The Lowdown on Adding Fruit to Brew

[Nicknack]

I've read a ton on this forum regarding adding fruit to beer. Since I've never done a fruit beer, I thought it would be easy enough to search some older threads to find out what to do. Should be easy enough, right? Not so much... I'm now more confused than when I started.

I currently have a milk stout extract which has been in the primary for five days. I want to make either a blackberry or raspberry stout.

Questions that remain:

1. I haven't used a secondary before but based on my reading, I should when adding fruit. Is that correct?

2. The big question - what kind of fruit do I use?? Frozen from the store, fresh, puree, extract? Does it have to be organic, without added sugar, etc?

3. It seems like extract would be the easiest. Why don't people just use it instead of adding fresh/frozen fruit?

 

[ArkotRamathorn]

I've read a ton on this forum regarding adding fruit to beer. Since I've never done a fruit beer, I thought it would be easy enough to search some older threads to find out what to do. Should be easy enough, right? Not so much... I'm now more confused than when I started.

I currently have a milk stout extract which has been in the primary for five days. I want to make either a blackberry or raspberry stout.

Questions that remain:

1. I haven't used a secondary before but based on my reading, I should when adding fruit. Is that correct?

2. The big question - what kind of fruit do I use?? Frozen from the store, fresh, puree, extract? Does it have to be organic, without added sugar, etc?

3. It seems like extract would be the easiest. Why don't people just use it instead of adding fresh/frozen fruit?

I've messed up so many fruit beers in the past I now have a pretty good idea of all the things you shouldn't do.

1. You can add fruit to primary, but its extremely difficult to add without aerating the heck out of your beer. It's a lot easier to put the fruit in the secondary vessel, then transfer your beer on top of it, usually theres a swirling during the transfer that mixes the fruit and beer up real nice. I am unsure if there are other ways to do it, I can't imagine there being a process better than transferring onto the fruit in a secondary vessel.

2. I would skip anything with added sugar, unless you can determine exactly how much sugar is in with the fruit. I've used canned plums before that a friend canned for me, so I knew *exactly* how much sugar they used in the syrup so I could make a good estimate how much of an OG increase I would get from it (and the beer was a Belgian). Fresh and frozen are ok, they do present the problem of pectin but that's easily surmounted with pectin enzyme. Most pro-breweries I believe use puree and that does give fantastic flavor (apparently). I don't use puree since I'm a cheap skate and I pick fruit during the season, clean them, cut them, and freeze them. Then I thaw them out a couple months later for a beer and add pectin to bust them up a bit more and prevent pectin haze. If you don't mind the cost or can find pick your own organic fruit that's all good, otherwise just wash the fruit really well to make sure you get any chemicals off.

3. I left the extract issue in question 2 to add in with 3. Extract can be the easiest to use, but it presents a couple problems. Some extracts give a chemically flavor. As well they sometimes aren't that strong, Ive had some hit or miss times with extract. It's easy to use but you gotta make sure it is good quality and then determine what the correct amount to use (testing samples with certain amounts of the extract). Extracts do have one major advantage, no added fermentables. My own mistakes have created super fizz-bombs and bottle bombs because I rushed a fruit beer too quickly through secondary and the fruit sugars didn't full ferment.

 

[Nicknack]

Okay, this would probably not work but just wondering...

1. Blackberry Jam (no sugar added but does have splenda).

Ingredients: Water, Blackberries, Polydextrose, Maltodextrin, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid, Locust Bean Gum, Natural Flavor, Potassium Sorbate (Preservative), Sucralose (Non Nutritive Sweetener), Calcium Chloride, Red 4, Blue 1.
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2. Blackberry Jam (with sugar)

Ingredients: Blackberries, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Fruit Pectin, Citric Acid.
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3. Organic Raspberry Spread

 

[Nicknack]

Maybe a better option that I just found at Walmart is Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Raspberries.

INGREDIENTS: ORGANIC RASPBERRIES

This seems like it would be a safer better; however, would this give it more of a tart taste? When using frozen fruit, is there anything you do to give it some sweetness?

 

[Calder]

No Jams or jellies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Use only fruit; fresh, frozen, or pureed. Pureed, is probably OK straight from the can. With fresh fruit, I usually put it in the freezer to break down the cell walls. Some say freezing is enough to kill any critters/bugs, but I don't trust that. I mash the fruit and heat to about 150 F and hold for 20 minutes. This will kill any bacteria, but is not hot enough to pasteurize it and kill any bugs. I usually cover and let cool overnight as it has a lot of mass and takes a long time to cool in a water bath.

Use a seconday, otherwise it will just kick up the setteld yeast cake - will not hurt.

No need to mix it in, the yeast will find the fruit aithout any issues.

 

[Transamguy77]

Are you kegging or bottling? I ask this because the last few brews I've done with fruit I added right to the keg. Just don't add it to carbonated beer! It will bubble all over the floor.

I personally freeze the fruit and then let it defrost a bit till soft the smash it up in the bag than put it in a muslin bag (over the keg so the juice goes in too) and let it sit for a least a week.

If you don't keg I would add the fruit to the primary in the same manner as above. I have also added canned fruit direct from the can right into the primary, cherries in a stout and peaches in a mead. All turned out good. Good luck with what you decide.

 

[Nicknack]

I am bottling.

Any other thoughts about using jam? I'm not going to use fresh fruit - too darn expensive. If jam isn't good to use, I can buy a bag of organic frozen raspberries (as detailed above) for four bucks after tax. If it doesn't need to be organic, a regular bag would be cheaper. Is a 10oz bag enough?