Instructions

1. Soak one of the 1-gallon containers and the utensil you plan to use to mash the fruit in a solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach to 1 quart of water for 15 minutes; rinse and let them air-dry.

2. Sterilize the inside of the plastic bucket you plan to use for the second fermentation for 15 minutes and let it air-dry. You need a plastic bucket and lid 3 or more gallons larger than the amount of beer you're fermenting; if you're fermenting a 5-gallon batch of beer, use an 8-gallon bucket for the second fermentation.

3. Sterilize a 4-foot or longer siphon tube in the bleach water for 15 minutes and let it air-dry.

4. Remove large seeds, stems, pits and foliage from the fruit if present and rinse it in a colander under cool running water for several minutes. If the fruit has a thick rind -- oranges and melons, for instance -- peel it. Use 1/2 pound of fruit for every gallon of beer if the fruit has a strong flavor, such as raspberry or citrus. Use 2 pounds of fruit per gallon if the fruit has a light flavor, such as melon or peach.

5. Mash, pulse, smash or mince the fruit until coarsely chopped and place it in the bottom of the large plastic bucket you plan to use for the second fermentation.

6. Place the bucket of beer that you've already fermented once on the work surface. Place the bucket with fruit on a surface below the bottom of the first fermentation bucket. For example, you can place the first-fermentation bucket you'll siphon from on a counter and the second-fermentation bucket you'll siphon into on the floor.

7. Submerge the siphon tube in a container of sterile water and fill it. By filling the tube with sterile water, you don't have to suction the tube with your mouth, which introduces bacteria from your mouth, to get the siphoning started.

8. Lift one end of the tube from the container of sterile water and attach a racking cane to it. Lift the tube out of the water, holding the open end of the tube above the end with the racking cane.

9. Place the racking cane in the first-fermentation container of beer, still holding the siphon tube above it. Lower the open end of the siphon tube into a sink or an empty container until the beer starts to drain from it.

10. Hold the siphon tube over the fruit in the second-fermentation bucket after it starts to drain and let the beer flow over it. After the fruit is covered with beer, set the siphon tube in the second-fermentation bucket with the fruit and let it finish draining.

11. Remove the siphon tube from the bucket when the first-fermentation bucket is empty and the beer stops draining from it. Cover the second-fermentation bucket with a tight-fitting lid, but not an airtight one. Ferment for two weeks, then proceed with bottling.

    If you only have an airtight lid, poke a few small holes in it to let gases escape during the second fermentation. You can also cover the bucket with cheesecloth, secure it with a rubber band and secure the lid on it partially but not completely.