Do I need to pasturize bananas?

[jacksonbrown]

I'll be adding a couple bananas to my holiday ale soon and I just needed to know if I need to do anything other than freeze, thaw, rack. Thanks!

 

[powerjb]

We put some bananas in a dunkelweissen (sort of). I boiled them first, just to be safe. be warned, they leave a LOT of sediment. I'd contemplate throwing them in a hopbag or something of the sort to try and keep some control over how much they leave behind.

we definitely had a few bottles at the end there with some chunks in them. not pleasant. the flavor was decent. very subtle; especially in the face of the darker grains in our haphazard recipe.

good luck!

 

[BigKahuna]

I haven't.
IF youre concerned about ti, mash them up and add a campdon tablet 24 hours before adding.
It stands to reason that the inside of the banana is clean...as long as it's not over ripe or have a split skin. Make sure everything that touches the banana is clean, and you should be good to go.

 

[Willie3]

Why use banannas when you can get the same profile from yeast or fermentation temps?

I cannot imagine the taste coming through all that well anyway.

- WW

 

[BigKahuna]

Why use banannas when you can get the same profile from yeast or fermentation temps?

It's not really the same profile, and the banana works pretty well...especially in darker beer.

I'm working on a Banana OatMeal Stout...just for ****s and Grins!

 

[jacksonbrown]

Yeah, I used a hefe yeast at high temps, and I just don't notice bananas. I don't know what that's about, but might as well use actual bananas if that's what I'm going for.

 

[HOOTER]

Why use banannas when you can get the same profile from yeast or fermentation temps?

That's what I was thinking. Some German hefe yeast with +75 fermentation temps should give you plenty of this--->

I can't figure out why anyone would actually want their beer to taste like bananas anyway, but who am I to judge.

 

[jacksonbrown]

Well, it's a banana bread holiday ale. So... bananas. And again, I did use hefe yeast at high temps and am not noticing a big banana flavor. Smells yeasty to me. But that could just be me.

 

[Willie3]

I suppose you could get banana OR clove like flavors or both. I guess its hit or miss but everytime I have a BW it is definately banana like and I know that actual banana's aren't used.

When you do use bananas let us know how it turns. you might be better off using a banana extract flavor. what about using the rind instead. Orange peel gives great orange flavor so why not banana peal?

- WW

 

[Kilgore_Trout]

Orange peel gives great orange flavor so why not banana peal?

You use orange zest because it contains oils that have a really strong orange flavor. I'm pretty sure that's not the case with banana peels. You can get banana extract that is made from bananas, which would work. I believe it's made using pure alcohol and real bananas, at least that's how most are made. Wouldn't add any sugar or sediment.

 

[BigKahuna]

you might be better off using a banana extract flavor.

- WW

Per my Bananas on the beach Recipe...SEE DROP DOWN Banana Rum is a great addition to beer!

 

[jacksonbrown]

Both are good ideas. I think we might actually have the extract (swambo loves to bake). Any idea on the ratio? Maybe 2 tablespoon per 5 gal?

 

[HOOTER]

Both are good ideas. I think we might actually have the extract (swambo loves to bake). Any idea on the ratio? Maybe 2 tablespoon per 5 gal?

I'm not familiar with banana extract specifically, but the fruit extracts I'm familiar with come in 4 oz. bottles and you use the entire bottle for a 5 gal. batch, or less if you want the flavor to be more subtle.