Ever put Figs in Beer?

[bigemadrid]

As anybody ever brewed with figs?!?

I'm OBSESSED with these dried organic figs from Costco, every time I chomp into one I think "Beer, this needs to go in a beer"...

So I want to brew with them. I'm thinking a Brown Ale maybe or a Belgian perhaps. Either way my question is: when should I add them? As a fruit I know the default is at end of boil or in secondary. But the flavor on these babies is so mild, I could see them being best used in full boil to pull most flavor. Thoughts?

 

[jester5120]

I think dogfish head uses figs and dates in their barleywine post fermentation. If they're from costco i assume you bought a ton of them so toss a bunch of them in the secondary

 

[Pezman1]

I think a small amount of figs would go good in a Porter. What about pitching in a few at the end of the boil???

Pez.

 

[unionrdr]

Makes me question how well dried figs would work. Dried fruit is a bit rubbery. I tend to think fresh,really ripe figs would give better flavor,being pulpier. More subtlties,it seems to me. At the last 10 minutes of the boil,or secondary. A belgian dubbel sounds good for this.

 

[fbold1]

Put them in a food processor then freeze em. Thaw to room temp and put them in your secondary. About a half pound in 5 gallons will be sufficient.

 

[unionrdr]

Cool. I was just musing what a milk stout would be like with fresh fig pulp added to secondary? Like fig newtons & iced coffee maybe. The left hand brewing milk stout tastes like iced coffee mostle to me with a nice smoothness. Might be good?...

 

[beergolf]

I do a Belgian Dubbel that uses raisins at the end of the boil, so think figs would work nicely.

 

[xjmox14x]

I agree with the dubbel... first thing that popped into my head.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,me too. I was thinking of the Chimay grande reserve with fig flavor in it as well. Things that make ya go hmmm...Maybe for next holiday season?

 

[ao125]

http://www.dogfish.com/brews-spirits/the-brews/occassional-rarities/olde-school-barleywine.htm

 

[dcHokie]

I recently did a dark Saison with figs. I chopped the figs (and some dates) up, carmelized them in a pan and deglazed with red wine, pureed it all up and added to the last 5 minutes of boil.

 

[xjmox14x]

I recently did a dark Saison with figs. I chopped the figs (and some dates) up, carmelized them in a pan and deglazed with red wine, pureed it all up and added to the last 5 minutes of boil.

You cannot possibly make a statement like that and not follow up with how it tasted!

 

[timewasted]

You cannot possibly make a statement like that and not follow up with how it tasted!

And pictures.

 

[dcHokie]

You cannot possibly make a statement like that and not follow up with how it tasted!

I like it a lot.

It also had some local organic honey toward the end of the boil. I think it has some of the stone fruit complexity of a belgian quad, but it was fermented with 3711 so its nicely dry and not overly sweet. I have another 5 gallons of it that got a less attenuative Belgian sacch strain and some Brett B that is starting to get a little funky, but it has a few months to go.

And pictures.

I think I could be persuaded to have one of these tonight and snap a pic

 

[johnbrain]

I just got into being but have been thinking about using figs too. My wife cooks a pork tenderloin stuffed with dried figs. I also grew up in Fresno. The only place we teens could drink beer was the fig orchards.

I was thinking maybe a fig Christmas Stout. I'll watch this thread to learn whether adding at end of boil or putting in secondary yields better results.

 

[unionrdr]

Yeah,I was musing on that fact myself. It'd be a great flavor in the right ale at the right part of the process.

 

[CPFITNESS]

i did a gelato making class with my gf back in december and one of the flavors we made was fig and tequila which sounded kinda strange to everyone in the class but it turned out to be one of the best tasting. I'm wondering if you just cut u p the figs and soak them in tequila then add them to you secondary? I'm a noob so no friggin idea if that would work

 

[dcHokie]

Yeah,I was musing on that fact myself. It'd be a great flavor in the right ale at the right part of the process.

I chose to add them to the boil because I didn't want to deal with those seeds in a fermenter, but I don't see why you couldn't add them at a secondary stage.

 

[unionrdr]

Maybe in a muslin grain sack or two to keep'em contained? I hate small seeds like from berries in my teeth.

 

[Zalf]

Thanks a lot.

Now I can't rest until I find 8lbs of figs to freeze and rack on top of!

 

[gestyr]

I used 2 1/2 lbs in a dubbel. Awesome! I pureed them in a food processor with a little pale ale to keep things from getting gummy and then froze them. I added them to the fermenter after the initial fermentation died down and it was a good thing I had a blowoff tube connected. They took right off and went wild. Long story short ( I know, too late), the beer is very good. Nice fig flavor supported by the malt and fruity flavor of the dubbel. This will be something I brew again.:rockin:

 

[dmoore714]

I'm new to brewing as well, and havent played with fruit yet at all (outside of some Craigtube-style prison hooch). But would it do any good to run the figs through a juicer?

You could add the juice to the wort at flameout to get the natural sugars in on the primary fermentation. Freeze the pulp for storage, and rack on top of it in your secondary. Then the beer could absorb some additional flavor as its finishing up.

 

[dcHokie]

And pictures.

Cheers!

 

[bigemadrid]

Alright it's official this is going to be my next beer and I'm going with the Belgian Dubbel for sure!

Gestyr - did you use fresh or dried figs?!?

The Costco bags are 2 pounds, and I really want that flavor coming through so based on what you did for your batch I might rock the whole 2 pounds!

 

[bigemadrid]

PS the pint of freezing them I assume is to kill out bacteria/etc?

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Thanks a lot.

Now I can't rest until I find 8lbs of figs to freeze and rack on top of!

You might find this useful:
http://www.smartjuice.us/fig.php
Also check their "where to buy" list.
Regards, GF.

 

[gestyr]

Alright it's official this is going to be my next beer and I'm going with the Belgian Dubbel for sure!

Gestyr - did you use fresh or dried figs?!?

The Costco bags are 2 pounds, and I really want that flavor coming through so based on what you did for your batch I might rock the whole 2 pounds!

I used dried figs. As for the point of freezing, it breaks the cell walls and makes the sugars more accessible to fermentation.

 

[timewasted]

Cheers!

That is beautiful. Now I'm thirsty.

 

[heischman]

What about adding the figs to the mash? I know this sounds crazy, but that is how shinners get there sweet fruit taste in their stuff. If I try this would you suggest dried or fresh fig and how much should I put in the mash?

Thanks all and cheers

 

[remthewanderer]

I've been looking for a fig beer recipe for a while now. I have a fig tree in my backyard. I get about 6 pounds of figs with every harvest. A fig saison sounds amazing. Any details on what that recipe was?

I'm tired of making pork with figs and fig newtons... On to beer!