My next brew is going to be Midwest's Honeybee Ale. I have seen some people discuss it here. So, I figured that maybe someone could give me some advice.
I'd like to add some sort of fruit to the recipe to balance out the sweetness from the honey. I just want to add a little tanginess and very light fruit taste. I'm leaning toward either raspberries or some loquats from a tree in my backyard.
What's the best method for getting the fruit flavor in the beer? Rack the beer over the fruit in the secondary fermenter? Good enough to just dice it up, or should I puree it? I'd rather not cloud the beer too much, if that makes a difference.
Should I do anything to sanitize the fruit before racking? I've seen multiple opinions on this. Some say it doesn't matter as most of the fermentation has already occurred by the time it's in the secondary. Some say to soak the fruit in some type of liquor for a while prior to racking. I guess for this beer I would use maybe a light rum for that? Or vodka? Or some honey-flavored whiskey?
Also, I was thinking of using Irish Moss in the boil to help the clarity. I've never used Irish Moss before. If I don't add more than a teaspoon for the last ten minutes of the boil, will it affect the flavor?
I'd like to add some sort of fruit to the recipe to balance out the sweetness from the honey. I just want to add a little tanginess and very light fruit taste. I'm leaning toward either raspberries or some loquats from a tree in my backyard.
What's the best method for getting the fruit flavor in the beer? Rack the beer over the fruit in the secondary fermenter? Good enough to just dice it up, or should I puree it? I'd rather not cloud the beer too much, if that makes a difference.
Should I do anything to sanitize the fruit before racking? I've seen multiple opinions on this. Some say it doesn't matter as most of the fermentation has already occurred by the time it's in the secondary. Some say to soak the fruit in some type of liquor for a while prior to racking. I guess for this beer I would use maybe a light rum for that? Or vodka? Or some honey-flavored whiskey?
Also, I was thinking of using Irish Moss in the boil to help the clarity. I've never used Irish Moss before. If I don't add more than a teaspoon for the last ten minutes of the boil, will it affect the flavor?
