How to avoid infection when adding fruit?

[kombat]

My wife has requested that I brew a Raspberry Wheat Ale for a company BBQ she's hosting at the end of September. I'm not worried about the recipe for the wheat ale base (seems pretty straightforward), but I'm trying to figure out how to infuse the raspberry essence.

I've read that a lot of people actually pureé some actual fruit or berries, then add it to secondary. My question is: How does that not result in infecting the beer? Aren't raw fruits/berries covered in wild bacteria? Is the alcoholic and highly acidic environment of the post-fermentation beer enough to prevent infection? But aren't Brett and pedi infections still a risk even in such conditions?

Or is it implied that people are somehow pasteurizing their berries before adding them in?

I'm leaning towards just using raspberry extract, but I'd much rather use something more "natural" if possible.

 

[Mdsutton]

I have seen on here a lot people just put the fruit in a small amount of Vodka. Than add all to the fermenter.

 

[ehope411]

You could soak the fruit in vodka ahead of time. Or freeze it. I made a cranberry stout recently and steeped a muslin bag of canned, crushed cranberries in the wort for 30 minutes at flameout. Gave it a nice, subtle flavor. For more flavor, I could have added frozen cranberry or cranberry soaked in vodka to secondary.

 

[keelysnow]

I usually freeze my fruits, or buy them in frozen bags, its hard for bacteria to grow in thoughs temperatures, you also boil your berries in a small amount of water or purée them and then boil them for maybe 10 minutes. Theses all would help your chances of beer survival I hope it turns out good!

 

[Denny]

I do nothing to sanitize the fruit. I've even used mushrooms I picked myself and didn't sanitize them. I do freeze these things before use, but that's mainly to break down the cell walls. The alcohol content and low pH of the beer protects it.

 

[wisconsinitebrewer]

I do nothing to sanitize the fruit.

This is what I did as well too when I made my raspberry wheat earlier this year. Took frozen raspberries, crushed them, brought them up closer to room temp and added to secondary. Maybe I was just lucky and didn't get any infected beer...

 

[beerclone]

I have a raspberry wheat in the fermenter now. I added frozen berries which I puréed I'm raspberry vodka. I added the berries right to the primary instead of racking to secondary. I planning to check the gravity this weekend to see where it's at.

 

[Denny]

This is what I did as well too when I made my raspberry wheat earlier this year. Took frozen raspberries, crushed them, brought them up closer to room temp and added to secondary. Maybe I was just lucky and didn't get any infected beer...

If you can do it only once, it's luck. If you can do it time after time, it's not. I've done it many times and never had a problem.

 

[wisconsinitebrewer]

If you can do it only once, it's luck. If you can do it time after time, it's not. I've done it many times and never had a problem.

Good to know Denny, thanks!

 

[hehawbrew]

If you add fruit after a week or two of fermentation, there should be enough alcohol(depending on ABV) to help an infection from starting.

 

[Denny]

If you add fruit after a week or two of fermentation, there should be enough alcohol(depending on ABV) to help an infection from starting.

And even more important, a low pH.

 

[kombat]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice guys, it's been very reassuring. One more quick question though (and maybe this is obvious): Should I just add the raspberries whole, or is it better to crush them up or pureé them first?

 

[Denny]

Wow, thanks for all the great advice guys, it's been very reassuring. One more quick question though (and maybe this is obvious): Should I just add the raspberries whole, or is it better to crush them up or pureé them first?

If you freeze them first, it will break down the cell walls and you won't need to do anything else.

 

[kombat]

Alright, so it sounds like I need to get about a pound (?) of fresh raspberries, blanche them in boiling water for 2 minutes or so to kill most of the bacteria clinging to the outsides, then freeze them to break down the cell walls, and then mix directly into already-fermented beer in a secondary. Sound about right?

Can I do this in a carboy, or is that just asking for a cleanup headache? Should I instead do it in a plastic bucket fermenter and risk the oxidation?

 

[Denny]

Don't blanch them! You'll ruin the flavor, they'll fall apart, and it really isn't necessary. I guess you could give them a spray of StarSan if you're worried. Either a carboy or bucket will be fine. I didn't see how large your batch is, but the ROT is 1 lb. of fruit per gal. of beer.

 

[kombat]

OK, noted. Can I maybe just dunk them in StarSan for 30 seconds or so, then let it drip off before freezing them and adding them in? It's a 5 gallon batch, but I've heard that raspberries have a pretty potent flavour, so I was leaning towards lowballing the amount rather than making it too intense to be drinkable. Has anyone here made a raspberry ale before? What's a good ratio?

 

[DanH]

When I made a huckleberry Belgian pale, I froze them. Then I thawed them and put them in a pot. I put enough water to cover them, brought it to 180*F for 10 minutes and then cooled them before adding the entire thing to a carboy. Then racked on top of them. It worked perfectly as far as I could tell.

 

[Denny]

OK, noted. Can I maybe just dunk them in StarSan for 30 seconds or so, then let it drip off before freezing them and adding them in? It's a 5 gallon batch, but I've heard that raspberries have a pretty potent flavour, so I was leaning towards lowballing the amount rather than making it too intense to be drinkable. Has anyone here made a raspberry ale before? What's a good ratio?

I'd just give them a spray. Getting raspberries wet is usually a bad idea.

 

[bob1852]

I'd just give them a spray. Getting raspberries wet is usually a bad idea.

Agreed. My paranoid self put raspberries (frozen then thawed) in a paint strainer bag and dunked them in star san solution which immediately turned red, losing color and flavor.

I don't process fruit anymore (other than washing & freezing).