Freeze Dried Fruit???

[Tactical-Brewer]

Anyone every toss freeze dried fruit into their boil?

I'm going to be making cream of three crops here very soon, and already have a bag of those "Super Healthy, no sugar added" dried apple chips, where the ingredients are just apples, and plan on getting a couple other freeze dried fruits I want to put in a hop bag, and tossing them in for the last 5 minutes of the boil. I then plan on transferring them into the primary, still in the hop bag, and letting them ride out fermentation.

No idea what will happen, but I guess my goal would be some form of fruit beer. Maybe a slight fruity aroma and taste?

Anyways, just curious if anyone's done something similar using freeze dried fruit or just dehydrated fruit.

Thanks,
Tac

 

[ong]

Not sure what the advantage would be to using freeze dried fruit, and it's quite a bit more expensive. I wouldn't boil the fruit, either, but either add as a whirlpool addition or add to secondary (both to preserve flavor and avoid pectin haze).

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Only reason I would toss them into the last 5 minutes of the boil is to impregnate them with the wort, as opposed to water. Hoping to I guess extract flavors and what not directly from the fruit as opposed to them being saturated with water, since freeze dried, or dehydrated should/seem to be more condensed since there is no more moisture in them.

As far as price point goes, generally yes, they're more expensive. But I find them regularly at places like Marshals or something similar for next to nothing. I think I found the big bag of dehydrated apple chips for like 2 bucks.

No idea if my thoughts are nonsensical or not, but who knows.

 

[BentBrewer]

In a lot of cases, dried fruit has a touch of vegetable oil added to keep the bits from sticking to each other. I'd suggest you double check the ingredient list before using, just to be sure.

 

[m00ps]

I would use fresh apples or frozen apples over freeze-dried. Too much artificial stuff and processes to make the final product. Lots of people, myself included, have used apples or 100% cider with good results

 

[GuldTuborg]

Only reason I would toss them into the last 5 minutes of the boil is to impregnate them with the wort, as opposed to water.

But if you add post boil or in secondary, they're still going in the wort/beer, no? I'm confused by this statement.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Lol, last 5 minutes of the boil we add hops/additives for aroma and taste no? Sums up my thoughts on adding them last 5 minutes of boil simplistically.

 

[GuldTuborg]

Sure, and we add other things at various points post boil, too. You choose when to add based on what effects you want.

If I want an IPA with a huge hop aroma, I'm not going to limit myself to 5 minute additions. That would be daft. I'd add whirlpool and dry hop additions as well. What I'm trying to say is, pick the timing based on how you want the beer to turn out, knowing that anything that boils for 5 minutes is going to lose a lot of its aroma and more delicate flavors.

 

[Pantherjon]

Maybe add the freeze dried fruit at flame out and let it run with fermentation? Perhaps the heat at flame out will extract the flavors/aromas and maybe the added benefit of more sugars for your yeast to feast on..

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Perfect! Good idea pantherjon! I tossed around adding them at flame out vs the 5 minute deal and I think you guys are right, I'll add them at flame out.

I guess my thoughts on adding them while the wort is hot is that they should "absorb?" The wort faster and release flavors/aromas into the wort?

I'm by no means a brew expert, let alone a dried fruit expert. So this is all an experimentation. The reason for the dried fruit over fresh or frozen fruit is simply "why not" or "what the hell". No other reason than that. It's an experiment. If it turns to crap, well, I'll know not to do that again. If it turns out good, but no benefit to it than just adding fresh or frozen fruit, then I'll know that too.

Anyways, was curious if anyone had done it or even considered it. Either way, I'll keep yous posted once I finally get to brew again. [emoji106]🏻

 

[GuldTuborg]

I think you've got the right attitude on this, OP. The only difference temperature will make in absorption will be the speed. A minute or two at boiling will be the same as a day or two at fermentation temps. But, you ferment for a few days, at least, anyway, right?

Aside from absorption, boiling will make other changes, some perhaps good and some definitely bad. But, it's your experiment, so do what you like and I hope it turns out well.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

I think you've got the right attitude on this, OP. The only difference temperature will make in absorption will be the speed. A minute or two at boiling will be the same as a day or two at fermentation temps. But, you ferment for a few days, at least, anyway, right?

Aside from absorption, boiling will make other changes, some perhaps good and some definitely bad. But, it's your experiment, so do what you like and I hope it turns out well.

Thanks Guld!

Yeah, I'll be fermenting this brew for approximately 2 weeks.

I'll probably do them at flame out.

 

[zmanzorro]

Another advantage of using dried vs fresh fruit, it's that you're not adding all that water from the fresh fruit. But this is only important if you want a slight alcohol boost from the fruit too.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Another advantage of using dried vs fresh fruit, it's that you're not adding all that water from the fresh fruit. But this is only important if you want a slight alcohol boost from the fruit too.

That was my thoughts exactly on the water in the fruit!

 

[user 204491]

Hey, I used freeze-dried fruit for the first time in my short mead, and I got amazing results with it. It really packs a lot of flavor into a small package. I did one package of the Trader Joe's freeze dried strawberries in 2 gallons of short mead, and the flavor really came through. I pulverized the heck out of them in a food processor before tossing them in the fermenter. Other than taking a long time to settle out in the cold crash, I did not notice any bad effects.

 

[TurnipGreen]

I would use fresh apples or frozen apples over freeze-dried. Too much artificial stuff and processes to make the final product. Lots of people, myself included, have used apples or 100% cider with good results

Watch out for what m00ps mentioned. Some of these freeze dried fruits actually have quite a bit of oil in them.

 

[k-moe]

Consider that the dried fruit is going to absorb some of the wort, and reduce your volume yield. Plan accordingly.

 

[Tactical-Brewer]

Good thinking k-moe!