Few questions

[kevinlassen]

Okay. I made a imperial oatmeal stout a few weeks ago. I'm going to rack it over and add frozen cherries to it. My questions are:
Should I bring the cherries to a boil, to sterilize them? And will letting it sit in secondary for 8 months be different/better than letting it sit for a month in secondary then bottle condition for 7-8 months?

 

[twistr25]

You can also soak the cherries in vodka to sterilize them. I feel like boiling may remove some of the flavor. I think longer in the secondary is the way those should be done if I remember correctly. Main difference will be whether it's carbonated aging or not.

 

[Odin_Brews]

You don't have to boil to sterilize, something like 178-180 for 5-10 minutes should be fine.

 

[moorerm04]

I have used strawberries several times and never done anything but washed them.... I would not leave the beer on the fruit for very long... Maybe 3 weeks max. Cold crash it afterwards and then bottle it and bottle age it... You don't want to rack it an extra time just to get it off the fruit and if you leave it in a carboy for 8 months you are taking a higher risk for oxidation... Just bottle it and let it go in the bottle for several months.

 

[kevinlassen]

i am unable to cold crash.. i dont have the room.. is it going to be an issue if i dont?

 

[twistr25]

I've rarely cold crashed, no big deal if you don't. It just helps out in clearing. If you rack carefully, it'll be fine.

 

[tacks]

I took the sealed bags of cherries and soaked them in hot water until all was thawed and room temp, dumped them into my secondary fermenter, and tossed the beer from primary on top... no problems. If you boil, throw that water in too, by the time you're done boiling, it's leached some of the sugars and flavor out of the fruit.

 

[kevinlassen]

Thanks y'all. I'm going to do it today. And make a maple wheat brew.