Orange IPA

[chuckdfoster]

Hello, I'm brewing an IPA from a Grapefruit IPA kit from Brewers Best, but I don't like grapefruit so I've left out the grapefruit peels and liquid. I am thinking about adding some orange in part of the batch in an attempt to stick with a citrus flavor. I've heard from the home brew store that lots of people just add 100% juice before bottling, but wanted some others opinions. I have just finished primary fermentation and have added the second round of hops. Any advice or opinions are appreciated. Should I add OJ before bottling, do something else, or just not do it?

 

[Sammy86]

Maybe one of the old timers can chime in but i have never heard of adding straight up OJ to an IPA...and ive read some crazy stuff on these forums...

Shandy or Radler are half juice but they are generally lighter base brews and not as heavily hopped.

Personally, i add orange peel during the boil...15-20 minutes usually does the trick. You could add some orange extract before bottling but be careful a little bit goes along way!

 

[FromZwolle]

orange juice is very sweet, and has a lot of solids in it. what would end up...

go with orange zest in the boil, lots of it.

 

[chuckdfoster]

Thanks guys. I've already boiled though.

 

[NGD]

Report on how it turns out.

 

[FromZwolle]

Thanks guys. I've already boiled though.

Pull a pint out and boil that with some peel in it, then back in it goes

 

[chuckdfoster]

Thanks @FromZwolle. Should I dehydrate the peels first?

 

[tesoradog1]

FWIW-I make orange IPA’s all the time just by using the zest or peel, no pith, of sweet oranges soaked in vodka for a week and then adding it to the fermenter for a week. So if you leave your beer in the primary for 2 weeks, dump the tincture after the first week.

 

[FromZwolle]

Thanks @FromZwolle. Should I dehydrate the peels first?

I wouldn't. You lose a good deal of flavor when you dehydrate.

 

[FromZwolle]

FWIW-I make orange IPA’s all the time just by using the zest or peel, no pith, of sweet oranges soaked in vodka for a week and then adding it to the fermenter for a week. So if you leave your beer in the primary for 2 weeks, dump the tincture after the first week.

This works great too. You can do or with fruit, zest, hops, oak, whatever you got lyin around.