Southern English Brown - Adding Raspberry To Half The Batch...

[Hoser]

So I'm about to make a Southern English Brown following Brewing Classic Styles this weekend but I'd like to have a go at adding raspberry puree to half the batch. Jamil recommends in the book that you should rack your beer to another fermenter if you plan on making a fruit beer. Given I'd like to split my batch and I need to rack for the raspberry portion, which of the following makes more sense:

1) split the wort into 2 10L batches in 15L fermenters at the start. Pitch yeast and then rack one of the fermenters into a separate 15L fermenter (with raspberry puree added) near the most active phase of fermentation as recommended in Brewing Classic Styles
or
2) start with one 20L batch in a 30L fermenter. Pitch yeast and then rack the entire batch into 2 10L sub-batches in 15L fermenters near most active phase of fermentation. Obviously one of the fermenters has the raspberry puree

I'm thinking #1 makes more sense because if the best time to transfer for fruit beer is near the end (but not at the end) of the most active phase of fermentation, there will be a high krausen which I'm assuming means plenty of top side yeast. If I rack a combined 20L batch to 2 separate fermenters, the split of yeast will not be consistent... or is that not really an issue because there's yeast all throughout the beer by that stage?

For#2 I only need to buy 2 15L fermenters instead of obviously 3 as in #1 (don't have any 15L fermenters right now). But perhaps more importantly in #1 I'm doing less racking overall which then means less risk of infections, oxidation, etc.

Am I overthinking this?... :unsure:

 

[Ross]

Simply, just rack off 10L into a second fermenter containing your puree as the fermentation is nearing completion.
Or... get yourself some raspberry extract & just add at bottling/kegging time.

cheers Ross

 

[michael_aussie]

sounds like a good way to spoil 1/2 your batch.
you fruity beer guys are from a different planet.

 

[Hoser]

Simply, just rack off 10L into a second fermenter containing your puree as the fermentation is nearing completion.
Or... get yourself some raspberry extract & just add at bottling/kegging time.

cheers RossThanks Ross. Was thinking it's bad form to leave the remaining 10L in a 30L fermenter as I've left a massive headspace above and thus much greater oxygen in the fermenter. Or is that not really a concern?

 

[Hoser]

sounds like a good way to spoil 1/2 your batch.
you fruity beer guys are from a different planet.

Mate this is my brewing experience with SWMBO as she's out of interest designing the recipe and helping make it but actually I'm keen to see how a brown ale turns out with a bit of raspberry anyway. Keep the horizons wide!

 

[mwd]

sounds like a good way to spoil 1/2 your batch.
you fruity beer guys are from a different planet.

Ha Ha yep I am just contemplating adding cherries to a toucan stout, never added fruit to beer before.
Still unsure whether to risk it or not. The only fruit beer I have tasted was a little bit like cordial to my mind.
Nothing ventured nothing gained.

P.S. weighing up adding the fruit to primary after initial ferment slows down or going the secondary onto the fruit option cannot really see it making much difference.

23litres of nasty beer would be a bummer :icon_cheers:

 

[hsb]

I've just discovered (from the Bottleo) Kriek, Lambic with Sour Cherries. Yum. The way the cherries/lambic/sourness interplay is lovely. I'm a noob to fruit beer and share the general suspicion of putting fruit in beer but if it's anything like that, or Framboise then it's a winner in my book. Still on the lookout for Gueze as well on a lambic tip but that's headed way off topic. :icon_offtopic:
Good luck with your raspberries. If fermentation is still underway you should still be spewing out CO2 to nicely blanket your racked beer. Be gentle when transferring and I don't see why it shouldn't be OK.

 

[mwd]

Good luck with your raspberries. If fermentation is still underway you should still be spewing out CO2 to nicely blanket your racked beer. Be gentle when transferring and I don't see why it shouldn't be OK.

Plus the sugars in the fruit will give secondary fermentation which should fill your airspace with C02.
I think I will utilise this method with the cherries if I do it. :icon_cheers:

 

[Hoser]

Cool thanks guys. Will let you know how it turns out!!

 

[fcmcg]

Cool thanks guys. Will let you know how it turns out!!

Oh no you won't hoser...you will give me a tatse , one of these days !!
Good to see you today !
Cheers
Ferg
( sorry i never remember your name...i'm sleep deprived lol ..i have it now...it starts with D )