Don't wait until secondary to add fruit puree.

[enkamania]

That's what I have done in the past. This year, I might try adding to the keg and add a spunding valve.

 

[lapolvora]

I used to do that. I would put it into secondary and then add a blowoff tube. Now I simply wait until primary crashes and then add it to the carboy. It will become active for a couple of days and then settle back down. At that point it can go into secondary and you don't have all of that sediment. I have been using this method for a while now with no loss of fruit flavor in the beer. I recently did an Apricot Honey Ale that way and then Mango Honey Ale. The mango came out a bit subdued but excellent. The Apricot Honey Ale was on point and I didn't even use a full can of the puree. The Mango Honey Ale lasted just over 24 hours when I shared it with friends. Today I am going for a Strawberry ESB. Not sure what to expect as people say that strawberry comes out more subdued as a fruit flavor. But that is OK since I want the fruit to be a secondary flavor to the beer itself. I once poured a six pack of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat down the drain because it tasted like cough syrup. LOL.

I'm trying your method with blueberries tomorrow... and I have a batch planned for the weekend that I want to use some frozen mangoes.. so how much of it you usually add?
thanks for sharing.

 

[coonmanx]

I'm trying your method with blueberries tomorrow... and I have a batch planned for the weekend that I want to use some frozen mangoes.. so how much of it you usually add?
thanks for sharing.

Well, I am always using a 49 oz. can of the Vintner's harvest fruit puree. Sometimes I simply pour in the entire can and sometimes I use maybe a cup or two less. Best of luck and let us know how it turns out.

I like using the Vintners Harvest puree because it is so convenient and they come in a large variety of fruits. How are you doing the blueberries? Are they fresh, frozen or something else?

 

[coonmanx]

I'm trying your method with blueberries tomorrow... and I have a batch planned for the weekend that I want to use some frozen mangoes.. so how much of it you usually add?
thanks for sharing.

Also let me know how the mango batch turns out. I recently made both an Apricot Honey Ale and then a Mango Honey Ale using the same base recipe. In the Apricot Honey Ale I held out two cups of the puree and yet the apricot flavor was on point. When I did the same using the mango puree, the mango flavor was there but a bit subdued. So it would be great if you let me know exactly how much mango you use and how it turns out on flavor.

 

[marc1]

So, if I'm getting this right, you added your puree to the primary - and then at some point racked to another vessel?

fwiw, I didn't need a blow-off on the secondary vessels. While they definitely kicked up with the fruit addition, it was quite tame...

View attachment 674759

Cheers!

Tell me about your plywood fridge shelf! That looks much sturdier than the regular glass bottom in mine.

 

[day_trippr]

Well, it's 3/4" chinese plywood, nothing special, cut to fit the contours and convenient ledges that held the glass shelf with the integrated veggie/fruit bin slides. There are a couple of large holes I bored at the back right for some circulation from my little fan and reptile heater bulb box at the bottom.

I have three full-size top-freezer fridges in the brewery and made similar 3/4" plywood platforms for each. Two of them picked up molded shelf supports, the third one (ironically, the 22 cu unit, vs the two 17s) the bottom shelf supports were too high up to allow a corny keg plus gas QD to fit comfortably, so that one relies on supporting risers that rest on the floor and compressor hump.

I've had 5 full kegs in each of the 17's and 6 (like, right now) in the 22. That's somewhere around 250 and 300 pounds, respectively. Pretty certain the oem glass shelves wouldn't put up with that loading

Cheers!

 

[bleme]

I made a plywood shelf in my fermentor chamber also, and after a while it started growing mold so I wrapped it with contact paper. No more mold after 5 years now.

 

[madscientist451]

A bit surprised that nobody has commented on the substance of this post. I only recently started doing this and found the results to be just as good or better than siphoning the beer on top of the puree in the secondary.
You can teach an old dog new tricks. I have been brewing for over thirty years and only recently discovered this method. It's not always in a book. Sometimes you have to figure it out for yourself.

Thanks for posting your results. I do it both ways, I usually transfer off the primary yeast if I'm trying to save it for a re-pitch. I'm currently working on a peach/wheat ale (peaches evicted from the freezer because of COVID-19) that I was going to rack to secondary but now I'll just dump the peaches in and hope for the best.

 

[coonmanx]

Thanks for posting your results. I do it both ways, I usually transfer off the primary yeast if I'm trying to save it for a re-pitch. I'm currently working on a peach/wheat ale (peaches evicted from the freezer because of COVID-19) that I was going to rack to secondary but now I'll just dump the peaches in and hope for the best.

Give it a shot and then rack to secondary. Be sure to report the results.

 

[Lefou]

"I once poured a six pack of Sam Adams Cherry Wheat down the drain because it tasted like cough syrup."

That's one of my biggest gripes with Sam Adams. IMO, they love adding a bit much caramel malt in some of their imbalanced recipes but others are done right. There has to be a good balance between the taste and the mess, right?
I've been toying with how to best approach fruited wort with a high percentage of wheat without dealing with a stuck mash, a mess of trub in the carboy, and a highly attenuated beer that isn't thin. Good thread, thanks.

 

[kyle2227]

Question for you guys. I recently brewed a sour. The kit directions had me primary ferment for 2 weeks and then add fruit puree into the primary for another 2 weeks. I brewed an IPA about 5 days ago that I would like to also add puree. When should I add the fruit puree? I will be using mango, Passion fruit, and guava. I was thinking about letting it ferment for a week and a 1/2 and then adding the puree and then letting ferment for another week and a 1/2? What would you guys recommend. The end result goal is a tropical ipa.

 

[bleme]

That sounds fine to me, except I don’t think you need 3 weeks total. Drop the fruit in when fermentation starts to slow and it will be done a few days after that. Two weeks tops. I am definitely in favor of keeping all the fermentables in primary.

You can add hops or coffee (etc) in secondary, but keep the sugars on the yeast.