[FaradayUncaged]

I've been brewing some fruit beers every now and again lately and have stumbled into the unknown in terms of calculating my yeast starters for these beers.  I've been able to add fruits to my BeerSmith2 recipes, but the OG/FG calculations are unaffected and therefore the estimates for yeast cells are potentially off as well.

This could be an area of overthinking, but are there any good resources for loosely estimating the additional cell requirements from the addition of fruit (or really any other sugar source: chocolate, etc)?

[denny]

I asume that like most if us, you add the fruit post primary fermentation.  If you do, there will have been a huge increase in the number of yeast cells, so don't worry about it.

[pete b]

I asume that like most if us, you add the fruit post primary fermentation.  If you do, there will have been a huge increase in the number of yeast cells, so don't worry about it.

+1 post primary is the best time to add fruit for flavor, and at that point you are adding a small amount of fermentables into what is essentially for this purpose a five gallon starter.

[FaradayUncaged]

I asume that like most if us, you add the fruit post primary fermentation.  If you do, there will have been a huge increase in the number of yeast cells, so don't worry about it.

+1 post primary is the best time to add fruit for flavor, and at that point you are adding a small amount of fermentables into what is essentially for this purpose a five gallon starter.

Very good points.  I have always added fruit on the tail end of primary or into a secondary vessel.  For those cases I'm sure it's fine as you've both mentioned.

After my last attempt at a deep raspberry beer (think Founder's Rubaeus) I've thought about adding some fruit during chilling before pitching.  For that scenario I'm not sure what to do.

[denny]

I asume that like most if us, you add the fruit post primary fermentation.  If you do, there will have been a huge increase in the number of yeast cells, so don't worry about it.

+1 post primary is the best time to add fruit for flavor, and at that point you are adding a small amount of fermentables into what is essentially for this purpose a five gallon starter.

Very good points.  I have always added fruit on the tail end of primary or into a secondary vessel.  For those cases I'm sure it's fine as you've both mentioned.

After my last attempt at a deep raspberry beer (think Founder's Rubaeus) I've thought about adding some fruit during chilling before pitching.  For that scenario I'm not sure what to do.

I have never found pre fermentation fruit additions to have much, if any, value.

[FaradayUncaged]

I have never found pre fermentation fruit additions to have much, if any, value.

Fair enough.  That settles that then.  I'll stick to the benefits of post-primary additions. 


Thanks again.