So, who doesn't love a good fruit based beer? Fruit can take the taste of a beer to another level. In the craft beer industry that is what we strive for - tasty beer. The hard part is, acheiving the exact right level of the fruit taste, without going overboard and making it overpowering. But at the same time, the fun part can be, trying to figure out how to get to that taste you are looking for.
Fruit taste in craft beer can be accomplished multiple ways. Thanks to the creations of some pretty awesome organizations out there, acheiving that fruit taste can be reached pretty easily. Here are some of the ways.
- Extract - companies like Monin and Amoretti really control this area. They do so by processing the fruit to basically make a concentrate. Some of the extracts are really good and taste like the fruit and some taste, well, like they are fake. Typically extract will be added either in the fermenter, during the secondary phase, or at packaging.
- Puree - numerous companies out there in this area. Monin and Amoretti play in this area also, but the big companies, which do this as their primary purpose, are places like Oregon Fruits and Bier Frucht, to name a few. From Oregon Fruits website: "Pure fruit minimally heated to preserve the character, flavor and aromatics of real fruit". Puree is primarily added in the fermenter, but at what point you add it really determines the taste and character of the beer.
- Puree added during the fermentation process, particularly at the tail end of fermentation, will allow the puree to ferment out completely, not fundamentally chaing the flavor profile of the beer you are making. The result is a product that has a dry or moderately dry finish with only a hint of the fruit in the aroma and in the flavor. Depending on how much you want the fruit to dominate the flavor and aroma will change the levels of fruit added but you have to keep the base beer in mind.
- Puree added post fermentation, when fermentation is complete, is a quick and pretty easy way to deliver a more fruit forward or heavily fruited “smoothie” offering without using as much purée. But, the main drawback to this method is it is not shelf stable without an additional process such as pasteurization.
- Real Fruit - now this is the fun one and the medthod we primarily use right now. You cannot just throw fruit in the fermenter that you pulled off the tree or vine or plant. Fruit in it's natural form, will have bacteria on it and will cause the beer to sour, but not in the good way. So, real fruit either needs to be pasteurized or frozen. Either way, will kill the bacteria on the fruit, allowing you to use the fruit and not be fearful of souring your beer. Although, doing it this way can cause issues with additional oxidation in the fermenting wort, especially if adding post fermentation.
Fruit beers can be done all throughout the year but mostly done in the spring, summer and fall. But, that's not to say, for Valentines Day you couldn't have a Stupid Cupid, Chocolate Covered Strawberry beer!
Get ready Hoppy Hooligans, our fruit beer line up is coming out REAL soon. Strawberry Blondes Forever, Put the Hops in the Coconut are in the cooler. Bikini Bottom Pineapple Shandy is in the fermenter and will be ready in a couple weeks. We have shown you some love, early, by bringing out Gotta Love Blu-Bees already.
Follow us on our social media platforms and keep watch for when these awesome and much anticipated fruit beers will be on tap.
Next Week's Blog Topic - Brewery Anniversary Beer(s).
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