Question about using fruit wine base in beer?

Northern Brewer General
1

So, I placed an order at my LHBS for ingredients for an apricot ale. When I got home after picking them up, I realized that the owner of the LHBS ordered me a can of Vintners Harvest fruit wine base instead of the Vintners Harvest fruit puree that my recipe called for.

So, I have a couple of questions. What exactly is the difference between fruit puree and fruit wine base? And can I brew this beer using the fruit wine base in place of the fruit puree? The recipe called for one 48 oz can of apricot puree and my fruit wine base is 96 oz so I’m wondering, if I can use the fruit base, how much should I use?

2

I don’t have a direct answer, but as a starting point I would compare the specific gravity of the base to a puree of the same fruit. I assume that the base is concentrated juice and so will have a significantly higher percentage of sugar. Then, depending on if you’d rather use it than return it, consider that the wine base will make a higher alcohol, drier, possibly less fruit intense flavored beer (since it is more sugar and will contribute fewer flavor bearing non-fermentables). It’s hard to say, since concentrated juice also concentrates flavors compared to straight juice.

Puree is more flavorful than straight juice.

I also know from experience that heavy duty juice concentrates (not wine base) provide much more flavor per ounce than puree. For instance Tart is Smart tart cherry juice concentrate, that you would utilize at no more than 24 oz. per 5-gallon batch compared to 6 lbs of cherry puree. So if you can find out how many pounds of fruit per quart of wine base that will also help to know if it is a big flavor contributor.

3

I just checked online (Midwest) and it appears that the Vintner’s Harvest fruit wine base is just fruit in its natural juice. So you should be able to add it to a sanitized blender and puree it and add 48 or so ounces to your recipe. I would follow up with a phone call to your supplier and ask if that’s what they recommend.

4

Thanks for the replies. :cheers:

5

Thanks for the replies. :cheers:

I think I’m going to just try pureeing it in a blender…