Brewing with Citrus Fruit
As the craft beer and homebrewing movement continues to grow around the world so does the variety of fermented beverages and the ingredients that go into them. Some of the unusual ingredients in beers currently being brewed are new (such as specialty malts and new varieties of hops), but some are ancient, perhaps as old as brewing itself. Among those ingredients being rediscovered are citrus fruits.
If you have made a Belgian witbier, you most likely used some dried orange peel of the Curacao orange (Citrus aurantium var. currassuviencis) to provide the acidic, citrusy bite that adds to the refreshing nature of that style. Witbier, which typically pairs coriander (Coriandrum sativum) with orange peel, owes some of its origins to gruit, a malt-based brew flavored primarily with bog myrtle (Miricia gale), yarrow (Achillea milleflolium), and wild rosemary (Ledum palustre), in the days before hops became the standard herb of beer. So you see, the history of using herbs, fruit, and spices in malt-based fermented beverages goes back over a thousand years. Such is the beauty of the brewing renaissance currently underway! Now, let’s explore the how and when of utilizing citrus to add an exciting dimension to your line-up of homebrewed beers.
As with any ingredient used in brewing beer, citrus can add both a flavor and aroma component to the finished brew. The impact of citrus on the palate can come from both the acidity as well as the other compounds that excite our taste buds. The “tart” or “sour” element in a beer can be achieved by adding lactic, malic, tartaric or citric acid to substantially lower the pH of a beer. Not surprisingly, citrus fruits contain citric acid and have resultant low pH values. For example: lime juice (Citrus aurantifolia) has a pH of approximately 2.3, lemon juice (Citrus limon) 2.5, grapefruit juice (Citrus paradisi) 3.1 and Valencia orange juice (Citrus sinensis var. Valencia) 3.8. Most beers are typically in the range of pH 4.3–4.5. Beers that we would typically perceive as “tart” or “sour” are often of pH 3.8 or lower. Therefore, it would take less lime juice to achieve the same tartness as it would Valencia orange juice in a citrus-enhanced beer.
Besides lowering pH, the flavors imparted by citrus can be attributed to a wide range of compounds found in their essential oils; some of which are also found in hops. Without delving too deep into the world of organic chemistry, some compounds common to both citrus and hops include various isomers of limonene, pinene, myrcene, geraniol, and caryophyllene. No wonder the flavor and aroma of certain hops are described as “citrusy”. Some of the other compounds found in citrus include, citronellal (citronella candles), bergapten (bergamot and grapefruit), and linalool (spicy and floral). Citrusy flavors may also be derived from some non-citrus plants such as lemon balm (Mellisa officinalis) and lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus). Lemon balm has pinene, humulene, and farnesene in common with hops, and citronellal, gerninol, and linalool in common with citrus. Lemongrass has myrcene in common with hops, and gerninol in common with citrus as well as
hops. So there is a wide variety of compounds in many different plants that can be used to add citrus flavors and aromas to beer.
Designing for Citrus
As with any beer, when designing a homebrew incorporating citrus one should begin with a flavor profile in mind and consider how citrus might play a role in creating it. Are you interested in adding some complexity to your favorite beer style, enhancing a certain flavor, or creating something outside the box? Either way, you will need to give some consideration to the form, amount and timing of any citrus or citrusy herb (including hops) that you might add to your brew.
Citrus ingredients used for brewing are commonly available as dried peels, dried leaf, and extracts of essential oils, or from fresh fruit by using zest, juice, or the peeled fruit (juice and pulp) itself. Your local homebrew shop or online brewing supplier will typically have the most common dried citrus ingredients such as Curacao (bitter) orange peel, sweet orange peel, and grapefruit peel. Other dried citrusy ingredients such as bergamot, lemon balm, lemongrass, or Makrut lime may need to be sourced from a culinary herb shop, or your garden if you grow your own herbs. Citrus essential oils can typically be found at health food stores and co-ops (which also often have selections of dried peel as well) or online. You can easily produce your own citrus zest at home by using a food grater, zester, or microplane to remove the very outer layer from a citrus peel, being careful not to include the white pith that lies between the zest and the fruit (which can be very bitter). Juice or fruit can be rendered the same way as you would to drink or eat the fruit fresh.
How Much?
The next question is, of course, how much of a citrus ingredient should you use? Figure 1 on page 42 lists some potential citrus or citrus-flavored ingredients with a suggested amount to use as a starting point. As with adding any spice or flavor ingredient to a beer recipe, experiment by starting with adding small amounts of citrus. Keep good notes during your brew day, and refine the recipe as you brew successive batches. For dried peel or fresh zest, an ounce (28 g) is a good starting point for experimentation. For fresh juice or fruit, start with 10 fluid ounces (0.3 L) in a 5-gallon (19-L) batch of beer. Essential oils are very concentrated, and if you choose to experiment with them they should be added to the secondary fermenter a drop at a time; tasting between each addition. A better method than adding essential oils to your full-size batch is to add measured amounts of essential oils to a faction of your batch (1 gallon/3.8-L or less), take notes, and then scale up to the rest of the batch when you find a combination you like, thus avoiding an essential oil overdose.
When to Add Citrus
As mentioned earlier, many of the flavor and aroma compounds we associate with citrus are rather volatile and, like the volatile compounds contained in hops, may be lost with excessive time spent at temperatures experienced in the boil. However, it should also be noted that some citrusy flavor and aroma compounds are produced during fermentation from compounds resulting from ingredients that have spent time in the boil. Therefore, some citrus ingredients may need to occupy a short time in the boil to extract some of the flavor-producing compounds, or compounds that serve as precursors to flavor-producing compounds that we expect in the finished beer.
With that said, citrus ingredients are typically added in the last 15 minutes or less of the boil, briefly steeped after flameout, or added to the fermenter as you would hops for dry hopping. Fruit juice or fruit purees are typically added to the secondary to retain their often delicate flavor and aroma. Be sure if you are adding juice to the secondary or just before packaging that the juice is allowed to ferment. The small amount of additional fermentation from the fruit sugars should only blow out a small amount of the volatile flavor and aroma compounds and you will want fermentation to be complete so that only the measured amount of priming sugar would produce carbonation in bottle-conditioned beer. See the aforementioned table of citrus addition varieties above for the suggested way in which to use various citrusy ingredients in your homwbrew.
Don’t Forget To Balance
As the many essential oils from hops and citrus ingredients all come together in your beer you should keep the big picture in mind to achieve a balanced final flavor and aroma profile of your beer when it is poured in a glass. Hops, citrus, and citrusy herbs share many of the same flavor and aroma compounds, so be aware that by adding citrus to your homebrew that you may be doubling up on some of those compounds as you include each ingredient in the mix. If you’ve ever made a spiced beer, think of citrus additions much like spices — you don’t want to go overboard. For an idea of the flavor and aroma profiles of various hops, check out the Brew Your Own hops resource guide online. Typically, the later a citrus ingredient is added in the brewing process the greater the aroma will be, and the earlier it is added to the process the greater the flavor will be. Brewing with a goal of achieving citrus flavors and aromas in your beer can be a refreshing and rewarding way for your homebrewing to keep pace with trendy craft brewers. I recommend trying a number of commercial beers brewed with citrus to get an idea of the balance and flavor profile you like before going gung ho into your own homebrewery, especially if you plan to add a lot of hops to the beer.
Keep in mind that if you are working with fresh citrus juice that the citrus flavors you enjoy in fresh fruit depend on sugar and acid. BYO’s Mr. Wizard, Ashton Lewis advises, “Most citrus juices have a specific gravity of about 1.048 because they contain sugar, like other commonly eaten fruits. They are also high in citric acid. The combination of sweet and sour give balance to citrus juices and some are more drinkable than others.”
“When the balance of the juice is disrupted so is the clean and crisp flavor. This problem is not unique to citrus beers and many fruit beers turn out to be a disappointment because they lack the fruity flavor of the juice used in the formulation. One reason is that the fruit sugar is fermented and that component of the fruit juice flavor is lost.” Therefore if you’re experiencing disappointing results, try experimenting with styles that require some residual sweetness. You can also experiment with the acidity of your beer, adding back some acid blend (commonly found in homebrew and home winemaking supply stores). Or you can do as many wheat beer drinkers do, and add a fresh slice of fruit to your beer when you pour a glass.
Shandy is dandy
As a sidenote to beer brewed with citrus is the shandy. You’ve probably seen a lot of bottled beverages shelved among your local selection of craft beers — especially in the summer months — labeled as “shandy.” A shandy is a base beer (usually a lager or a wheat beer) mixed with a soft drink, such as lemonade, fruit juice, ginger beer, etc. You may have also heard of shandy by its German moniker, “radler.” Many of these beer cocktails on the market are made with a combination of beer and citrus juice, such as Harpoon Brewery’s UFO Big Squeeze (made with grapefruit juice), Sam Adams’ Porch Rocker Radler (made with lemon), and Leinenkugel’s Summer Shandy (and also Grapefruit Shandy). If you’re looking for a low-alcohol option with a citrus twist, try mixing your own homebrews with up to half citrus juice or lemonade (or limeade) just for fun. However, shandys and radlers are not actually brewed with citrus, so while they may sit on the shelf with other citrus brews, they are not made by truly brewing with citrus — they are just beer cocktails.
Citrus Wit
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 19 SRM = 5 ABV = 5%
My sisters, Kristin and Jennifer, gave me a collection of brewing spices as a gift, so I experimented with the coriander, sweet orange peel, Makrut lime powder, and lemongrass that came in the collection to produce a Belgian wit with subtle citrus flavors, particularly a lime finish.
Ingredients
7 lbs. (3.2 kg) North American 2-row pale malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) wheat malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) torrified wheat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) flaked oat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) honey malt
4 oz. (113 g) crystal malt (15 °L)
2.1 AAU Fuggle hops (50 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 4.2% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Golding hops (25 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1.5 oz. (43 g) crushed coriander seed (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) dried sweet orange peel (0 min.)
0.3 g Makrut lime powder (0 min.)
3 g dried lemongrass (0 min.)
Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
This is a single infusion mash. Mix the crushed grains with 3.6 gallons (13.6 L) of water to stabilize the mash at 154 °F (68 °F) and hold for at least 60 minutes. Sparge with 3.6 gallons (13.6 L) of 170 °F water adjusted to pH 5.7–6.5. Collect 5.4 gallons (20.4 L) of wort, top up with water to 6 gallons (22.7 L) and conduct a 60 minute boil. Add hops and spices per the ingredients list. After the boil, give your wort a stir to create a whirlpool, then let the wort settle for 30 minutes prior to chilling. Cool the wort to 70 °F (21 °C) for fermenting, aerate well and pitch your yeast. After seven days, rack to secondary fermenter. When fermentation is complete and beer has cleared, bottle or keg as usual.
Citrus Wit
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.050 FG = 1.012
IBU = 19 SRM = 5 ABV = 5%
Ingredients
3.75 lbs. (1.7 kg) extra light dried malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) wheat malt
0.75 lb. (0.34 kg) torrified wheat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) flaked oat
0.5 lb. (0.23 kg) honey malt
4 oz. (113 g) crystal malt (15 °L)
2.1 AAU Fuggle hops (50 min.)
(0.5 oz./14 g at 4.2% alpha acids)
4.5 AAU Golding hops (25 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 4.5% alpha acids)
1.5 oz. (43 g) crushed coriander seed (0 min.)
1 oz. (28 g) dried sweet orange peel (0 min.)
0.3 g Makrut lime powder (0 min.)
3 g dried lemongrass (0 min.)
Lallemand Belle Saison yeast
1 cup corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Heat 1.5 gallons (6 L) of water up to 167 °F (75 °C). Place crushed grains in a large muslin bag and mix into the water. The mash should stabilize around 154 °F (68 °C). Add cold water if the temperature is too warm and add heat if too cold. Hold at this temperature for 60 minutes. Remove the bag and place in a colander. Wash the grains with 1 gallon (4 L) hot water.
Top up with water to 6 gallons (22.7 L) and add the dried malt extract off heat, stirring until it is all dissolved. Bring the wort to a boil and conduct a 60 minute boil. Add hops and spices per the schedule on the ingredients list. At the end of the boil, you should have 5 gallons (19 L) in your kettle. After the boil, give your wort a stir to create a whirlpool, then let the wort settle for 30 minutes prior to chilling.
Cool the wort to 70 °F (21 °C) for fermenting, aerate well and pitch your yeast. After seven days, rack to secondary fermenter. When fermentation is complete and beer has cleared, bottle or keg as usual.
Citrus-Grove IPA
(5 gallons/19 L, all-grain)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.014
IBU = 65 SRM = 5
ABV = 8.1%
Feel free to substitute with hops that you find to have the most citrus kick. These were just two I had in my freezer at the time I brewed this beer. Some good alternatives might be Chinook, Simcoe®, Centennial, Summit™ or Amarillo® to name a few. This is meant to be a fun beer and conversation starter.
– BYO Recipe Editor Dave Green
Ingredients
10 lbs. (4.5 kg) Simpsons Golden Promise™ malt
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) wheat malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked oats
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) raw sugar (15 min.)
16 AAU Bravo hops (60 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 16% alpha acids)
10.5 AAU Centennial hops (5 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Citra® hops (hop stand)
3 oz. (85 g) Cascade hops (hop stand)
2 oz. (57 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
3 oz. (85 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
3 yellow grapefruits peeled (see step by step)
2 navel oranges peeled (see step by step)
1 lemon peeled (see step by step)
1 lime peeled (see step by step)
1 tsp. of gypsum (if using RO or soft water)
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cups corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two days before brew day, make a yeast starter. One day before brew day, peel the fruit. Be sure to scrub the fruit with hot water and try not to get any of the white pith. Place the mixed peels in a sealable bag in the freezer.
On brew day, crush the malt and add to 4.4 gallons (16.6 L) strike water to achieve a stable mash temperature at 156 °F (69 °C). After 45 minutes, begin to lauter. Boil for 60 minutes, adding the first hop addition after the wort comes to a boil, the sugar with 15 minutes remaining, and a second hop addition with 5 minutes left in the boil. If you are using RO or soft water, add the gypsum to the boil as well. After the boil, chill the wort to 180 °F (82 °C) and then add the hop stand addition and half of the citrus peels. Stir the wort, then let settle for 30 minutes before cooling to yeast pitching temperature. Ferment at 68 °F (20 °C). As the kräusen begins to fall, typically day 4 or 5, add the dry hops and the remaining peels then let the beer sit for 5 days. You may want to soak the peels overnight in some vodka prior to adding in order to sanitize them. Bottle with priming sugar or keg and force carbonate to 2.4 volumes CO2.
Citrus-Grove IPA
(5 gallons/19 L, partial mash)
OG = 1.072 FG = 1.014
IBU = 65 SRM = 6 ABV = 8.1%
Ingredients
6.6 lbs. (3 kg) Maris Otter liquid malt extract
1.5 lbs. (0.68 kg) wheat malt
1 lb. (0.45 kg) flaked oats
2 lbs. (0.9 kg) raw sugar (15 min.)
16 AAU Bravo hops (60 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 16% alpha acids)
10.5 AAU Centennial hops (5 min.)
(1 oz./28 g at 10.5% alpha acids)
1 oz. (28 g) Citra® hops (hop stand)
3 oz. (85 g) Cascade hops (hop stand)
2 oz. (57 g) Citra® hops (dry hop)
3 oz. (85 g) Cascade hops (dry hop)
3 yellow grapefruits peeled (see step by step)
2 navel oranges peeled (see step by step)
1 lemon peeled (see step by step)
1 lime peeled (see step by step)
1 tsp. of gypsum (if using RO or soft water)
Wyeast 1318 (London Ale III) or Lallemand Nottingham yeast
3⁄4 cups corn sugar (if priming)
Step by Step
Two days before brew day, make a yeast starter. One day before brew day, peel the fruit. Be sure to scrub the fruit with hot water and try not to get any of the white pith. Place the mixed peels in a sealable bag in the freezer.
On brew day, place the crushed malt in a muslin bag. Mash the grains in 1 gallon (4 L) water at 156 °F (69 °C) for 45 minutes. Remove the grain bag and wash with 2 qts. (2 L) hot water. Top off the kettle to 5 gallons and heat up to boil. As soon as the water begins to boil, remove from heat and stir in the liquid malt extract. Stir until all the extract is dissolved then return the wort to a boil. Boil for 60 minutes, following the remainder of the all-grain recipe.
Tips for Success:
Use organic citrus fruits. Peels are the exposed portion of the fruit, which are most susceptible to pesticides and fungicides that are applied to commercially grown fruit.
Grapefruit Brewing Safety
Some brewers, in an effort to boost those beloved American citrus hop characters, add grapefruit to their beers. But . . . grapefruit has a nasty completely unexpected side effect of interfering with a series of liver and intestinal enzymes — chiefly Cytochrome P450 3A4. Grapefruit contains chemicals related to furanocoumarin. The nasty piece of business in there is the coumarin, which is a liver toxin that is used sparingly in some medications and as a vanilla flavoring. So coumarin, which is mostly banned in the US as a food additive, enters your blood stream via your grapefruit addition in the beer and starts messing with all those enzymes. Keep taking your medication as a good patient should and suddenly you cross from therapeutic into potential lethal blood levels of your medications and then you have issues on top of your issues.
Wikipedia lists that there are 85 drugs currently understood to have interactions with grapefruit. Not all through the mechanism described, but mostly in similar fashion the coumarin interferes with enzymes that take up the drugs and cause an inadvertant overdose. NOTE: All of these drugs have listed interactions with grapefruit — this doesn’t mean they’re going to kill you if you consume grapefruit, but that it could mess with the presumed metabolism of the compound in your body.
What’s the Risk?: Presumably, low, but when it comes to some of these interactions people need to be extra careful — especially for those who take heart medications. What to do: Label your homebrew well if it uses grapefruit.
~ Drew Beechum and Denny Conn, www.experimentalbrew.com
