Peach Pureé and fermentation

[etrain666]

Thought I would share what I would consider an odd fermentation of a batch I brewed this weekend.


Style: Belgian Specialty Ale
TYPE: All Grain
Taste: (30.0) Pureéd 2 pounds of chopped peaches and added to the boil with 10 minutes left.
Pitched a 3rd generation of 566 at 83 degrees and dropped to 77.
Fermentation started superfast and raised the temp to 79.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 7.31 gal
Post Boil Volume: 6.50 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 5.50 gal
Bottling Volume: 5.10 gal
Estimated OG: 1.055 SG
Estimated Color: 5.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 24.1 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 60.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 68.2 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
9 lbs Pilsner (2 Row) Bel
2 lbs Munich Malt
2 lbs Wheat Malt, Bel
1 lbs Acid Malt
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0
1.00 oz Willamette [5.50 %] - Boil 15.0 min
1.00 oz Coriander Seed (Boil 5.0 mins)
1.50 lb Peach Puree (Boil 10.0 mins)
1.0 pkg Belgian Saison II Yeast (White Labs #WLP Yeast)
2.00 lb Peach Puree Secondary (Secondary 0.0 min Flavor)

I brewed this on Saturday and pitched a healthy started at 5pm. This is a third generation of the yeast. But the starter went very well, so I figured all is ok. I pitched at 83 and dropped and held it at 77. Within a few hours fermentation went wild. CO2 coming out of the blow-off tube sounded like a machine gun.

I entended to add another pound of sugar after I saw the kruesen fall, and that happened Sunday afternoon (less than 24 hours after pitching). So I pitched the sugar then. It's now Monday morning and the CO2 blow off has completely stopped.

I noticed an odd thing with the kruesen, it seemed very thick and heavy, kind of like ice cream. And the beer is a completely opaque pale yellow color. I am thinking the peach pureé has to be the cause. I have not taken a reading yet, but I have never had a fermentation go wild and then just completely show no sign of life after 48 hours (I know it is probably still working and lack of CO2 is not necessarily a sign of a complete ferment).

I'll take a reading tonight. I usually like to taste the samples, but right now the beer looks like a banana smoothy and not entirely appealing.

 

[Beernoulli]

I've had several brews finish in less than 3 days. I have a Saison in the fermenter with 566 that finished bubbling just shy of 3 days. With the peach purée, you're also adding a lot of very fermentable sugars. 2 days does seem really fast, but you're also fermenting in the upper 70s which could speed up the fermentation a lot.

Best way to find out, is to take a gravity reading.

As for the appearance, peach purée takes a while to come out of suspension, and usually doesn't settle very firm. You'll probably need to rack to another fermenter for a while and add some pectic enzyme if you want a clear beer.

 

[etrain666]

Thanks. I was not expecting a clear beer necessarily. I am sure a lot will still drop out, but right now I have a 6 gallon fermenter full of fruity milkshake.

 

[edmanster]

Sounds delicious to me and from what you wrote sounds normal also especially with making homemade puree.. its usually slimy soapy goo out of the blender until you boil and add the pectin when making jelly.. it will fall out with time..

 

[arabuck]

Thanks. I was not expecting a clear beer necessarily. I am sure a lot will still drop out, but right now I have a 6 gallon fermenter full of fruity milkshake.

Funny - I brewed virtually the same yesterday with similar results at the moment