What are your reasons for adding fruit?

[melbow]

I initially planned to fruit one of my recent brews "because I love peaches", but after pulling a sample, I am rethinking my approach. The beer tastes great and I think adding fruit will potentially detract by hiding some of the more subtle flavors I enjoy.

I want to know why others decide to add fruit to their beers. Do you really enjoy that specific fruit? Are you trying to mask an off flavor? Add body with the pectin? Need a little variety? Trying to balance acidity with a more acidic fruit? Are there specific qualities you think the fruit will complement that are not enough to stand on their own?

 

[Dland]

Yeah, I'd go with your rethink; beer is not at its best with fruit, and fruit is not at its best in beer.

Plenty of other good beverages one can make where fruit is good.

 

[day_trippr]

I dunno, when the weather gets crispy hot I find myself thinking a raspberry saison would be perfect.
Haven't done one...yet...but seriously considering splitting the next 10g saison batch and hitting one half with a crapton of raspberry puree...

Cheers!

 

[Beernik]

When I make a recipe I decide what flavor (hops, roasted grain, yeast, spice, fruit, etc.) I want the beer to be about and pick the rest of the ingredients around that flavor. So, when I’m making a fruit beer it’s because I’m in the mood for a fruit beer. The flavors of rest of the ingredients I choose are intended to be subtitle and in the background.

Using fruit, I’ve done pLambics, cream ales, saisons, blonde ales, and bocks.

 

[melbow]

When I make a recipe I decide what flavor (hops, roasted grain, yeast, spice, fruit, etc.) I want the beer to be about and pick the rest of the ingredients around that flavor.

This is the approach I took, but I grew all the yeast and bacteria from bottle dregs. So even though I had an idea of what each would contribute, I had no idea what the finished product would be. I don't have a microscope so I could only make assumptions based on how I treated each sample and what activity it showed (krausen, bubbles, smell, etc). I'm probably crazy, but I like this approach. It feels like a wonderful blend of art and science and requires very conscious decisions to produce the best beer possible.

Fruited cream ale sounds interesting. What fruit did you use? How did that turn out?

 

[JimRausch]

I add fruit to only one style- American Wheat(basically the Blue Moon clone from Wayne and Nilo's multi-page thread). It really lends itself well to fruit additions. So far, have tried apricot, blueberry, raspberry, grapefruit, and cranberry. As well as the original orange peel/coriander.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Yeah, I'd go with your rethink; beer is not at its best with fruit, and fruit is not at its best in beer.

Plenty of other good beverages one can make where fruit is good.

Thank you!

 

[Beernik]

This is the approach I took, but I grew all the yeast and bacteria from bottle dregs. So even though I had an idea of what each would contribute, I had no idea what the finished product would be. I don't have a microscope so I could only make assumptions based on how I treated each sample and what activity it showed (krausen, bubbles, smell, etc). I'm probably crazy, but I like this approach. It feels like a wonderful blend of art and science and requires very conscious decisions to produce the best beer possible.

Fruited cream ale sounds interesting. What fruit did you use? How did that turn out?

I’ve harvested yeast a couple times. The only one I do regularly is Orval’s.

The cream ale was literally my second brew. It was okayish, as early beers go. I used white & yellow peaches, maybe 1.5lbs per gallon in a 5 gallon beer. If I had to do it again, I’d use a more floral hop. The kit came with Northern Brewer and wasn’t intended to be fruited. Fuggles, Goldings, or Willamette would have been a better hop choice.

 

[cactusgarrett]

Fruit are for sours, IMO. Fruit isn't to be used to mask a mistake, either.

 

[AzOr]

If properly balanced, a fruit beer can be delicious.

I've played with adding peaches to a simple blonde and the first version wasn't that good. It wasn't a dumper but close.

Subsequent versions I added a few oz of honey malt to balance the tart and it came out pretty good.

Years ago I brewed a Papazian cherry ale recipe with sour cherries and that was pretty good as well.

Fruit beers aren't always on the top of my list but if I had a yard full of fruit trees or bushes I'm sure I would be more enthusiastic about perfecting them.

 

[ncbrewer]

I initially planned to fruit one of my recent brews "because I love peaches", but after pulling a sample, I am rethinking my approach. The beer tastes great and I think adding fruit will potentially detract by hiding some of the more subtle flavors I enjoy.

I find fruit beers interesting and enjoy tasting them, but as a regular thing I like beer made from water, malt, hops, and yeast.

 

[Darwin18]

I'm a huge fan of fruit beers, but when I'm planning one I'm focusing on the beer first. The fruit component of that beer is meant to compliment the beer style not be the entire focal point. My goal is to brew a great beer that has fruit as an ingredient - I'm not trying to make a fruit bomb. A poorly made beer loaded up with fruit isn't going to make a good beer. I also try to stay away from any of the extracts and try to utilize either purees or frozen berries.

 

[bleme]

I make fruit beers because they are my wife's favorite.
I also only fruit an American Wheat base (and ciders, LOL!), although I wouldn't be opposed to fruiting a saison.

 

[Jag75]

I'm fixing to make a peach blonde ale. My wife absolutely loved the one she tried at Lengthwise . I didnt think I'd care for it too much but I was surprised. They even had a peach IPA which was good as well. Summer is here and a cold peach ale sounds pretty good . Just a touch of peach, not peach juice with a touch of beer.

 

[enkamania]

My summer beers are pineapple wheat, strawberry cream ale and watermelon wheat.

 

[brownni5]

Fruit = Good
Sour Beer = Good
Therefore Fruit + Sour Beer = Good.

If it weren't for Krieks and Framboise, I could live without fruit beers.

 

[mattdee1]

In 5 solid years of trying every homebrew and craft beer I can get my hands on, there have been a few decent fruit beers, but not a single one I can think of where I thought the beer was good because of the fruit rather than in spite of it. I'm not saying fruit additions necessarily ruin beer (although they can), it's simply that for my tastes, a well-brewed beer does not, and cannot, get any better by adding fruit. It's to the point now where if I see any mention of fruit on the can I stop reading and put it back on the shelf.

Don't even get me started on beers that use fruit-flavored extracts… blech.

I will say I definitely agree that sour styles are much more well-suited to fruit.

 

[AzOr]

I'm fixing to make a peach blonde ale. My wife absolutely loved the one she tried at Lengthwise . I didnt think I'd care for it too much but I was surprised. They even had a peach IPA which was good as well. Summer is here and a cold peach ale sounds pretty good . Just a touch of peach, not peach juice with a touch of beer.

There was a thread on here a while back about peach and apricot beers. Be warned that they will dry out a beer and make them overly tart. The recommendation is to add a few oz’s of honey malt (maybe 4-6 oz) to balance the tart. This goes for a lighter style, specifically a blonde. A bigger beer would be different.

 

[Jag75]

There was a thread on here a while back about peach and apricot beers. Be warned that they will dry out a beer and make them overly tart. The recommendation is to add a few oz’s of honey malt (maybe 4-6 oz) to balance the tart. This goes for a lighter style, specifically a blonde. A bigger beer would be different.

Was gonna use 9# 2 row , .5 # crystal 15.
So if I add 6 oz of honey malt the beer wont be so dry ?

 

[AzOr]

Was gonna use 9# 2 row , .5 # crystal 15.
So if I add 6 oz of honey malt the beer wont be so dry ?

Yes. Honey malt has a perceived sweetness. It’s pretty strong so it’s easy to overdo. Tonight I’ll dig around on forum. I remember there being a few popular recipes w honey malt.

 

[deadwolfbones]

Yeah, I'd go with your rethink; beer is not at its best with fruit, and fruit is not at its best in beer.

Plenty of other good beverages one can make where fruit is good.

Oh come on now.

 

[The_Professor]

......So, when I’m making a fruit beer it’s because I’m in the mood for a fruit beer. .......

I will totally agree with Beernik.
Besides Beernik's suggestion to tailor the beer around the fruit I would also suggest something I saw in a fruit mead video. Use a lot of fresh fruit in secondary.

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

I'm not a big fan of sours as a general rule. I can drink 'em, but I wouldn't go out of my way to get one. I'm also not a fan of fruited beers. In general, I like the flavor of beer and fruit seems to just overpower the great flavor of a beer.

That being said, I've had some fantastic fruited sours...fruit really brings them alive and, to me, goes really well with the sour twang.

Une Annee brews some fantastic fruited sours and I'd love to recreate some of the stuff they're doing. Their Kriek is outstanding for example.

I also don't like hot peppers in beer, but I had a habanero sour that was shockingly good. That was at a judging for NHBC and it easily won BOS in it's group.

 

[Bubbles2]

From what I understand Saison is a beer made with seasonal fruit. I do see the word thrown around like Noir in the film biz... I like a citrus IPA, but use an adjunct at bottling. Nothing wrong, or anti purist using a concentrate or flavor. Eg., vanilla opposed to scraping beans from an Orchid. IMO
To make a good apple pie one does not add more apples to the recipe, you use apple concentrate.

 

[Jag75]

Mmmmm apple pie

 

[TechFanMD]

I think adding fruit for the sake of adding fruit is a bad idea, or just because you like a certain fruit flavor can be a really bad idea. Cherry goes great in wheat beers, not just because of cherry flavor but because it adds some sour/pucker.

Fruits can be tough....you know how nice a ripe peach tastes, but if you freeze it and eat it frozen or cold it can taste bitter? Sometimes a peach can taste or smell like cat pee. Of all of the fruits....peaches make me the most nervous about putting in beer.

 

[Jag75]

I dont know where you get your peaches but I've never had a peach that smelled like pee lol. I've used frozen bagged peaches that taste great. Just did a blueberry sour using 5# of blueberries with a great outcome.

 

[OG-wan Kenobi]

I have a strawberry wheat on tap now that is very refreshing on these hot days I am thinking of slamming another one together actually it's been so good

 

[TechFanMD]

I dont know where you get your peaches but I've never had a peach that smelled like pee lol. I've used frozen bagged peaches that taste great. Just did a blueberry sour using 5# of blueberries with a great outcome.

It is usually peach flavoring that smells like cat pee to me (and it is a 'thing' that some people perceive it that way).

 

[Tobor_8thMan]

Depends on the individual. However, my Strawberry Wheat, Blackberry Wheat, Strawberry Ale, Cherry Wheat, Cherry Ale, Mango Cream Ale and Blood Orange Wheat have always been enjoyed by everyone having one (or more) of them.

 

[Jag75]

It is usually peach flavoring that smells like cat pee to me (and it is a 'thing' that some people perceive it that way).

I hope you didnt just mess me up lol. Cold stone creamery has a mint ice cream that I really liked. My wife took a bite and she said it tasted like toothpaste . I dont eat that flavor anymore because everytime I do I taste Crest lol.

 

[radwizard]

Actually, this thread surprises me that so many people don't like fruit in beer. This site is filled with threads of people trying to target fruit flavors in un-fruited beers like IPAs, Belgians, Brett beers etc . I thought that was the whole reason why the trendiest hops were the fruitiest.

 

[kingmatt]

Fruit is like any other ingredient, if used properly it can enhance and improve the taste of the beer, just like hops or a specific yeast strain. That said, if used improperly it can easily ruin a beer, more so than most other ingredients.

 

[grampamark]

In my little corner of the brewing world, there is no reason to add fruit to beer, ever.

Obviously there are some who think fruit is a traditional brewing ingredient. Carry on.