[rainmaker]

Got a great deal on some fresh fruit and would like to brew some sort of sour with it. Thoughts? Help?

My first thought was a fruited berliner, but then I considered a sour mash amber ale with plums. 

Any who, just looking for some thoughts and help?

Also, with the fruit being fresh and whole, should I wash and cut up a while or wait till brew day, which is Sunday?

[morticaixavier]

fruit sour?

do a simply golden ale with some simple sugar and pitch lots of bugs and bottle dregs at it and then add the fruit as well. whole hog

[rainmaker]

fruit sour?

do a simply golden ale with some simple sugar and pitch lots of bugs and bottle dregs at it and then add the fruit as well. whole hog

So pitch the fruits whole when I pitch the yeast?

[deepsouth]

fruited sour for the win!

[morticaixavier]

fruit sour?

do a simply golden ale with some simple sugar and pitch lots of bugs and bottle dregs at it and then add the fruit as well. whole hog

So pitch the fruits whole when I pitch the yeast?

I would wait till fermentation slows way way down. You could even transfer to a secondary if you wanted to free up a primary fermenter (I say this because I have glass carboys that I never use and I only have 6 or so buckets) I might freeze them first and maybe chop them a  bit. There is some question about adding pits to the beer but I am skeptical about the risks

[rainmaker]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

[fmader]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

Yes. Like Mort said, I would wait until primary fermentation is complete. You are less at risk of contamination at this point. Some people will pasteurize the fruit, but I just freeze and thaw. This will kill off bacteria and break up the fruit skin more to allow the flavors to escape into the beer.

[rainmaker]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

Yes. Like Mort said, I would wait until primary fermentation is complete. You are less at risk of contamination at this point. Some people will pasteurize the fruit, but I just freeze and thaw. This will kill off bacteria and break up the fruit skin more to allow the flavors to escape into the beer.

Mind elaborating on why the risk is down once primary slows?

[fmader]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

Yes. Like Mort said, I would wait until primary fermentation is complete. You are less at risk of contamination at this point. Some people will pasteurize the fruit, but I just freeze and thaw. This will kill off bacteria and break up the fruit skin more to allow the flavors to escape into the beer.

Mind elaborating on why the risk is down once primary slows?

There is a presence of alcohol and a lower pH level. This isn't a great environment for bacteria growth, therefor being less susceptible to contamination.

[rainmaker]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

Yes. Like Mort said, I would wait until primary fermentation is complete. You are less at risk of contamination at this point. Some people will pasteurize the fruit, but I just freeze and thaw. This will kill off bacteria and break up the fruit skin more to allow the flavors to escape into the beer.

Mind elaborating on why the risk is down once primary slows?

There is a presence of alcohol and a lower pH level. This isn't a great environment for bacteria growth, therefor being less susceptible to contamination.

Awesome.  Thanks for the info!

[fmader]

Are there any contamination risks to adding fruit?

Yes. Like Mort said, I would wait until primary fermentation is complete. You are less at risk of contamination at this point. Some people will pasteurize the fruit, but I just freeze and thaw. This will kill off bacteria and break up the fruit skin more to allow the flavors to escape into the beer.

Mind elaborating on why the risk is down once primary slows?

There is a presence of alcohol and a lower pH level. This isn't a great environment for bacteria growth, therefor being less susceptible to contamination.

Awesome.  Thanks for the info!

No problem... But there are no guarantees here at this point... Just a lot less likely.

[rainmaker]

What a out boiling them down, pureeing, freezing, then adding? Even leas chance of infection?

[fmader]

What a out boiling them down, pureeing, freezing, then adding? Even leas chance of infection?

Sure... If you feel that froggy... Take the leap!

[rainmaker]

What a out boiling them down, pureeing, freezing, then adding? Even leas chance of infection?

Sure... If you feel that froggy... Take the leap!

I'm just trying to mitigate any possible risks!

[morticaixavier]

What a out boiling them down, pureeing, freezing, then adding? Even leas chance of infection?

Sure... If you feel that froggy... Take the leap!

I'm just trying to mitigate any possible risks!

wait, we are talking about a sour beer here right? it's going to be infected right? so what's the worry. with the low pH and moderate alcohol content of the mostly finished beer it's unlikely that anything really unpleasent is going to happen. Cooked fruit is not going to taste anything like raw fruit you can steam them or soak them in sanitizer to kill stuff on the outside if you want. still no guarantees but that is sour brewing with fruit.