Zest of lemon. when to add??

[Eischman]

My kit says to add zest in the secondary but I have searched on this forum and found a lot of you adding at the end of boil or flame out.
Could someone tell me what the difference would be in taste between
the two of them??

 

[ScoutMan]

Taste diffence would be minimal in my opinion. I like to add @ flameout so as to insure there are no nasties on the zest that could infect the brew.

 

[BBBF]

I think you'd be better extraction from alcohol, hense adding it to the secondary, but you could do it both ways.

 

[Eischman]

Can you also add some of the lemon juice at flame out?

 

[comj49]

I have added lemon zest a few times, and it depends on how much flavor you want. Adding it at flameout will give hints of it in the finished beer, and in the secondary will really give a strong citrus flavor (depending on how much you add though). I just brewed an American Wheat and wanted some citrus background to it. I zested 3 lemons and 3 oranges, soaked them in vodka, and added it to the secondary. After 3 weeks in the bottle, it is way too much citrus flavor. Next time i would just add zest of 1-2 of each and add it to the boil.

 

[Eischman]

Thanks for the info, I put one lemon zest in the last two min of boil and I`ll
put one more in durring the secondary and see how that tastes.

 

[ohiobrewtus]

I have added lemon zest a few times, and it depends on how much flavor you want. Adding it at flameout will give hints of it in the finished beer, and in the secondary will really give a strong citrus flavor (depending on how much you add though). I just brewed an American Wheat and wanted some citrus background to it. I zested 3 lemons and 3 oranges, soaked them in vodka, and added it to the secondary. After 3 weeks in the bottle, it is way too much citrus flavor. Next time i would just add zest of 1-2 of each and add it to the boil.

I do a summer wheat with lemon and I can confirm that adding it to secondary makes it quite strong. I add some at 10, some at 5, some at 2, and some at flameout (along with grains of paradise at 10) and it makes for a nice sublte hint of lemon. It's there, but it doesn't dominate.

 

[Eischman]

Even one in secondary? maybe I`ll try using just half of one.

 

[JMG680]

Good to know, I am doing a honey wheat on Tuesday and was going to add in secondary now I will do only boil.

 

[Eischman]

How long do you have to soak in vodka??
My Instructions tell me to microwave the zest

 

[Eischman]

Thanks for the info, I put one lemon zest in the last two min of boil and I`ll
put one more in durring the secondary and see how that tastes.

Update:5/30/09 Just right for me ,not to much, not to little, It`s like putting a fresh lemon in your Hef without having to put one in!

 

[cheschire]

Me too ME too. Grocery store didn't have habaneros for my chocolate habanero ale. So my beer is one week into fermentation and I got a habanero. How would I add it? Could it infect me beer? Should I chop it up? throw it in the secondary? Ive never added fruit as you can tell

EDIT: Sorry in advance if I steal this thread. I just need a quick answer. lemon zest and Habanero. Can they be added the same way?

 

[captianoats]

I would add 1 micron of habanero to each barrel of beer.

Seriously, I would seed it and drop it in 1 or 2 days before bottling. A little of this bad boy will go a LONG way.

 

[cheschire]

thanks. I can eat those things straight so 1 will be good for me I think.

 

[JoelFreeman]

Question for you guys. When I add zest to the boil is it supposed to make it to the carboy? A lot of sludge (mostly hops) remains at the bottom of my kettle that I don't transfer because it sits just below the hole on the kettle. Should I be grinding up the zest so that it doesn't get filtered? Should I be tipping my kettle so that the hop sludge makes it to the carboy as well?

 

[castillo556]

How long do you have to soak in vodka??
My Instructions tell me to microwave the zest

Microwaving it is to kill any bacteria so you don't infect your beer.

By soaking it in vodka you as also sanitizing it but at the same time the vodka will extract alot of the flavor.