Why don't you boil the mash with fruit
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2016 1:39 pmCan some please tell me when you forment fruit why you don't boil the mash befor you ferment it thanks.
I haven't distilled any fruit mashes, but I have made quite a few country wines with different fruits.
I'd say the big reason would be that there aren't any (or, at least, as many) starches in fruit to gelatinise by boiling.
When fruit is ripe, the sugar content is at its highest. That's why we try to use fruit at just the right time.
If you want to soften the fruit to make the juices more accessible to the yeast, I would recommend freezing.
Freezing and thawing and freezing again a few times is a great way to break down the structure of the fruit.
Some people say that boiling the fruit also changes it flavour and makes it more 'jammy". Like the difference between raw apple and cooked apple.
If you are concerned about wild yeast, you could cover the fruit with boiling water and allow to cool before pitching your yeast. I do this with fruit wines as it means I don't have to add any sulphites to kill wild yeasts.This does lower the alcohol content, though, as you have diluted the juice. If you are not adding extra sugar this might be an issue. I generally add 1kg sugar per gallon batch of wine so it doesn't concern me.
Cheers,
tenorbrew