Old orange peel any good?

[Beer666]

As the title says is old dried orange peel good to use or should i buy new. Probably three years old.

 

[VikeMan]

As the title says is old dried orange peel good to use or should i buy new. Probably three years old.

I wouldn't use it. And I wouldn't buy "new" orange peel. I'd buy new oranges and peel (or zest) them on brew day.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

I take a different route.
I buy the Cuties, the small mandarin oranges.
I eat and enjoy the fruit, then let the peels dry completely and use them.
I'll vacuum seal up what I don't use and mark the package with the weight and date.
The skin being so thin, there is minimal pith and has worked out great for me for years.

Ask ten homebrewers a question and get 14 different answers.

 

[IslandLizard]

The dried "bitter" orange peel is supposed to be from Bitter Curacao Oranges. Fresh, they are very hard (read: almost impossible) to come by. The flavor and aroma of the cut up and dried whole peel (= pith and zest) we buy at the brew store is quite unique, unlike anything else. I'm willing to bet, very different than the fresh fruit would have yielded.

Without any problems, I've used who-knows-how-many-years-old-dried-bitter-orange-peel as you buy it in the brew store, then stored for many more years in a jar in my brew area. In dried state, the flavor carries on almost indefinitely.

Before adding them to the wort (or beer), I cut them up into much smaller pieces, and have even ground them in a coffee/spice mill. The smaller the pieces the larger the surface, the more, faster, and complete extraction you get. Merely minutes at the end of the boil or during whirlpooling.

Using fresh peel (or zest, without, or with various amounts of pith, depending on how deep you cut) from any citrus fruit will give you different flavors and aromas, each unique to their variety and origin.
For example, I brew a Red Grapefruit Saison that has a relatively large amount of fresh, whole red grapefruit peel in it (pith and zest), added to the whirlpool.

 

[davidabcd]

Plus one on replacing.

 

[z-bob]

Without any problems, I've used who-knows-how-many-years-old-dried-bitter-orange-peel as you buy it in the brew store, then stored for many more years in a jar in my brew area. In dried state, the flavor carries on almost indefinitely.

Yep, and bitter oranges are hard to find. I've used couple-of-years-old homemade dried tangerine peel, and I used extra to make up for it being old, and it was too strong. :doh:

That said, if it's sweet orange peel I would replace it because that's easy to do with grocery store oranges.

Has anyone tried brewing with dried Kieffer lime leaves? Just curious.

 

[Beer666]

Thanks for the replies. I had had a few when i posted this and realised i had already binned it so problem solved. . I am going to attempt another strong beer so i will zest some oranges. Must get a decent utensil, seen some really good ones but for now will have to stick to the peeler.

Any advice on quantity of fresh peel per 10l liters of 8/9% pale Belgium style beer?

Not used kaffir leaves yet but heard they are good. Thanks for reminding me, think i will have to try them in a moderately sour sour.