Second Use Fruit: Ripe with Innovation

This week Jimmy talks about the growing trends of second-use fruit, farmhouse ales, and natural carbonation with guests Jake Endres, cofounder of Crooked Run Fermentation, Ian Kalmes, head brewer at Transmitter Brewing, and Mandy Naglich from @Beerswithmandy. 

To kick things off, Jimmy dives right into the benefits of the increasingly popular technique of second-use fruit in crafting beers. Mandy explains the benefits of second-use fruit as creating a beer with a subtle fruity flavor while also being a sustainable way to reuse produce. Jimmy then asks Jake about the evolution of Crooked Run Fermentation, previously known as Crooked Run Brewing. Such a transformation, as Jake explains, came about as they experimented with blends of fruit wines and realized they wanted to expand into new fermentation territory. Jake goes on to talk about Crooked Run’s first exploration into second-use fruit with the use of pomace in their Newfangled Farmhouse Ale. Mandy chimes in with her experience and explains how hardier fruits like apricots, peaches, and even some raspberries are ideal when it comes to second-use fruit. Jake notes that they’ve even had some success with blueberries. When asked to delve further into the technical aspects of his process, Jake explains the process of carbonic maceration. Mandy follows up with a more basic process that the average homebrewer might use to incorporate peaches into their brewing process. Jimmy stumps everyone with a question on how exactly grappa is made. Ian delves into the nuance of Transmitter Brewing’s production of kettle sours using fresh and frozen fruit. Ian also touches on the importance of terminal gravity and the history of fresh fruit beers turned bottle bombs. 

After the break, Jimmy asks how second-use fruit is going to affect the palate of the consumer and Jake explores how fruit is reduced while flavor is enhanced. Ian explains Transmitter Brewing’s process of creating their own Belgian sugar. Mandy talks about how the lines between a sour, farmhouse ale, and Saison might be blurring. Ian spells out the benefits of natural carbonation in producing tighter smaller bubbles. Finally, Jimmy even delves into the potential health benefits of a well-made beer.

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