To Extract or Not to Extract

[Wors9281]

Hey guys, let me pick your brain a little.
I asked the wife what she wanted to do for her birthday. Her reply " I want to make a Honey Wheat Beer with Apricot Extract" Ok, maybe not exactly like that, but she wants to brew her own special beer. I'm ok with the Honey Wheat part, but when do I add the Apricot extract? I want a strong appricot flavor to compliment the Honey wheat beer aftertaste. I can use both primary and secondary carboys if needed. We can't let the wife down or else that might be the end of my brew career.

Thanks a bunch and Happy Healthy Holiday to all.

 

[Genghis77]

I would stay away from the extract and add canned apricots. Ulnless you want it flavored really strong, a single pound can should work. I try to stay away from extracts unless there is no other choice.

 

[JOHN51277]

I just tried my first attempt at a raspberry wheat. (with the 4oz bottle). It was great. I only added 3.5 oz to the bottling bucket because I had heard it was too strong. I waited 2 weeks to try the first bottle and it was awesome, the wife even loved it. I think the extracts are just fine, I have had some tell me they taste like soap, but we both love the new raspberry wheat. It was a brewers best kit. Good luck in which ever way you go.

 

[anthrobe]

I have used apricot extract in my wheat beers in the past and they have all turned out great. On deck I have a apricot heffy. Gonna brew that saturday so that she stays happy for the new year!!

 

[SteveM]

I never paid attention to these fruit beer threads until I arrived at the same spot - my wife twisted my arm to make a fruit beer:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=4210

Now I read them all. The conventional wisdom seems to be, put actual fruit in the primary (or secondary), but if you are using extracts, put them into the bottling bucket. I added mine to my sugar boil, and then into the bucket.

 

[timdsmith72]

I like adding fresh fruit to the secondary. (or fruit puree.) General rule of thumb when doing it this way is 1 pound of fruit per gallon of beer.

 

[usmcruz]

At bottling time, fill one bottle of beer and ad the extract drop by drop and taste. Once you get where you like the taste, repeat with the other bottles. One thing i want to tell you about extract is that it wont get stronger with time, so what you add and taste is what its going to taste like down the road. As your beer bottle conditions the flavor should change but not by much. If you want to eccentuate a fruit flavor and your doing extract beers, then steep 1.5 pounds of honey malt before the boil. Enjoy