I am making a blood orange hefe from extreme home brewing book and was a little confused about how to steep and add the fruit and zest to the beer. It says "heat fruit and peels in 1/2 gallon of water then turn off heat. Let it steep as it cools." Should I heat the water with the fruit and zest in it to 160, or heat the water to 160 then add the fruit and zest to it? Also, do I add just the fruit and zest to the wort after steeping or can I pour in the water that I steeped the fruit and zest in also?
How to steep/add fruit?
- Thread starter dabull25
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Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
I've never liked the way that book suggests using fruit. I've made that recipe, and personally, I prefer just adding the oranges directly to the fermentor. Leave it there for 2 weeks and bottle/keg.
If you want to go by the book (I did the first time), then you'll need to add the fruit and peels WHILE you're bringing the water to temp. Then add the entire thing to your recipe...water and all.
If you want to go by the book (I did the first time), then you'll need to add the fruit and peels WHILE you're bringing the water to temp. Then add the entire thing to your recipe...water and all.
asterix404
Well-Known Member
See that is the million dollar question. I have made this recipe about 4 or 5 times now. Every time I add more orange then he suggest (The last batch I made I added 7 because I could and it came out beautifully) but basically with that recipe you bring the pulp, the zest and water (all pureed together) up to about 175. Turn off the heat and put the lid on. Once the beer is done, pour everything into the bucket.
Suthrncomfrt1884
Well-Known Member
When I added the fruit to the fermentor, I added the zest with about 5 minutes left on the boil. The only thing that needs to bee sanitized is the outside (peel). The rest is fine. Any fruit that you have to peel can be added directly to the fermentor after peeling. No need to sanitize since the skin protects it. The zest needs to be sanitized though, so boiling it for a few minutes will do the trick.
One of my house beers is a kiwi wheat. It's somewhat like the Kiwit mentioned in the same book, but I use my own Belgian Wit base and I add more kiwi. I never sanitize the kiwi and I always end up with a good beer.
