when to add cherries to wheat beer

[tigerfootballplayer90]

I'm new to brewing and I plan on racking my american wheat to a secondary with some frozen cherries and some cherry juice. My questions is there a good time to rack onto the cherries in secondary. I'm at 5 days now is that a good amount of time to do so or should I wait till primary is completely done


Thanks guys

 

[TrickyDick]

Probably doesn't matter very much.
A rule of thumb is that the earlier in fermentation process you add the fruit, the more the aromas are going to be blown off through the airlock. I'd d probably be fine adding after th first week of primary fermentation, either direct to primary bucket/vessel or into a secondary racking the beer onto the fruit/juice.

 

[bolus14]

Agreed, at this point the vigorous fermentation should be done. Unless you're planning to wash/reuse the yeast I would say add right to the primary, be careful not to splash as you add the cherries and juice as you don't want to add oxygen into the beer at this point. If you're not comfortable with that throw the cherries and juice into a secondary and then rack on top of them.

I would say to mash the cherries up a little bit too to get the most juice out of them. Ensure you have some head room because you'll get strong fermentation once the yeast start fermenting the simple sugars in the cherries and juice, if you don't have much head room make sure you have a blow off tube rigged up, or at least ready.

 

[tigerfootballplayer90]

Awesome thank you guys very much. Ill give it another day or 2 in primary. I think for sake of room I'm gonna rack right on top of the cherries and juice in a 2 gallon secondary bucket. That will give me plenty of head space for the fermentation of the cherries (I only do one gallon batches lol).

Thanks again guys