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  • Fruit affecting fermentation performance

    Hey all,

    We've been making a raspberry wheat for years, but recently changed our process. We used to add fruit to cold, finished beer and loved the flavor, but that was a recipe for disaster in packages. This year we began adding fruit during fermentation to ensure shelf stability, but the yeast seem to hate it.

    We are adding approx 850 lbs of puree and a bit of pectinase to 90 bbls beer at high krausen. Bumps the gravity by about .5P.

    Problem is very laggy fermentation toward the end; we are getting days and days of creeping fermentation, whereas the non-fruited beer used to just finish up and settle down quite quickly.

    What's going on here? Trouble switching to fructose fermentation? Something with the physical fruit matrix interfering with circulation?

    Any thoughts are appreciated.

    Cheers.
    Mike Elliott
    Head Brewer
    Philipsburg Brewing Co.
    Montana

  • #2
    Originally posted by Mike Elliott View Post
    Hey all,

    We've been making a raspberry wheat for years, but recently changed our process. We used to add fruit to cold, finished beer and loved the flavor, but that was a recipe for disaster in packages. This year we began adding fruit during fermentation to ensure shelf stability, but the yeast seem to hate it.

    We are adding approx 850 lbs of puree and a bit of pectinase to 90 bbls beer at high krausen. Bumps the gravity by about .5P.

    Problem is very laggy fermentation toward the end; we are getting days and days of creeping fermentation, whereas the non-fruited beer used to just finish up and settle down quite quickly.

    What's going on here? Trouble switching to fructose fermentation? Something with the physical fruit matrix interfering with circulation?

    Any thoughts are appreciated.

    Cheers.
    Good morning,

    I own/operate a cidery and meadery. The problem you are having is likely due to a drop in pH from the added fruit. Raspberry is very acidic. Beer yeast may not be able to handle the low pH environment.

    My suggestion is to ferment the raspberry separate with a wine yeast and then blend the two together. PM me if you would like some suggestions on wine yeast and fermentation guidelines.

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    • #3
      Ferment 4-5 days to near end, dump the cone, THEN add your fruit. wait another 4-5 days and crash. No need for separate fermentation or wine yeast.
      Brewmaster, Minocqua Brewing Company
      tbriggs@minocquabrewingcompany.com
      "Your results may vary"

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      • #4
        Are you sure that your puree does not have any "preservatives" in it?

        Those are generally fermentation inhibitors (like potassium sorbate) and would cause exactly the behavior that you describe. We use a regimen similar to Ted's and do not experience any stalling issues.

        (And good on you for not packaging beer with fermentables still in it... I HATE that new fad- sure you get good flavor, until it explodes in your valued customer's hand.)

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