Adding fruit to FV

[MartinHaworth]

As detailed on my brew days thread, I'm about to add 4kg of raspberries to my saison. It's been in the FV for 5 days and gone front 1030 to 1003, in brew fridge at 29C. Belle saison.

Never done this before. I plan to:

Freeze the fruit
Smash it up
Defrost
Add to FV
Monitor the gravity over the next 5 days
When stable back at 1002 cold crash for 2 days
Bottle

Any advice

Thanks

Martin

 

[Keats]

Interesting to hear how you get on as I'm planning to do the same in a couple of weeks with separate batches of raspberries, blackberries and plums.

This site recommends pasteurising the fruit before adding to the FV.

http://www.port66.co.uk/fruit-additions/

 

[MartinHaworth]

Interesting read. I'm torn now on what to do...

 

[MartinHaworth]

Well, I pitched in 4kg of raspberries without pasteurization.

My rationale was the yeast I am using. Belle saison is a beast working fast and attenuation very high. Expected fg1002 or lower.

I'm hoping that there will be very little for the Wild yeast to go on.

We will see

Martin

 

[Alex.mc]

Another thread obviously, but I pitched some kilos of Blackberries into my wheat beer that was about 5 days into fermentation. After weeks and weeks it's still fermenting! Albeit slowly.
I checked the gravity and tasted a couple of weeks back, and although low abv it tasted pretty good! I smelt again the other day, and it's nice still, no off smells or anything, but I'm wondering how long it's going to keep going for. I don't know enough about what I'm doing with it to be honest.
Raspberry saison sounds lovely though!
If it helps, I froze the fruit, then defrosted and heated up to 80c and bashed it up and pitched it in(cooled obvs).

 

[Keats]

Another thread obviously, but I pitched some kilos of Blackberries into my wheat beer that was about 5 days into fermentation. After weeks and weeks it's still fermenting! Albeit slowly.
I checked the gravity and tasted a couple of weeks back, and although low abv it tasted pretty good! I smelt again the other day, and it's nice still, no off smells or anything, but I'm wondering how long it's going to keep going for. I don't know enough about what I'm doing with it to be honest.
Raspberry saison sounds lovely though!
If it helps, I froze the fruit, then defrosted and heated up to 80c and bashed it up and pitched it in(cooled obvs).

As mentioned above, I'll be making a blackberry beer as well as the raspberry one in the next couple of weeks. Not used fruit in beer before but when I've made wine with blackberries, it has taken several weeks before fermentation has finished. Maybe something to do with the type of sugars in the fruit? No idea if that is true or not, just a guess!

 

[MartinHaworth]

Omg! 2 days on the fruit. 2 hydrometer pictures one before pitching fruit, the other 2 days after. I reckon 2 more days then cold crash.

The colour and raspberry flavour are amazing!

 

[Keats]

That looks fantastic. Can't believe how much colour it has taken on! Was that four kilos into 20l of wort?

Not that it is a big issue, but how can the ABV be calculated when fruit, and therefore sugar, is added part way through fermentation?

 

[MartinHaworth]

That looks fantastic. Can't believe how much colour it has taken on! Was that four kilos into 20l of wort?

Not that it is a big issue, but how can the ABV be calculated when fruit, and therefore sugar, is added part way through fermentation?

Good question. I googled raspberry sugar per kilo of fruit, worked out how much sugar I added in the form of fruit (c180g). Online calculator show that this is less than 0.5% abv from raspberry. Raspberries mainly offering flavour.

 

[Keats]

That makes sense seeing as they are mostly made up of water.

 

[lagerlad]

Evening folks I have just done a couple of beers with fruit,

raspberries then cherries both from farmfoods frozen the main problem I had was transferring from fermenter to bottle or keg as the fruit was clogging up the tap,I have an ss conical but the fruit floats........rasp beer excellent tho cherry porter in keg hope it's good cheers lagerlad

 

[Keats]

Evening folks I have just done a couple of beers with fruit,

raspberries then cherries both from farmfoods frozen the main problem I had was transferring from fermenter to bottle or keg as the fruit was clogging up the tap,I have an ss conical but the fruit floats........rasp beer excellent tho cherry porter in keg hope it's good cheers lagerlad

I use a siphon rather than a tap so hopefully keeping the end of that under the floating fruit will stop it clogging up too much.

Cherry porter sounds great - you need to change your username!

 

[lagerlad]

Never even thought of that yet I used to siphon all the time got too used to the conical with tap I suppose........ cherry porter sitting in keg waiting to go on tap will let you know how it is ...got mates round tomorrow gotta finish a keg of black ipa to get the porter on.....it's a hard life.......kinda like lagerlad as it's kind of what I started on been off it for a while tho but been indulging again as my local brewery 71 brewing does a very decent lager

 

[MartinHaworth]

Evening folks I have just done a couple of beers with fruit,

raspberries then cherries both from farmfoods frozen the main problem I had was transferring from fermenter to bottle or keg as the fruit was clogging up the tap,I have an ss conical but the fruit floats........rasp beer excellent tho cherry porter in keg hope it's good cheers lagerlad

I can see that will be a problem for me too, my trial jar had 'bits' in it. I may siphon, but I want to be as careful as I can with oxygen so as to not lose the colour etc.

Martin

 

[Keats]

Hi Martin,

How is the fruit beer going? How long did you leave it on the fruit before bottling, assuming you have got to that point?

Just about ready to add the fruit to my batch.

Andy

 

[Bertie Doe]

Not used fruit in beer before but when I've made wine with blackberries, it has taken several weeks before fermentation has finished. Maybe something to do with the type of sugars in the fruit? No idea if that is true or not, just a guess!

Yes you're right, fruit sugar is very different. Years ago I made 2 gallons of port from elderberries. It took 4 months for the ferment to stop and another 8 months before it was drinkable. It went down very nicely.

 

[Bertie Doe]

I use a siphon rather than a tap so hopefully keeping the end of that under the floating fruit will stop it clogging up too much.

Cherry porter sounds great - you need to change your username!

I was looking at Greg Hughes recipe eatlier for Cherry Lambic ".. a traditional Belgian style of sour beer. Most of the flavour comes from the wild yeast strains, which are added after primary fermentation".

By 'wild yeast strains' does he mean the natural yeast, found on the bloom of the (6kg) of morello cherries? If 'Yes' wouldn't this get washed off by the farmer, wholesaler and friendly supermarket fruiterer?

 

[MartinHaworth]

Hi Martin,

How is the fruit beer going? How long did you leave it on the fruit before bottling, assuming you have got to that point?

Just about ready to add the fruit to my batch.

Andy

Cheers Andy, I left it 5 days. On adding the fruit the yeast activity hotted up very fast and had tailed off by the 3rd day of the fruit...

As for the beer, it's conditioning at present - I'm not sure it will be a triumph, as at present it tastes as if there is too much of the lemon (boil + bottling). I'm hoping this will even out in time. I will say that the raspberry colour, aroma and flavour component is very attractive.

I plan to crack one on Friday night as a tester, so if I remember I'll post a photo and some tasting notes.

Thanks

Martin

 

[Alex.mc]

The Blackberry Weiss I did took several weeks of continuing fermenting to finish. I bottled it and carbonated to 3 volumes on reading what was recommended for the style.
It has come out very nice. It's pretty dry which I like, colour is medium pale pink, and has a slight tartness. The Blackberry is really noticeable in the first drink, and lingers at the back of the mouth. Very reminiscent of the true taste of wild blackberries, which are much more subtle than supermarket ones.
I'm very happy with it, and my wife really likes it too.
I have a bunch of rose hips now, and am wondering about using them in something. thought about a Rose hip Saison.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Well I tried one last night, and it is coming good but a couple more weeks are needed I feel.