using fruit concentrate instead of corn sugar for carbonation

[banjolawyer]

Has anyone ever tried using fruit concentrate instead of corn sugar for carbonating bottles of beer?

I have a cream ale I'd like to try this with, but don't know where to start in terms of how much fruit concentrate to use.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Trogger]

See info regarding sugar content and how to calculate on a thread I just posted reply to here (http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=8404)
That will give you a start. You basically have to know how much sugar is in the puree you're using.
Personally, I wouldn't recommend trying it.

[banjolawyer]

Its only a gallon, so I'm just experimenting (I ended up with 6 gallons and kegged 5).

Promash tells me I need 1 oz (or 28 grams) of corn sugar to naturally carbonate 1 gallon at a CO2 volume of 2.7. Does that sound right?

Looking at the nutritional info. on my fruit concentrate, it contains 29 grams of sugar per 2 oz. serving, so I'm assuming I would mix 2 oz. of the concentrate into the 1 gallon of cream ale and then bottle.

Do you think it will be awful? Its just an experiment anyway.

[Trogger]

I would think it's worth a try for fun.
Corn sugar has a lower p/p/g than cane sugar. But cane sugar (sucrose) is different from fruit sugar, (fructose) so I don't know if it's an accurate assumption.

Cane sugar is 46 and corn sugar is 37. A pretty big difference. I don't know a number for fruit sugar. And corn is a grain, so I don't know what type of sugar is extracted from it.

[banjolawyer]

I might just put a bunch in and see if the lids will blow off the bottles.

[Trogger]

Cool. Make sure to set up a motion sensing camera overlooking the bottles so when they go it will be caught on film... :)

[Sven6]

Since its only 1 gallon, I'd say go for it...

I I used a liter of strawberry schnapps in a priming experiment on a batch of Hefe. last year...

Turns out bottling 1 liter of schnapps : 5 gallons of Hefeweizen = spraying beer all over the wifes kitchen.

[brewernelson]

Sven6, that is a great idea. I wonder what a half liter would do?

[Sven6]

MY bad, I used 750ml not 1L... turns out the correct amount is a 1/5 according to "Homebrewing For Dummies"...

Anyway heres an old thread about it:

http://www.realbeer.com/discussions/showthread.php?s=&threadid=5970&highlight=schnapps

[brewernelson]

Is that 1/5 of 750ml or one of the small flat bottles, a 5th

[HogieWan]

a "fifth" of liquor is 750ml

[Trogger]

Originally posted by Sven6
... the wifes kitchen.

Sven, you disappoint us. :)

[zoom6zoom]

Originally posted by HogieWan
a "fifth" of liquor is 750ml

it's 750 now, used to be a bit different before they started trying to cram the metric system down our necks.

[fretlessman71]

Got it - one US gallon is 3.785 liters, which is 35ml (read: negligible) above 3.75 litres, which is 5 times 750ml. So a "true fifth" is 757ml, rather than 750. Makes sense now.

[Derekt2]

Actually, they pared it down from 757 ml to 750 ml because that last 7 ml was just getting too many people wasted.:D

[HogieWan]

Originally posted by Trogger
Sven, you disappoint us. :)

no you don't - the man's kitchen is outside over open flame or a brew kettle

[Sven6]

Originally posted by HogieWan
a "fifth" of liquor is 750ml


6 of one 1/2 dozen of the other... either way it was wayyy to much carbonation. :eek:

If I was gonna try it again, I probably use the flavored concentrate from the HBS...
I do like the idea of using fruit concentrate though, maybe split the batch into 5, 1 gallon jugs and try a different fruit in each.



BTW... The kitchen is most definately Hers... the garage and the yard are Mine.

Sorry about hijacking your thread Banjo.