I’m the guy that posted about using figs in an pale ale. So I’m brewing that tomorrow. But I have another 5 gallon split from the brew, and I don’t want to re-boil and add hops to make a regular pale ale. What I do have is 4 lbs of plum puree.
I have never heard of a plum beer. Does anyone have any experience with it?
Charlie
I have not made a plum beer but I imagine the plum flavor will be extremely mild – 4 lb in 5 gallons will be essentially undetectable except for a slight tartness. If you could just make say 1.5 gallons with your 4 lb it will be better balanced as far as I can tell.
I added some plum puree to a barrel a couple months ago (saison) it was pretty tasty last time I tried it.
Why aren’t prunes in this discussion? They’re the same thing.
That’s like saying grapes are the same as raisins. Not the same.
We made a plum sour last year at the brewery and it went over really well.
I appreciate the posts. I’m gonna do it! I don’t really want to re-boil the spare 5 gallons, hop it, and add dextrose for an appropriate OG.
Plum beer it is!
Charlie
That’s like saying grapes are the same as raisins. Not the same.
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I’m not ignoring the fact that one form is hydrated and the other is not, but the fact is that their sugars are the same. No significant heating, so the Maillard effects shouldn’t be influencing.
^^^^
And yet the flavors are different. Reconstituted raisin water, which I’ve used in baking, tastes quite different from grape juice. Prune juice doesn’t taste like plums either. I’d guess oxidation and perhaps other processes are altering the flavors. I haven’t had it in a while, but I think I used to get more of a fresh plum flavor in Serbian plum brandy. Don’t know how it’s made.
I’m not ignoring the fact that one form is hydrated and the other is not, but the fact is that their sugars are the same. No significant heating, so the Maillard effects shouldn’t be influencing.
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I like that 2 old dudes are discussing prunes on the internet. 
I’ve remained quiet (at least until now) because I shouldn’t know all that much about prunes.
Seriously, the flavors given by fresh plums vs. prunes will be entirely different. If you could somehow magically squeeze all the water out and compare amounts by solids only, they might ferment out to the same FG (perhaps freeze-drying in liquid N2 is the answer?). But the flavors will be very very different between the two because the drying process for prunes has an enormous effect on flavor.
Too late to the party for the original post.
I’ve made plum melomel that is very close to the japanese style plum wine in the stores.
I’ve always had more than 4# but with the honey it shouldn’t be bad.
Maybe next year?
Honey? Melomel???
You hit the target right in the clout!
I thought I was going to be able to get more figs from my friend’s mother, but the tree rats ate them while she was at the lake. Tree Rats!
Spiking the other split with the 4 lbs of plums and a couple of pounds of honey appeals to me. Game on!
Charlie