Premium Pineapple / Fruit Beer

Home Brew COVID-19 Lockdown Premium Pineapple Fruit beer

In South Africa we are in COVID-19 lockdown. Apart from the standard social distancing requirements our government has decided we cannot handle our liquor. We cannot buy, sell or transport any liquor products.

Fortunately there is no law against brewing your own.

This shows how to make a premium pineapple or fruit beer. Some may call it fruit wine or cider but we just call it beer.

With Lockdown we have time to brew and watch the birds.

Allen Birdcam.

Beautiful african birds during the day and at night you can watch bushbabies, genets and fruit bats. Allen Birdcam

Relax and brew some beer.

Step 1: Recipe

This recipe makes about 15 litres.

You will need:

- 20L bucket or other closeable container

- 15 L Pre-boiled water

- Pineapple or other fruit

- 1.3kg of sugar (brown or white)

- A kettle to boil water

- Brewers yeast.

What fruit you use is not set in stone but for this mix we will be using a pineapple, about 4 apples, kumquat, which is a small citrus and a banana.

It is very important that the fruit is fresh and not bad and must be washed.

Peel the pineapple as normal and remove any blemishes or bad spots that may be harbouring unwanted bugs.
The fruit is cut into small pieces but not liquidized. This is important to make it easier to have a very clear premium quality end product.

Once all fruit has been cut add boiling water to the fruit and cover.

A fruit wine or beer brew needs about 1kg or more sugar per 10L of water. The amount of sugar determines if the final product will be sweeter or drier. This recipe has 1.3kg plus the sugars in the fruit and this will give somewhere between a semi-sweet to dry result dependent on how long it is left to brew. Measure out the sugar and add boiling water.

The brew bucket must be cleaned thoroughly and filled with 15L of boiling water which is then allowed to cool overnight. The brew bucket is fitted with a tap to make it easier to decant the beer. A nylon sieve helps to easily separate the fruit. Any other fine clean material such as a pillow slip can also work.

Add the sugar and the fruit and mix thoroughly.

Next we add the secret sauce, Yeast! You can just add yeast directly from the packet and mix it up or you can make a yeast starter the previous night. Take any container with a lid and add a cup of pre-boiled and cooled water and a teaspoon of yeast with about 3 tablespoons of sugar. leave overnight to allow the yeast to grow.

The starter will help to get the brew going. Add the starter and mix thoroughly.

Close the bucket with a lid fitted with a breather. The breather is a simple device that allows for carbon dioxide to escape at the same time as preventing bugs in the air getting into the mix. You can buy a breather at any brew shop or just make your own like this one.

The brew bucket must be kept out of direct sunlight at room temperature. Making beer takes time, so it's ideal for lockdown. Sit back, relax and let it brew.

You can watch the bubbles to check that it is fermenting. A good brew should bubble a few times a minute.

After at least 5 days the beer will be ready to be prepared for bottling. Before opening the lid first remove the breather to prevent the breather water entering the brew mix. The fruit that is removed must not look or smell rotten in any way.

NB! If there is any rancid smell then the brew has failed and should be discarded.

A trick that is optional at this point is to add agar to the brew mix. One level teaspoon mixed in boiling water and stirred thoroughly to dissolve. A standard home brew is normally not clear due to suspended protein from the fruit and yeast. there is nothing wrong with this but a premium quality product should be clear.

The agar solution helps to precipitate the protein and deliver a clear premium class product. Leave it overnight to allow the protein to settle.

After standing overnight the beer is ready for bottling. Use a sieve during bottling to remove any remaining suspended particles.

That's it!. Enjoy your home brew!