries, maybe raspberries. Once I get the hang of it and learn how the flavor gets into it I'll try and add to flameout and put into primary.

Mark

 

[NOISEpollution]

Use the 6.5 gallon for primary and the 5 gallon for secondary. Add your berries or purée to the secondary BEFORE adding the beer. Rack on top. No, you won't need a blow off tube for the carboy as the real fermentation has ended and the berries won't cause enough action to do any more than make your airlock bubble a bit.

 

[GreenDog]

So if you're using frozen fruits to avoid contamination are you using bags of frozen fruit or can you freeze freeze fruit? I am thinking of making a fruit heffe and I want to use fresh fruit but am afraid of contamination if I just add it straight to secondary or even the primary without boiling it to pasteurize it.