Gone are the days when fruit beers tasted like sweet cough syrup. With the rise in popularity of craft beers in America and European sour beers, people are starting to realize that fruit beers come in a variety of delicious and interesting styles. For homebrewers, experimenting with new fruit puree recipes offers the ability to craft classic styles in a fun and creative way. So, let’s explore the fruit frontier!
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Why Should You Homebrew?
If you’re a beer enthusiast, chances are you’ve been toying with the idea of brewing your own beer for quite some time. The good news is with all of the new homebrewing systems available, it’s never been easier to start. Here are some more reasons to take the plunge.
- Brewing your own beer saves you money! That’s right. It’s actually cheaper to brew your own beer in the long run.
- Homebrewed beer is the perfect gift. Holidays, birthdays, and even bachelorette parties are all excellent occasions to hand out samples of your creations for friends and family to enjoy.
- Homebrewing teaches you so much about the art of craft beer that you’ll start to really appreciate the skills of others as well as your own.
- When consumed in moderation, homebrewed beer has many health benefits, such as the anti-aging effects of antioxidants found in fruit beer, while the probiotics in sour beer improve digestive health.
- Having a fulfilling hobby is great for your mental health, as well, and has been shown to improve your mood by giving you a greater sense of purpose.
What to Look for When Buying Fruit
Now that you’re ready to start brewing, there are a few things you should keep in mind when deciding what kind of fruit to use in your recipes.
Start with buying fruit that is as fresh as possible. Even bruised and overripe fruit can be used so long as there’s no mold present. Farmer’s markets and local farms are the best places to source from. Major grocery store chains will be cheaper, but the fruit is more likely to be less ripe and full of pesticides.
Fruit needs to be washed carefully, mashed, and flashed pasteurized before being added to your brew. This does take some extra time and effort. One way to save yourself this step is by looking for real fruit purees that are picked at peak ripeness, and then sealed in aseptic packaging. This will ensure that your beer tastes amazing and doesn’t accidentally get contaminated.
You can use frozen fruit as well as fruit juice if you prefer but read the labels carefully so that you’re only getting 100% real fruit. Artificial ingredients and preservatives will affect the final outcome of your brew.
Depending on which base style of beer you choose to start with, you may need a lot of fruit or just a little to achieve the desired outcome.
The Best Base Styles for Fruit Beer
It’s best to begin with a style you’re already familiar with before you start experimenting by adding fruit to the recipe. There are several styles that are traditionally paired with fruit however, nowadays, people are discovering that just about any type of beer can go with fruit.
It is better to choose a beer that’s not too hop-forward on the nose and palette. Super hoppy beers tend to antagonize the natural fruit flavors, making balance difficult to achieve. Base styles that lend themselves well to the addition of fruit are:
- Wheat beers: Popular in Europe and America, wheat beers are made with a higher percentage of wheat than malted barley. They often have an orange or golden color and tend to have a more yeasty taste with banana notes on the finish. Almost any fruit can be paired with a wheat beer.
- Porters & Stouts: These two dark beer styles appear to look very similar and can often be mistaken for the other. The main difference is that stouts contain mostly unmalted roasted barley, while porters are made from dark malted barley. As these styles often have notes of dark chocolate and coffee, they pair best with fruit that can stand up to their bold flavor.
- Sours: Sour beers get their signature acidic flavor from exposure to wild yeast strains and the same microorganisms found in yogurt. Sour beers, like Lambics, are often brewed with tart fruit, such as cherries and raspberries, but any fruit can be used so long as the sweetness is well balanced.
- Lagers: These are brewed slowly at a lower temperature, which produces a lighter beer with more carbonation. They can range in color from bright yellow to amber brown. Lagers pair well with fruit so long as the fruit is added towards the end of the fermentation process. Otherwise, the yeast will consume all of the fruit flavor.
When it comes to choosing which style to pair with which fruit, just keep in mind that more delicate fruits, such as peaches and blueberries, work better with lighter beers. While more robust fruit stands up better to a darker style.
The Characteristics of a Good Fruit Beer
To avoid the dreaded cough syrup effect, start by using only real fruit. Extracts and syrups will taste artificial in the end. A good fruit beer should be balanced.
The fruit aroma, which comes from the plant’s terpenes, should be present but not overpowering. You still want to be able to smell the other elements in the brew. When it comes to taste, avoid the fruit juice effect. The natural flavor of the fruit should be noticeable but not in charge. You still want to be able to detect the base style of the beer. The same goes for the appearance. It should look like a typical beer of that style but with a hint of added color from the fruit.
It’s important to take careful notes during the entire brewing process so that adjustments can easily be made for the next batch.
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Fruit Puree Recipes
If you love stouts, consider adding raspberry puree to your brew to create a delicious raspberry and dark chocolate effect. The tartness and acidity from the raspberries also help balance the sweet, malty notes of a stout.
Citrus fruit of any kind goes great with lagers. Consider experimenting with blood oranges and tangerines to add a lovely tint to your brew. Tropical fruit also makes a great addition. The sweetness of guava balances out lager’s bracing aftertaste.
Wheat beers lend themselves to many different kinds of fruit, but the floral elements of peaches really enhance a wheat beer’s natural sweetness. Other stone fruits, such as nectarines and plums, go great, as well.
Sour beers are very versatile to play with. The trick is balancing the wild flavors of the yeast with those of the fruit. Consider adding ripe red grapes to the mix. Grapes have just enough sweetness and dry tannins to match the high acidity of the sour beer.
Enjoy the Fruits of Your Labor
The best part about homebrewing your own fruit beers is the moment when you get to sit down and enjoy your creations. With so many different delicious styles and fruit pairings available, the combinations and possibilities are endless. So grab a friend or two and start pouring!
