Suffice it to say, I love beer!! I also love watermelon! I probably eat 1 20lb humongous Sam’s Club watermelon a week. With that unnecessary info stated, I want to make a watermelon infused pilsner. Maybe my czech lager recipe but leaning more to a german pils.
Without having any experience with adding fruit to beer I would like to get some advice.
Will pureeing then freezing the melon kill anything that would cause issues? Could/should I add the puree still frozen?
Do I add the fruit to the wort prior to pitching or should I wait until fermentation starts? Should I add after fermentation fermentation is complete?
How much in a 5 gallon batch?
Thinking of using S-23 yeast for a bit more fruitiness.
My understanding is that it’s very hard to get watermelon flavor into beer. It’s a subtle flavor and It might ferment out if you add it early. I know people who have used a watermelon extract to enhance the flavor. You might consider making a tincture with it and adding at bottling/kegging.
Disclaimer: Any comment I add is simply the way I brew beer. There are certainly other ways that can be equally effective which other brewers may contribute. This is what I’ve found that works for me using my equipment and processes so I offer this for your consideration. YMMV
This intrigues me greatly!! Good video too. This might be the answer and it is definitely a lot less work. I will calculate the dosage rate per 15 gallons.
Thanks for posting!!
I haven’t used their watermelon specifically, but I’ve used many flavorings from Apex for home soda making with very good results. If they can pull off a good starfruit, plum, and pineapple, then I would expect that their watermelon should be excellent as well.