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updated When to Add Fruit with pasteurization info
Fruit juice can also be added at bottling time and is usually used as the priming sugar source when this is done. This is considered an advanced technique that requires knowledge of the amount of sugar in the juice. The brewer should calculate the amount of sugar that is in the fruit juice and how much fruit juice should be used so that over-carbonation does not become a problem.
Fruit can be added at any other point in the brewing process as well. For example, some brewers have tried adding fruit to the mash, boil, or during primary fermentation. Adding fruit this early in the brewing process generally results in less fruit character. Some fruits might benefit from these different approaches, such as citrus based fruits being added in the boil (see the [[Soured_Fruit_Beer#Usage_Suggestions|Usage Suggestions]] below).
Pasteurizing fruit is optional if the beer is a mixed fermentation beer (contains living ''Brettanomyces''). Generally, the low pH, alcohol, and hops will prevent the growth of any microbes on the fruit. there is a possibility of wild yeast living on the fruit potentially adding to the character of the beer. If this is not desired, for example for kettle sours where the brewer does not want to risk contamination of their cold side equipment, the fruit can be pasteurized or the brewer can use a pasteurized fruit product such as a puree or juice. For tips on pasteurizing fruit, see [https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/how-to-brew/how-to-add-fruit-to-beer/ this AHA article]. For more information on the forms of fruit (puree, juice, whole, etc.) and various concerns/approaches to using those forms, see the [[Soured_Fruit_Beer#Forms_of_Fruit|Forms of Fruit]] below.
For how long to age the beer on fruit, see [[Soured_Fruit_Beer#Aging_Vessels_and_Refermentation|Aging Vessels and Refermentation]] and [[Soured_Fruit_Beer#Usage_Suggestions|Usage Suggestions contact time]] below.