How to Brew a Quality Fruit Beer – with Golden Road Brewing Co-Founder Meg Gill

Have you every tried brewing a fruit beer?

They can be a challenge for even the most experienced brewers.

There is a lot to consider, from fruit selection, pairing appropriate hop varieties, timing for additions. If not taken into consideration, a fruit beer can turn south very quickly.

Therefore Meg Gill, Co-Founder of Golden Road Brewing has provided her top 4 tips for brewing a quality fruit beer.

4 Tips For Brewing Fruit Beers

Source: Beerland – Season 1, Episode 3

1. “USE A LOW AROMATIC HOP VARIETY SO IT DOESN’T CLASH WITH THE FRUIT FLAVOR.” – Meg Gill

Many hop varieties share similar flavour and aromatic qualities to certain fruits. These similar characteristics are likely to clash, hence the reasoning to stick to low aromatic varieties.

2. “BALANCE IS THE KEY WHEN ADDING FRUIT. YOU WANT THE FLAVOR OF THE FRUIT TO COME THROUGH AS A COMPLIMENT TO THE OTHER FLAVORS IN THE BEER, NOT THE ONLY FLAVOR IN THE BEER.” – Meg Gill

You may think your doing your fruit beer a favour by throwing more fruit at it. Nothing could be further from the truth. Too much fruit and you will completely dominate any other characteristics that round out your beer. Play it safe first time around and be conservative with your fruit additions.

3. “YOU SHOULD START BY FREEZING THE FRUIT TO BREAK DOWN THE CELL WALLS.” – Meg Gill

By breaking down the cell walls of your fruit, you are releasing all the flavour from within the flesh which eventually makes its way into your beer. Exactly what you want! Another advantage of freezing is to help protect your beer from any potential infections carried from the fruit.

4. “ADD YOUR FRUIT EITHER AT THE END OF THE BOIL OR DURING FERMENTATION DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO TASTE IN YOUR BEER.” – Meg Gill

Adding your fruit at particular points during the brewing process will determine the intensity of fruit flavour and aromatics that is carried into your beer. Adding your fruit to the end of the boil is most practical, however you sacrifice fruit flavour that tends to be carried off with the high wort temperatures. By far the best option to impart fresh fruit characters into your beer is to add late into fermentation or post fermentation in your secondary.