Killing Yeast Before Force Carbonation / Fruit Addition?

[c0nsumer]

A friend of mine is into winemaking, and in that world it's practically de rigor to kill off the yeast with {sodium | potassium} metabisulfate before bottling, to ensure the wine doesn't become carbonated.

Well, I'm wondering if any of you have tried something similar to the following:

1 - Brew a nice beer.
2 - Kill off the yeast with a metabisulfate product added as it would be to wine.
3 - Add in some berry juice to provide sweetness and berry-ness.
4 - Force carbonate the beer.

I'm thinking this might be a nice way I could make a fruity beer which the sugars won't be eaten by the residual yeast, either in the bottle or keg or wherever. I think if I could get the ratios of fruit juice to beer right, my girlfriend would love it.

What do you think?

-Steve

[HogieWan]

The only problem I see is conditioning time. Beer gets better over time (initially) because the yeast are still acting on some compounds floating around. Killing the yeast kills the conditioning process.

[brewmonkey]

If you want to do something like that I would suggest allowing the beer to ferment out and then filter out the yeast with a .33µ's.

Adding those products to kill the yeast may have an adverse effect on the taste as well as other features. If you do it using those chemicals I would suggest racking off a gallon or so and testing it with that rather then going for the whole batch.

My 2¢'s YMMV.

[HogieWan]

BM - When I initially replied, I was waiting for you to come behind me and set me straight.

[HarkJohnny]

Originally posted by HogieWan
BM - When I initially replied, I was waiting for you to come behind me and set me straight.

i won't make a dirty comment on that comment :D

[HogieWan]

much appreciated, as I see I teed it up for you

[c0nsumer]

Originally posted by brewmonkey
Adding those products to kill the yeast may have an adverse effect on the taste as well as other features. If you do it using those chemicals I would suggest racking off a gallon or so and testing it with that rather then going for the whole batch.

I may give this a try with a bit, just to see. The reason I was thinking it might be all right is because it's done in winemaking already, and my understanding is that the metabisulfate completely gasses out of the liquid after a few days and doesn't change the taste.

This sounds like a good one to experiment with...

[brewmonkey]

Originally posted by HogieWan
BM - When I initially replied, I was waiting for you to come behind me and set me straight.

Actually your post is spot on.

[Payson]

Actually your post is spot on.

Even though he's taken to referring to you as "BM"? :D