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Mike G.
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 353
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 64.68.165.2
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 11:33 am: | 
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I found this info. at another site (http://www.brew-wineforum.com/shwmessage.aspx?ForumID=5&MessageID=113048)
Has anyone tried drying orange zest in a similar fashion?
Here is an excerpt:
The zest that is sold at many LHBS places is just not good. Virtually no flavor at all. If you don't believe this, than there is no need to read any further. I gave a sample of my zest to my LHBS and he thought it was amazing. So here it goes.
I make a dried zest from various types of citrus; Orange, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime etc. I prefer drying all my zest before adding it to a boil. It is just much more flavorful. You would think that fresh zest would work just as well but it doesn't. I don't know the science as to why, but it doesn't, so I dry my zest. I first wash the citrus than peel the citrus using a basic potato peeler. You will probably get a bit of the White pith but that is okay. Take the peel and place it on a cookie sheet (I cover the cookie sheet with Aluminum foil) and place it in an oven at 200-225 degrees. Depending on the amount and size of the peel, this should take between 60-90 minutes to dry out. I check it after 60 minutes and then every 10 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it, since it will burn if left too long. DON'T use a dehydrator. I tried this and it was a mistake. The continuous flow of air removes too much of the citrus flavor. Once the peel is dry, I grind it into a granular consistency. At this point, take a whiff of the aroma. Home made zest is major league. Store bought is sandlot.
This dried zest can be used in a number of ways. I add it directly to the boil during the last 15 minutes. I also use it for a "dry hop" and I make liquid extracts. This gives you a lot of flexibility. If you forget to add it to the boil, then dry hop or (my favorite) is to add a liquid extract directly to the keg or bottling bucket. The amount you add will depend on the citrus used. Grapefruit is extremely strong compared to Orange. I dry hop by placing 2 teaspoons of the dried zest in a muslin bag cut to 6" long and tied at one end with string. I place 8-10 marbles in the bag along with the zest and tie a string around this end, leaving enough string to suspend the bag in the middle of a carboy (secondary). Secure the string around the airlock and let it do its thing. |
Jeffrey Swearengin
Senior Member
Username: Beertracker
Post Number: 1282
Registered: 03-2002
Posted From: 216.97.167.75
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 02:44 pm: |
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I've been drying my own sweet orange peels (navel oranges), bitter orange (Seville oranges) and lemon/lime peels using my Nesco food dehydrator for years. Works great! Not sure about the oven method?  |
Mike G.
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 354
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 64.68.165.2
| | Posted on Thursday, October 22, 2009 - 07:14 pm: |
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Tracker,
I haven't tried it, so I can't vouch for it, but I thought it was worth discussing. |
Tex Brewer
Advanced Member
Username: Texbrewer
Post Number: 502
Registered: 03-2004
Posted From: 216.203.59.252
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 05:48 pm: |
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I have dried grapefruit zest from the Lower Rio Grande Valley like that. I didn't have the oven quite as hot as he did, probably 150 or so. Worked great, and the aroma from it was wonderful. I did not grind it, but the zest pieces were pretty small. You really don't want to get any of the white pith, as it is extraordinarily bitter, so be very careful with your peeler.
I did a 15-min boil and it was too much. All the aroma came off (smelled great while it was boiling, but that was it) and the bitterness extracted is not pleasant like hops. So the next time, I added the zest at flame out along with my aroma hops. Worked. Then I made some extract with more zest and 151 rum, just a couple of ounces. That stuff was so incredibly strong, I only used about half of it at bottling time. I made a grapefruit IPA, by the way, along with citrusy C hops. Everyone loved it. I would suggest trying it with a Wit recipe, which is what the 512 Brewery here in Austin does. |
Andrew S. Webster
Intermediate Member
Username: Tacomabrewer
Post Number: 307
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 209.180.203.162
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 07:03 pm: |
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I might have to try this. I have the urge to make a traditional German Hefeweizen, and add a little orange too it. I'm curious how the banana and cloves flavors would be with the orange in there as well... |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10852
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Friday, October 23, 2009 - 08:50 pm: |
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I'll try using my own dried peel the next time I brew a Belgian witbier. I'm quite fond of orange in a wit.
(Message edited by BillPierce on October 23, 2009) |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 5977
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 04:11 pm: |
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So.....I tried this. Monday night I baked the peel of three oranges in the oven at 210°F for 70 minutes. After cooling overnight, I weighed it...it yielded 1/4 oz.
Yesterday (Tuesday) I brewed a wit. I added this orange peel plus 1/4 oz. of the store-bought dried Curacao (bitter) orange peel to the last 15 minutes of the boil (both ground in my coffee grinder), and 0.5 oz. of freshly crushed coriander to the last 5 minutes of the boil.
After chilling the wort, the hydrometer sample clocked in at 1.051. I tasted the sample....fruit loops. The beer tastes like fruit loops cereal.
Oh well. Hopefully the flavor will fade during fermentation (this morning, the WY3944 is going strong). It would seem, though, that using fresh dried orange peel would require a lot less than the amounts normally called for in wit recipes.
The beer was brewed for the company Christmas party next month, so I won't have to drink it, thank god. |
Mike G.
Intermediate Member
Username: Mikeg
Post Number: 355
Registered: 04-2005
Posted From: 64.68.165.2
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 05:41 pm: |
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Wow, Chumley. That ranks up there with bartles & jaymes "passion fruit beer"......
Thanks for the data point. Whenever I have used bitter orange peel in the past, I found it didn't contribute enough orange essence, and too much bitterness. I may need to try this, though. |
Bill Pierce
Moderator
Username: Billpierce
Post Number: 10938
Registered: 01-2002
Posted From: 24.141.103.148
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 06:16 pm: |
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I find that bitter orange peel doesn't have very much orange flavor. The primary contribution is more as a replacement for flavor hops.
(Message edited by BillPierce on November 18, 2009) |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2900
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.248.72.254
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 06:46 pm: |
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Chumley, last time I did a Wit, it also had a Fruit Loops-ish flavor after knockout. It will diminish, and I am certain you will be happy with the finished product. |
Chumley
Senior Member
Username: Chumley
Post Number: 5978
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 63.118.227.254
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 09:49 pm: |
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Thanks, Bob. I am not much of a wit brewer (this was brewed as a request), so I find your words reassuring. |
aleman
Member
Username: Aleman
Post Number: 198
Registered: 04-2003
Posted From: 24.230.149.77
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 - 11:10 pm: |
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mmmmmm Fruit Loops. |
Andrew S. Webster
Intermediate Member
Username: Tacomabrewer
Post Number: 333
Registered: 02-2003
Posted From: 209.180.203.162
| | Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 02:52 am: |
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I recently discovered a Orange Chicken recipe online, and have made it a total of 3 or 4 times now. It calls for orange zest, and instead of buying store bought stuff, I buy a fresh orange, and use a cheese grater (the smaller side) to make little fine pieces of orange peel. The orange in the chicken is great (though is has a couple of tablespoons of OJ in it too), so I wonder if grating it fresh and really fine would make a difference? Would you still need to dry it? |
Bob Wall
Senior Member
Username: Brewdudebob
Post Number: 2902
Registered: 11-2004
Posted From: 24.248.72.254
| | Posted on Friday, November 20, 2009 - 04:16 am: |
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I use a Lemon Zester to scrape my oranges. I scrape six navel oranges for a 10 gallon batch.
 |
brett matthews
Intermediate Member
Username: Brettj
Post Number: 391
Registered: 06-2004
Posted From: 124.150.65.130
| | Posted on Saturday, November 21, 2009 - 03:18 am: |
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Bob, I use the same. Some time ago, I brewed a wit with orange peel that was removed with a potato peeler. It did take a bit of pith with but at the time I didn't think it was enough to worry about. The resulting beer had a very unusual taste and aroma. Bill Pierce suggested slimey ham and that is exactly what it was.
So a word of caution... beware the pith! |
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