13,703
edits
Changes
added clamp trick to open a bag of puree
* Whole or sliced frozen - Bulk freezing fruit has a few main potential benefits. First, freezing fruit helps to break down cell walls, which may make the fruit easier to access for yeast and bacteria in the beer <ref>[http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23670237 "Effects of freezing and thawing on texture, microstructure and cell wall composition changes in papaya tissues." Phothiset S, Charoenrein S. 2014.]</ref>. Freezing fruit can also knock back the microbes present on the fruit. Note however that freezing does not kill all the microbes on the fruit. Finally, freezing fruit allows the brewer (especially the homebrewer) to take advantage of local and seasonal fruits when they may not have a use ready for those fruits in season. Frozen fruits are also available as IQF, or individually quick frozen fruit. IQF fruit is frozen but each berry is distinct rather than a single frozen mass. This allows for easier handling, helps prevent clumping, makes for easier fitting of fruit into small openings in carboys or barrels, and allows screening and removal of bad looking fruit. The cell walls of IQF fruit are less broken down than bulk frozen fruit, so there might be a slower extraction rate when using IQF <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1302351986459679/?comment_id=1302550736439804&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R0%22%7D Conversation about freezing fruit on MTF. 05/10/2016.]</ref>. Defrost frozen fruit in the microwave or in the fridge over night. The fruit doesn't necessarily have to come all the way up to cellaring or room temperature. Adding frozen fruit without thawing it first is probably fine as well. The beer and frozen fruit will come back up to ambient temperatures over night <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1215622131799332/?comment_id=1215820848446127&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R%22%7D Conversation with Devin Bell on MTF. 01/17/2016.]</ref>.
* Pureed fresh - pureeing fresh fruit has the benefit of extracting the fruit flavor faster. It also sinks to the bottom of the fermenter <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1172395836121962/?comment_id=1172413292786883&offset=0&total_comments=10&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R4%22%7D Conversation with Dara Rae on MTF regarding puree. 11/1/2015.]</ref>, so the problem of floating whole fruit is avoided. Puree can be difficult to rack the beer off of, and more beer may be lost compared to using whole fruit. Some brewers choose to heat pasteurize freshly made puree.
* Aseptic puree - Same as "Pureed Fresh", but has already been pasteurized. This is usually the case for commercially available puree. We recommend [http://www.oregonfruit.com/specialty-fruit-products Oregon Specialty Fruit] or [https://www.perfectpuree.com/ The Perfect Puree] for quality commercial puree. These purees often have antioxidants such as citric and absorbic acids, cane sugar, and other juices added to them <ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1308527842508760/?comment_id=1308584599169751&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R1%22%7D Conversation with Ehren Schmidt about Perfect Purees having cane sugar and acids added to them on MTF. 05/18/2016.]</ref>. Check the ingredients list of any product before ordering it. Much like fresh purees, aseptic purees or pulps may result in a fair amount of volume loss at packaging, and some puree making it into the final package can be problematic for gushing <ref name='Adi mango pulp discussion'>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1234801133214765/ Adi mango pulp discussion]</ref>. See the [http://www.oregonfruit.com/fruit-brewing/category/brewing-with-fruit/brewing-faq Oregon Fruit webpage] for tips on usage amounts and how to use puree for brewing (they recommend 1/2 to 2 pounds of puree per gallon of finished beer). [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1976299465731591/ Evan Coppage demonstrates how to use a tri clover compatible clamp to more easily open a bag of Oregon Fruit puree.]
* Concentrates and extracts - Concentrates can lose aromatics due to the process, and are generally not as recommended. However, some manufacturers such as Kings Orchards uses a process that reintroduces the aroma back into the concentrate <ref name="kohlmorgen">[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1167993543228858/?comment_id=1168045469890332&offset=0&total_comments=25&comment_tracking=%7B%22tn%22%3A%22R4%22%7D Conversation with Kyle Kohlmorgen on MTF regarding fruit. 10/23/2015.]</ref>. Other manufacturers have been reported to produce high quality concentrates, such as Coloma. Some brewers use concentrates/extracts blended with puree or whole fruit. See [https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1955721414456063/ this MTF thread] for a discussion on the benefits of using concentrates. Extracts tend to be more singular in flavor, and combining different extracts from different companies has been suggested (or blending extract with real fruit/puree to help boost the flavor of certain fruits such as blueberries).
* Juice - Make sure there is no sugar or preservatives added <ref name="kohlmorgen"></ref>. R.W. Knudsen and Lakewood Organic brand juices have been recommended if available <ref name="Coffey_pomegranate">[http://www.alesoftheriverwards.com/2015/11/pomegranate-margarita-gose.html Pomegranate Margarita Gose. Ale of the Riverwards Blog. Ed Coffey. 11/13/2015. Retrieved 11/19/2015.]</ref><ref>[https://www.facebook.com/groups/MilkTheFunk/permalink/1247842675243944/ MTF Thread on Lakewood Juice. 03/07/2016.]</ref>. Juice ferments out faster than whole fruit. This gives the advantage of being able to add a little bit at a time to the secondary fermenter, and being able to add to taste.