Should I add grapefruit zest after fermentation?

[ThomasPaine]

I just received a bunch of really nice local Grapefruit and was thinking that my IPA I am bottling next weekend would taste good with some zest. Has anyone ever added it at bottling or during cold crash? I could boil it up with the priming sugar or just boil some to sterilize and add it to the carboy for a week at 35 degrees.

 

[cannman]

Usually you want to add the zest in the last 5 min (or less!) of the boil...

but...

in your situation where it seems the ferm is done...I would treat fresh zest as a dry hop (using the oils to exhibit aroma and not so much flavor...) I don't have experience doing this after boil, so its all on you

If you're into the Grapefruit thing, please checkout the hop strain "Zythos!"

 

[govner1]

Why not make a "tea" w/ the grapefruit zest, let chill, & add to your keg or bottling bucket just before packaging ?

 

[nettekdl]

You can also steep it in a neutral spirit and make extract from it and add either at bottling or a couple days before, if it were me I'd add atleast 4 days before bottling

 

[brewprint]

I brewed a beer recently that tasted like grapefruit juice. It's in my recipes...the only one. O need for zest but it shouldn't hurt on the dry hop.

 

[ThomasPaine]

Thanks for the help. It may be a good excuse for me to buy some vodka. If not I may do a tea in the water that I dissolve my priming sugar in. I just don't want an overly bitter bite from the rind. This will definitely be a first for me. I will update.

 

[bobbrews]

Usually you want to add the zest in the last 5 min (or less!) of the boil...

but...

in your situation where it seems the ferm is done...I would treat fresh zest as a dry hop (using the oils to exhibit aroma and not so much flavor...) I don't have experience doing this after boil, so its all on you

I disagree.

While this may be true for dried, concentrated candied zest, boiling fresh zest quickly destroys delicate aromatic oils. Fresh citrus zest is the most potent when used post-fermentation, in the secondary, with the dryhop and perhaps some citrus segments. All three will make the flavor AND aroma very evident. For grapefruit, I would start with the zest (not the pith!) of 1 grapefruit per gallon of beer. Float some segments in the beer as well and then follow it all up with fresh squeezed juice in the keg. This is similar to the process Ballast Point uses for Grapefruit Sculpin. You won't be disappointed.

I just don't want an overly bitter bite from the rind.

Bitterness comes from the white pith. The zest is actually a little sweet on the palate, but it is more aromatic than anything. For best flavor, you will want to use the juice and rely on really grapefruity late and dryhops like Cascade or Amarillo.

 

[BigPerm]

I've done this a few times, most recently in a berliner weisse. Peel the outermost zest into strips with a vegetable peeler and chuck them in. If you are worried about sanitation (I wouldn't be), give the strips a quick spray with starsan, but definitely don't heat it. A few days will give you nice aroma.

Doing a vodka tincture wouldn't hurt but I don't think its necessary. I think you'll get better flavor by extracting the zest directly in your beer.

Good luck!

 

[ThomasPaine]

Thanks, I will throw some zest in tonight and not worry about sanitizing. I'm already cold crashed, dry hopped, and ready to bottle soon, so to prevent bottle bombs, I don't want to add juice this time.

 

[ThomasPaine]

Even if I just get aroma from it I'll be happy. I love IPAs that smell like citrus explosion.

 

[dreaded_rust]

So I've got an IIPA that is sitting at about 10.5% and ill be puting it in secondary this weekend. Would it be safe to just toss some grapefruit zest in when I add the dryhops? Guess I could hit em with some starsan but is it necessary?

 

[tagz]

At 10.5% I'd say you're fine.

 

[m00ps]

agreed. Plus I dont feel like much bacteria would be able to exist in citrus zest. Too many oils and stuff, kinda like how hops are safe maybe?