So I had an amazing pomegranate wheat from Ithaca brewing, and I really want to recapture that beer. Any recommendations on how to add a pomegranate flavor aside from burning a crazy amount of cash on fresh pomegranates (and having to wait until they are in season again!)?
I haven’t tried it, but I’d say a good quality Pomegranate juice (check label - make sure no other additives, swwteners, juices or preservatives) would be a good bet.
Alright, the other issue I have is the quantity I should try for.
+1. Definitely use good quality juice hopefully with no additives or preservatives - trying to juice a bunch of pomegranates would be a gigantic PITA. Amount is a matter of preference. For your 1st try at this beer, I would siphon your beer into a secondary, on top of 1-2 quarts of juice. Then you have a starting point. Take good notes of what you did, so you can reference the amounts for next time.
Alright not a problem, but here is my next question: Sterilization…do I need to worry about sterilizing the juice and if so, how do I go about that? Do I boil the juice? I have only brewed with fruit once and it was pasteurized and canned.
Nope, don’t worry about it. It’s been pasteurized. Boiling fruit strips away delicate flavor and aromas. I use fruit purees when I make fruit beers for my wife, and i just add it to secondary, then beer on top. If you bottle, be sure to verify that your fermentation has stopped after adding the juice (because you will get a 2nd fermentation) - check with a hydrometer until you get consistent readings for 2 to 3 days, then bottle.
So I have gotten around to making this beer now. I added 64 oz of pure pomegranate juice (not from concentrate). Right now my secondary is bubbling like hell, so am I going to get more alcohol from this addition of juice? Also if so, how can I tell my new abv since adding the pomegranate juice my SG did change (from a 1.018 to a 1.024)?
You probably could have used the juice as priming agent. For a wheat beer six points sounds about right to get the right volumes co2.
I went to natural grocer and found in the cooler a bottle of 4x concentrate
pomegranite juice. I dilute it to 1/4 strength with water and put over ice
man it has the real pom flavor. With that you could add very little liquid
and get huge flavor returns.
It is made by Jarrow.
Jarrow…I’ll have to keep that in mind. I was afraid concentrate would ruin the flavor so I spent like $20 on this juice.
Had a pomegranate lambic at this year’s SWFF (Sour Wild & Funk Fest) - best fruited sour at the Fest.
I’m going to pick this up and try my hand at a Pom Golden Sour, or at least make a Pom syrup for Berliner Weisse.
How’s the shelf life?
Think It says on that site to use it within 60 days of opening…
My buddy makes a great pomegranate hefeweizen and he takes organic 100% juice a reduces it on the stove top before adding it to wort before pitching the yeast. My (not really educated) guess is adding it to the secondary would give a more potent flavor.