Racking with Blood Oranges

[Return_of_the_Mac]

I am making a red belgian ale and I want to add Blood Oranges and the rind when I rack and leave it in my Racking container for 3 weeks or so. I was wondering if I should boil the whole blood oranges or if I should break them down (cut and peel) and then boil them? I know I want to sanitize them first before they go into my brew but I don't want to loose too much flavor if I boil them before I put them into my racking contianer. Any recommendation for adding blood oranges to my racking container would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[Captain Damage]

The rule for citrus is to use only the zest - that's the colored outer part of the rind. The fluffy, whitish pith (inner rind) is bitter and will not contribute the flavor you want. Citrus juice from the fruit/pulp does not ferment well. If you've never tasted or even just smelled orange juice that's been around too long and started to turn, then consider yourself lucky. It tastes and smells just like garbage, and that's what you'd be putting in your beer.

Put the zest of 2-4 oranges in a small jar and add just enough vodka to cover. let it steep at room temperature for 1-3 days. Add the zest and steeping vodka to your beer after fermentation is complete, a few days before bottling.

 

[ArcLight]

Put the zest of 2-4 oranges in a small jar and add just enough vodka to cover. let it steep at room temperature for 1-3 days. Add the zest and steeping vodka to your beer after fermentation is complete, a few days before bottling.

I tried this with Everclear (grain alcohol) and didn't get much orange flavor.
I zested the oranges and let the zest dry out for 5 months and used 10 grams for 2.5 gallons. I used around 1.5 ounces of Everclear, just enough to cover the zest, and let it sit for a week.

Maybe Vodka is better than Everclear?
Maybe I shouldn't have let the zest sit so long in a plastic container?
Or maybe I should have added the zest to the boil?

 

[danthebugman]

I wouldn't worry too much about sanitizing the fruit before adding it. For one, it's inside the peel so as long as you're just peeling it and putting it in your secondary you should be okay. Secondly, the hops and alcohol in the fermented beer do a pretty good job of keeping most things from growing. I'd just peel the oranges, put them in a strainer bag of some sort (this you probably will want to sanitize a bit) and put them in the beer. I'd also zest the peels, that white pithy stuff isn't going to do your brew any favors.

 

[IslandLizard]

I'll be d@mned, another double thread...

Don't waste your time, here's the parallel thread.
.

 

[Captain Damage]

let the zest dry out for 5 months

Don't do that. Use fresh zest.