orange flavor, dried orange peel, orange zest, orange juice? Options

[sirwillliam]

I'm going to be making a pale ale with some wheat and rye, with a little honey and orange flavor. What is the best way to get a good orange flavor?

[hophead]

Wal*Mart...sweet orange peel...

[Dude]

Wal*Mart...sweet orange peel...

Really?

To the OP, FWIW, I used orange extract (off the grocery store baking aisle) once, and it made the beer bitter with very little orange flavor. I wouldn't go that route again.

I've heard good things about using lots of zest, both in the boil and in the fermenters.

[BrewerGeorge]

Zest,no question. Fresh oranges with the orange part of the peel shaved off. I recommend a microplane grater to get it easiest. Peel from 2 or 3 pounds of oranges, per 5 gallons.

Dried orange peel is hideous. Orange juice will be way too acidic. Flavoring, at best, will taste like tang. At best.

[sirwillliam]

Most definitely; I was leaning towards the zest as the natural fresh route always seems to be the way to go. How would I go about adding it to the beer? Late in the boil maybe?

[Coiz]

Suggested addition time for sweet orange peel in Promash is 5 minutes left in the boil. I made a Wit this weekend and 5 minutes is how long I boiled the orange peel and the coriander.

[killroy]

Every time I have added orange zest to a beer (Belgian Pale) it has had a strange mouthfeel. I have a zester, so no white pith. Added at flameout. Kind of a mouthcoating sensation. Definetly detracts. I don't know how I could change things to make it work.

[DavidP]

A whole lot of zest at knockout! You better like to eat oranges because you'll have a pile of them!

[stout_fan]

I remember some post or podcast (real GOOD memory here) saying that Valencia was not a good choice. Can anybody second that, or dispute my vague recollections (shouldn't take much).

[BrewerGeorge]

Every time I have added orange zest to a beer (Belgian Pale) it has had a strange mouthfeel. I have a zester, so no white pith. Added at flameout. Kind of a mouthcoating sensation. Definetly detracts. I don't know how I could change things to make it work.

Might be the wax. I usually use them in a wit, where added thickness is desired so I've never noticed. Do places like Whole Foods sell unwaxed fruit?

I remember some post or podcast (real GOOD memory here) saying that Valencia was not a good choice. Can anybody second that, or dispute my vague recollections (shouldn't take much).

They might not be the best choice, but they head and shoulders above any of the other choices mentioned in this thread. I mean, if you can get and zest seville oranges, go for it, but fresh valencia or navel are better than the dried ones or artificial flavoring.

Add the zest at 5 minutes or less from knockout.

[sidney porter]

orange marmelade

[hophead]

Really?

To the OP, FWIW, I used orange extract (off the grocery store baking aisle) once, and it made the beer bitter with very little orange flavor. I wouldn't go that route again.

I've heard good things about using lots of zest, both in the boil and in the fermenters.

Orange zest is good. The dried sweet orange available at stores such as Wal*Mart works real good too. The traditional Belgian Wit way is coriander and Curacao bitter orange ...the orange flavor comes from the coriander

[BrewerGeorge]

orange marmelade

Great for a wit that's supposed to be cloudy. But the OP asked about a pale ale, which the pectin in the marmalade will definitely cloud up. It does work great for wits, though. I've completely switched to it.

[kenlenard]

I think it depends on what you're after. If you add zest (or even some of the juice) at flameout and let it steep with the lid on for 10-15 minutes, you will get some orange. But the heat of the brewpot and the primary fermentation may scrub out some of the "freshness" of the orange. I made a lemon wheat this way (zest and juice at flameout) and it was "good", but it was nothing like squeezing a fresh lemon into a wheat beer. You may consider zesting a bunch of oranges, as mentioned, and then putting the zest into a bowl with a fitted lid along with some vodka and make an "orange extract" of sorts. Let it sit for a day or 2 and then add that mess to the secondary and rack on top of it. That way the freshness of the fruit would stick around. Just thinking out loud.

This post has been edited by kenlenard: Apr 1 2008, 12:03 PM

[BrewMax]

Suggested addition time for sweet orange peel in Promash is 5 minutes left in the boil. I made a Wit this weekend and 5 minutes is how long I boiled the orange peel and the coriander.

I did a recipe using these same ingredients and it turned out awesome.