Jammin Time

[gtwrek]

(Yes a crosspost to two newsgroups. Relevant both places, and I don't
think I'm going to overrun anyone's inboxes...)

Jammin time. Our peach tree (like many I understand) tends to produce
all its ripe fruit at once. Usually during a heat wave too.
(Although us out US west coast aren't as bad as you folks in the
central and east coast, yeash, looks like some ugly heat waves..)

This year's preserves time, we decided to try some new recipes using a
slow cooker. Standing over a hot stove, constantly stirring the
preserves, waiting for the correct temperature, (again heat wave),
didn't seem as attractive. (It always seems to take forever to
reach that critical Jam temperature - phase changes and all that)

Using the slow cooker meant spreading the actual canning time over
more days. Longer cooks in the slow cookers, followed by the water
baths. Borrowing another slow cooker, we could have two batches
cooking at once.

We used a Vanilla Peach Butter recipe for one. This worked great -
basically a blended peach, sugar, lemon juice, and a scraped vanilla
bean - set on the slow cooker on low. Prop up the top a bit after
it reaches temp to allow water vapor to escape.

Second slow cooker was a standard Peach Preserves, with added pectin.
Same idea for the slow cooker.

First batches of both turned out fine.

On the second batches, the temp on the Peach Preserves cooker got
away from us - the batch started to carmelize. Turned quick too
(those darned phase changes again). Spouse and I decided this wasn't
going to make an attractive preserve at all.

However, one not to waste, (it's carmelized, not scorched yet) I gave
the now carmelized preserves a quick blend with the immersion blender.
Tasted the results - It's very much like a candy syrup now - like a
deep amber 290F syrup. Good complex taste, with some peach notes
(not much as I would expect) I've made home made syrups before,
... for my homebrew. (see - it's on topic).

So put up 3 quarts (not bothering with smaller pints or half-pints)
of my homemade "peach candy syrup". I'll figure out some homebrew
recipe to craft with it - maybe a Belgian Dark Strong.

So the yield:

19 half pints peach vanilla butter
3 quarts peachy candy syrup
22 half pints peach preserves
2 gallons frozen chopped peaches

Also on deck last night - the eldest coming home this weekend to
celebrate his 21st. Want's burgers and brews for him and his buddies.
Our freezer's been mostly empty for a while, so (also same night):

10 lbs brisket + 10lbs chuck went through the grinder for burgers.

Busy night.

Regards,

Mark

[Drew Lawson]

Post by gtwrek
(Yes a crosspost to two newsgroups. Relevant both places, and I don't
think I'm going to overrun anyone's inboxes...)

I did not know that rec.crafts.brewing was still active.
It's been many years that I've been away.

You have done me good for that information.

[gtwrek]

Post by Drew Lawson

Post by gtwrek
(Yes a crosspost to two newsgroups. Relevant both places, and I don't
think I'm going to overrun anyone's inboxes...)

I did not know that rec.crafts.brewing was still active.
It's been many years that I've been away.
You have done me good for that information.

It has about as much activity as this group!

Regards,

Mark

[Bill O'Meally]

On 2019-07-19 17:34:07 +0000, gtwrek said:

<snip>

Post by gtwrek
However, one not to waste, (it's carmelized, not scorched yet) I gave
the now carmelized preserves a quick blend with the immersion blender.
Tasted the results - It's very much like a candy syrup now - like a
deep amber 290F syrup. Good complex taste, with some peach notes
(not much as I would expect) I've made home made syrups before,
... for my homebrew. (see - it's on topic).

YMMV, but I never use cooked fruits/syrups in my brews due to the very
reason you state: you lose the fruit character/flavor/aroma. I don't
even put them in the brew kettle during boil. I always use raw, crushed
fruits in the secondary for my fruit beers.

[Baloonon]

Post by Bill O'Meally
<snip>

Post by gtwrek
However, one not to waste, (it's carmelized, not scorched yet) I gave
the now carmelized preserves a quick blend with the immersion blender.
Tasted the results - It's very much like a candy syrup now - like a
deep amber 290F syrup. Good complex taste, with some peach notes
(not much as I would expect) I've made home made syrups before,
... for my homebrew. (see - it's on topic).

YMMV, but I never use cooked fruits/syrups in my brews due to the very
reason you state: you lose the fruit character/flavor/aroma. I don't
even put them in the brew kettle during boil. I always use raw, crushed
fruits in the secondary for my fruit beers.

What would you recommend as a first time experiment?

I'm thinking of leaving behind at bottling time a gallon of an upcoming
semi-Festbier (Munich/Vienna malt, Hallertau hops, lager yeast) and adding
fruit. I'm thinking I'd want something not too assertive. Peaches and
apricots should be in season when I brew, but I'm open to alternatives.

I'm not interested in going the Lambic/wild yeast route, I just want to add
a bit of a fruit accent, if I do it.

This article gives me an idea of technique, but I'd be happy to get any
other advice or ideas on things to try.

https://byo.com/article/fruit-brew-part-2-techniques/

[Bill O'Meally]

Post by Baloonon
What would you recommend as a first time experiment?
I'm thinking of leaving behind at bottling time a gallon of an upcoming
semi-Festbier (Munich/Vienna malt, Hallertau hops, lager yeast) and adding
fruit. I'm thinking I'd want something not too assertive. Peaches and
apricots should be in season when I brew, but I'm open to alternatives.
I'm not interested in going the Lambic/wild yeast route, I just want to add
a bit of a fruit accent, if I do it.
This article gives me an idea of technique, but I'd be happy to get any
other advice or ideas on things to try.
https://byo.com/article/fruit-brew-part-2-techniques/

I make a blueberry blond every year, which was my first fruit beer. You
might consider that, in that it is a very mild fruit. Maine berries
should be ripening soon, but frozen friut is nigh as good. I have a
very old hand-cranked crusher, but you can use your clean hands to
crush the fruit as well. Peaches or apricots sound like a great choice
as well.

I never have problems with infection, as the article suggests. I think
it is more than the alcohol content and the pH. The reactiviation of
fermentation by the added fruit I think competes with any pathogens
that might be present. I do the scondary in a fermemtation bucket in
that separating the liquid from the pulp in a carboy is a total PITA --
just take my word for it (live and learn!). Once or twice daily, push
down any cap that forms with a large, sanitized spoom. After secondary
on the fruit for maybe a week, I skim out as much of the pulp as
possible with a sanitized strainer, then rack into a carboy to
condition for up to a few more weeks.

Fruit beers are one of the only times I add sulfite to beer. By the
time of the "tertiary" fermentation, there is usually a good bit of
head space in the carboy, which makes me nervous about oxidation. About
10 ppm is sufficient to be an effective antioxidant. This step is, of
course, optional.

This year I decided to brew my first kettle sour after 30 some odd
years of brewing. I thought my blueberry recipe would be a good
candidate, and the first few sips from the keg have been promising!

[Baloonon]

Post by Bill O'Meally
I make a blueberry blond every year, which was my first fruit beer.
You might consider that, in that it is a very mild fruit. Maine
berries should be ripening soon, but frozen friut is nigh as good. I
have a very old hand-cranked crusher, but you can use your clean hands
to crush the fruit as well. Peaches or apricots sound like a great
choice as well.
I never have problems with infection, as the article suggests. I think
it is more than the alcohol content and the pH. The reactiviation of
fermentation by the added fruit I think competes with any pathogens
that might be present. I do the scondary in a fermemtation bucket in
that separating the liquid from the pulp in a carboy is a total PITA
-- just take my word for it (live and learn!). Once or twice daily,
push down any cap that forms with a large, sanitized spoom. After
secondary on the fruit for maybe a week, I skim out as much of the
pulp as possible with a sanitized strainer, then rack into a carboy to
condition for up to a few more weeks.
Fruit beers are one of the only times I add sulfite to beer. By the
time of the "tertiary" fermentation, there is usually a good bit of
head space in the carboy, which makes me nervous about oxidation.
About 10 ppm is sufficient to be an effective antioxidant. This step
is, of course, optional.
This year I decided to brew my first kettle sour after 30 some odd
years of brewing. I thought my blueberry recipe would be a good
candidate, and the first few sips from the keg have been promising!

Thanks, that's helpful info. I'll keep it in mind when I brew after the
horrible heat finally breaks.