I have a quick question. If grapefruit and other citrus flavors and aromas are sought after in American style pale ales, how come you don’t see more people using those fruits’ rinds in the batches more often?
I’ve never done it, but I would like to try it. Since I’ve seen so few people doing it, I’m a little concerned that there is a pitfall/downside that I’m overlooking.
Any input?
For me, the hops add a citrus flavor and aroma that is “like” tangerine or lemon or grapefruit but isn’t so obvious. It’s also very easy to add a rind bitterness if you aren’t careful.
I experimented with this when hop prices went crazy a few years ago. I brewed my standard APA recipe, but cut my late hop additions by half. I zested one grapefruit and one sweet orange, and soaked it for about 2 weeks in a half-cup or so of vodka. I added the vodka at packaging (5 gallon batch). It did give a nice citrus aroma, but it faded quicker with time than an aroma hop addition would. I liked the effect, and did a few times, but then hop prices came back down and I never did it again.
