Tannins are an important component to the flavors of many types of fruit, and it’s helpful to consider that as part of the structure of your beer’s overall flavor. Whole fruit and whole-fruit purees include those tannins—largely from the skins and seeds—but you can also choose from a range of products to add natural tannins to your beers. As Bret Kollman Baker explains, those tannins can also improve the overall flavor, mouthfeel, and clarity of your fruit beer.
In the complete 93-minute course, included in your All Access subscription, Baker—cofounder and COO of Urban Artifact in Cincinnati—opens the books on what he’s learned about brewing tasty, fruit-first beers that drink well below their strength. Along the way, he covers:
- why you should cook your strawberries
- the smart sourcing of whole fruit
- the benefits of leaning into purees
- what to know about using fruit juices and concentrates
- why you should avoid dehydrated fruit but experiment with freeze-dried
- aseptic versus frozen purees
- delivering the fruit flavor promised on the can
- the careful use of fruit-flavor extracts for top notes
- using WONF products (those “with other natural flavors”)
- what to ask your supplier about their fruit
- working directly with farmers for custom purees
- making connections at the farmer’s market
- adjusting beer’s other flavors to emphasize the fruit
- the importance of yeast nutrient when fermenting fruit beers
- adding manganese as a nutrient for Lactobacillus
- when to add the fruit
- fruit-first or beer-first, and choosing a base beer style
- key considerations for natural-tasting acidification
- respecting the power of vanilla
- spices, hops, and pragmatic flavor considerations
- adding and dialing in tannins for greater drinkability
- how yeast selection affects fruit flavors
- the Urban Artifact approach to brewing fruit tarts
- fermenting for a cleaner lactic acidity
And more.
Plus, be sure to check out our Fruit Dilution Calculator tool, based on calculations provided by Baker at Urban Artifact.
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