Substituting fresh fruit for fruit extract

[abeasst]

I have a recipe that include 3oz of blackberry extract and I'd like to substitute fresh fruit instead. What amount of fruit and at what step in all grain would I add it?

 

[smileyak87]

I did a raspberry wheat with 1 pound of raspberries per gallon of wort. I waited until fermentation had completely stopped and then racked beer over to a second Carboy with the frozen raspberries in it. Just finished drinking all of the raspberry wheat and everyone said it was the hit of the party

 

[abeasst]

So you froze all the fruit and then just racked into secondary on top of the frozen fruit?

 

[abeasst]

Any other experience with subbing real fruit for extract in AG brewing?

 

[Jsin]

I have been making all grain fruit beers for about 12 years. I have never used a fruit extract in brewing, so it is not substituting. For the best results add your fruit frozen into your secondary and rack onto it. Just remember the fruit will ferment and float. Make sure you use a blowoff or have lots of head room.

 

[smileyak87]

Yes I buy the large bags of frozen fruit at Costco. And yes use a blow off tube. My femme ting closet now has a permanent raspberry smell even after scrubbing it out 3 times in a row lol

 

[abeasst]

Is everyone buying the pre-frozen fruit or freezing fresh fruits?

 

[amcclai7]

Either will work. One piece of advice. You can't over do it when using real fruit. I tend to use 1.2 pounds of fruit per gallon and I think most beers could stand to have 1.5 pounds. Fresh fruit will never overwhelm a beer. Also, good idea on subbing out the extract. That stuff is for the birds.

 

[Cider123]

Pre-frozen fruit works just as good or better than fresh, and it's usually cheaper. Be careful if you make something with a tart fruit like raspberry. The sweetness tends to get eaten up by the yeast and you're left with just the tart taste. I add a little lactose or maltodextrin because I think it brings back a bit of the fruit sweetness.

Don't use extract unless you want your beer to taste like cough syrup.