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Author Topic: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?  (Read 8793 times)

Offline ultravista

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #15 on: January 11, 2014, 11:03:44 am »
Denny - now that sounds like a plan. Do you think the boiling actually boiled the flavor out of the raisins?

Offline guido

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #16 on: January 11, 2014, 11:09:59 am »
Add my vote to the not boil.  I've never put them in beer, but add them to the secondary of all my New England Ciders.
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Offline denny

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #17 on: January 11, 2014, 11:45:45 am »
Denny - now that sounds like a plan. Do you think the boiling actually boiled the flavor out of the raisins?

That's what I would assume.  I seldom add flavoring ingredients to the boil.  It's always seemed counter productive.
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Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #18 on: January 11, 2014, 12:56:44 pm »
I boiled a pound in a Dubbel last summer by accident (brain fart - didn't read the recipe).  I don't taste any raisins in the finished beer, other than a hint of drier vinous aftertaste.  So definitely add in the secondary would be my suggestion.  Man, did I have to stir that batch to keep it from scorching!
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #19 on: January 11, 2014, 03:19:10 pm »
Hops are already antiseptic in nature.  The rum and the caramelizing will do the job tho:)

Ok, hops are a bad example, as they are antiseptic in nature.  But cocoa nibs, coffee beans, cinnamon sticks/other spices etc. are all things I've added to secondary that did not get sanitized. The alcohol present in beer as well as hop acids present make the environment a lot less hospitable to infection causing organisms. Denny has even mentioned adding fresh mushrooms to secondary and had no problems.    ;)
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Offline brewsumore

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #20 on: January 11, 2014, 08:36:23 pm »
Tomme Arthur's Dubbel recipe in "Brew Like a Monk" says to add raisins at the end of the boil.  I have made that recipe a couple or three times and first time just threw chopped raisins in the last few minutes of the boil.  The other time(s) I had researched some on how Tomme uses raisins, and ended up caramelizing the raisins (9 oz per 5 gal of beer) in a bit of wort in a hot metal frying pan, deglazed with maybe an ounce of brandy, and then pureed that in a blender and added to the kettle at knockout.  Both ways made great dubbel.

It certainly won't hurt to have boiled the raisins the full boil - as previously stated, it's just that you won't get as much raisin flavor that way.
« Last Edit: January 11, 2014, 08:41:44 pm by brewsumore »

Offline ynotbrusum

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #21 on: January 12, 2014, 04:28:10 am »
Tomme Arthur's Dubbel recipe in "Brew Like a Monk" says to add raisins at the end of the boil.  I have made that recipe a couple or three times and first time just threw chopped raisins in the last few minutes of the boil.  The other time(s) I had researched some on how Tomme uses raisins, and ended up caramelizing the raisins (9 oz per 5 gal of beer) in a bit of wort in a hot metal frying pan, deglazed with maybe an ounce of brandy, and then pureed that in a blender and added to the kettle at knockout.  Both ways made great dubbel.

It certainly won't hurt to have boiled the raisins the full boil - as previously stated, it's just that you won't get as much raisin flavor that way.

Looking back on the recipe - that was the recipe!  So I was following instructions!  That said, I would now carmelize as suggested by others.
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Offline koop3700

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #22 on: January 12, 2014, 09:20:47 am »
Must thank Denny on this one as well. I used his recomendation and carmalized a pound of raisins and deglazed the pan with my transfer oatmeal stout for christmas came out amazing. I also added 1 vanilla bean with the rasins as well to the secondary.I dont think i can wait till christmas to enjoy this one again. thanks Denny

Offline erockrph

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #23 on: January 12, 2014, 10:31:27 am »
Anyone ever try this with any other dried fruit? I bet prunes or dried cherries would be awesome in something like a dubbel.

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Offline dkfick

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #24 on: January 12, 2014, 12:31:13 pm »
I would say this.  If you add fruit or spices to the boil they get a degree of 'cooked'.  Cooked fruit and spices taste different than their 'raw' counterparts to me.  If you like the taste of cooked raisins that that's what you want to flavor your beer then I would add them to the boil.  If you want the taste of 'raw' raisins out of the box then I would not.  Obviously fermentation will also play a role in the end flavor as well.
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Offline Joe Sr.

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Re: Raisins - to Boil or Not to Boil?
« Reply #25 on: January 12, 2014, 07:31:08 pm »
Anyone ever try this with any other dried fruit? I bet prunes or dried cherries would be awesome in something like a dubbel.

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I just did this with a lb of dates in a dubbel using Denny's approach of carmelize and deglaze.  Kegged the beer today.

It tastes awesome at first, but there's an odd vegetal aftertaste.  Not sure where that's coming from.

I'll have to see how it is carbonated.
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