Sour with dried cranberries

[DocDriza]

I'm looking to sour a beer that sits on dried cranberries. I haven't been able to find a good answer anywhere as to whether this is a bad idea. Can someone enlighten me?

 

[bigdawg86]

I have a sour saison sitting on raspberry puree right now. I would imagine that dried cranberries are fine (craisens?)but I would run them through a food processor or blender first to get maximum flavor out of them.

 

[DocDriza]

I have a sour saison sitting on raspberry puree right now. I would imagine that dried cranberries are fine (craisens?)but I would run them through a food processor or blender first to get maximum flavor out of them.

Technically, yes. I am able to buy bulk dried cranberries.

 

[Rob2010SS]

I don't know. I would think that dried is going to minimize what you're going to get out of it. Most of the moisture is out of the fruit and that's really where your flavors come from... I think.

I would opt for fresh cranberries. I do a cranberry sour where I use 6 lbs of fresh cranberries. Pic below. Comes out delicious.

I've never used dried fruit but you could be ok using it. I'm just not sure.

Can I ask why dried and not fresh?

 

[BBBF]

Technically, yes. I am able to buy bulk dried cranberries.

Two potential issues:

1. Preservatives. This isn't a complete deal breaker because you aren't fermenting 100% berries. They will be diluted if you are only adding a few lbs into a beer.

2. Are they coated in oil? Again, not a deal breaker, but it will affect foam stability.

 

[madscientist451]

You want to sour a beer as its in secondary with cranberries? Is that the question?
What are you using to create the sour?

 

[DocDriza]

I don't know. I would think that dried is going to minimize what you're going to get out of it. Most of the moisture is out of the fruit and that's really where your flavors come from... I think.

I would opt for fresh cranberries. I do a cranberry sour where I use 6 lbs of fresh cranberries. Pic below. Comes out delicious.

I've never used dried fruit but you could be ok using it. I'm just not sure.

Can I ask why dried and not fresh?

Because I want to brew this sooner rather than later and fresh cranberries are not available to me at the moment.

 

[Rob2010SS]

Because I want to brew this sooner rather than later and fresh cranberries are not available to me at the moment.

Understood. Just was curious.

I've never used dried fruit so I can't speak to how it will go.