Brewing with tamarinds

Question

Brewing with tamarinds

Chris Cirefice

2018年8月2日 14:02

For reference: tamarind. I recently saw this fruit at the store today and thought it smelled interesting so I investigated. I've decided to brew my very first batch of beer as a tamarind saison as a result, because I think the sweet and sour qualities will work well in a saison with honey in it.

After my friend recommended an amount based on previous experience in his childhood, I settled on 2 lbs of the stuff (and I think that's enough based on the small taste I had!).

The thing is, I'm not really sure when to add it to the wort. This video goes into detail about how to make juice out of it, but I could also add them whole in a muslin bag during the boil.

I can't find anything online about using tamarinds in a brew, and I don't want to ruin the wort by adding them whole or in juice form too soon or too late. If anyone has experience with using tamarinds for a brew, I'd greatly appreciate some advice on how to prepare them and at what stage to add them to the brew!

Topic first-time-brewer ingredients wort beer homebrew

Category Mac

David Liam Clayton · Accepted Answer · 2018年8月2日 14:02

Consider what will happen to the sweet and sour balance when the fruit and honey undergo fermentation. The fructose and glucose will be converted into alcohol. They shouldn't leave any noticable sweetness.

The sourness from the tamarind is tartaric acid. This can be used in small quantities in brewing to affect mash pH. I don't know what will happen to this but presumably it will stick around as your wort should be on the acidic side so won't neutralise it.

If I was you, and this was my first beer (and I was intent on putting tamarinds in it) I'd try and split it into three or more batches. One without any tamarind, and a couple with different amounts, and maybe one with another fruit as a control. Also, if I was you I'd add the fruit as a secondary fermentation. This has some advantages, such as a level of alcohol already existant in the beer to help prevent infection, and should also help retain the fruit flavours better. You could pasteurise it or freeze it, or make an infusion with vodka or something (though that's more usually done with herbs etc).

Evil Zymurgist · Accepted Answer · 2018年8月2日 02:29

I've not used it, nor familiar with its chemical make up.

The safest approach would be to, freeze it, thaw then puree it and add as a flame out addition. Doing it this way will insure that it's sanitary and minimize risk of natural organisms that calm this fruit home.

Many herbs and fruits have some weird properties that don't really work well with brewing process. For example adding hibiscus to a mash will completely halt saccharification as it has an enzyme inhibitor. Pineapple has an enzyme that can leave your beer unable to form a head of not denatured.

Brewing with tamarinds

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