Blackberry Mead question

[CoastalEmpireWine]

Hello, I purchased a sweet mead kit from Midwest Supplies. I also purchased a 92oz can of blackberry puree. My question is: Should I add the puree before fermentation, or after? I read an article they posted and they sell "fruit extract" mead kits, and says to add the extract later... I'd rather have real fruit flavor than imitation. Im leaning more towards before fermentation. Any suggestions?

 

[Deezil]

Fermentation will alter the flavor of the fruit.. So if you do add it before fermentation, the yeast will consume those sugars and work those flavors into the other flavors created during the ferment..

If you add the fruit into 'secondary', when you rack to a carboy, it *should* convert some of the sugars in the fruit, but since the fermentation isnt so rocking, it wont convert the flavor as much as in if you added it earlier...

Your third option is to wait until the gross lees fall, then add the fruit and leave some head space because it'll ferment some but not entirely.. This leaves you with the most original fruit character, but also the sweetest option

All three different timings leave you with different results

 

[ckassotis]

My only comment is that you lose out if you use a puree after fermentation. The whole point of getting it in there early is to let the yeast break down those fruit bits and give your wine some real mouth-feel. If it were blackberry juice or concentrate, I would say to add it after - puree I think you miss out if you wait.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

So you think it would be best to add it up front then back sweeten and flavor afterwards? Also for a mead do you have to add in like campden tablets?

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

I've never tried mead (tasting or making) so this is all new to me. I read the instructions that came with it and it didn't say anything about adding Campden tablets or anything of that sort. Here is what I am thinking about doing. I am thinking about, after fermentation, breaking it down into three separate carboys ( 1 3gal, and 2 1gal) Make the three gallon straight blackberry mead, 1 gal of oaked mead, and 1 gal of plain mead. any suggestions?

 

[ckassotis]

In my opinion, you're better off doing that, yeah. There might be people that disagree with me though. And you very well might need to get some juice to add in after fermentation to get your flavor right where you want it.

As for Campden, I believe you don't need them for mead. Honey prevents spoilage, and unless you are using fresh fruit, you're probably fine. You might want to check the fruit puree and see if it's been pasteurized - if not, you might toss in 1 tablet just to make sure everything is fine, but I expect you wouldn't need it with a mead.

As for splitting it for aging, I always enjoy little experiments like that. You can get more information about what you/others like for less effort.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

I'm not too really worried about mouth feel as much as I would be with something like a Cabernet.. My wife and I enjoy white wine, like Riesling, which doesn't have much mouth feel, but more fruity aromas.We are more of a sweet wine kinda people haha.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

I've heard people say that they like using a medium French oak due to releasing a vanilla taste in the mead. I think that is what I am going for. With a french oak it will have a decently larger mouth feel to the wine than the others.

 

[ckassotis]

Yeah I think that might work well for ya.

If you are just looking for some good blackberry flavors and a sweet result, you could try adding it in right after fermentation ends, then letting it sit and age with the puree in there. In essence, an f-pack. Then you can rack off the puree after some bit of time and age it a while longer with just the mead and juice.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

How long do you think I should let it sit in there before I siphon it off of it? Also, should I add K sorbate, pectic enzyme, and campden if I go this route?

 

[ckassotis]

If you add it after your end-fermentation racking, you could let it sit there for a while. Maybe a month or so, as long as it isn't sitting on your other lees for a while.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

right i planned on racking it off the gross lees and then adding the blackberry. Would I need the pectic enzyme, sorbate, campden, all that stuff since i am adding in real fruit?

 

[saramc]

right i planned on racking it off the gross lees and then adding the blackberry. Would I need the pectic enzyme, sorbate, campden, all that stuff since i am adding in real fruit?

On pectic enzyme, I would honestly add it preferment so it can tackle the honey, and then dose again when you add the fruit. Any unused enzyme settles in the lees. If you want to retain the sugar from the fruit, then add sorbate + k-meta/campden, but only if the mead is dry. If you sorbate while it still has residual sugar it will just keep fermenting. Also, before sorbate addition, try to get the must as lees free as possible.

Are you asking about using k-meta preferment and during bulk aging?

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

during bulk aging after I add in the Blackberry puree. It is a sweet mead kit. I do not believe that it will ferment dry. I thought sorbate was to inhibit the yeast from consuming sugars and converting it to alcohol? Yes I would like to keep the blackberry taste.

 

[ckassotis]

k-meta stops fermentation, and sorbate prevents yeast from multiplying. So, sorbate will not really inhibit an active fermentation at all, just possibly slow it down a bit. So typically after fermentation finished you would k-meta it to stop the fermentation in it's tracks, then sorbate it to make sure it doesn't start up again. Wait a few hours, IMO, then add in the puree to be sure the sorbate is incorporated by then and fermentation won't take off again.

I would also go ahead and add pectic enzyme in when you add the puree as well.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

Thank you everyone for all of your help. When I get home I'll give it a try. I'm sure it will turn out just fine. This mead really has my brain moving. Next, after this one I think I am going to try an orange blossom honey.. I dont know... Im starting to think also that the wife is going to kill me due to there being 100+ bottled of wine on the shelf... Gonna need some help drinking all that! Also, I have a Buon Mini jet filter.. Before I bottle can I run a mead through that? Will it strip any flavors?

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

k-meta stops fermentation, and sorbate prevents yeast from multiplying. So, sorbate will not really inhibit an active fermentation at all, just possibly slow it down a bit. So typically after fermentation finished you would k-meta it to stop the fermentation in it's tracks, then sorbate it to make sure it doesn't start up again. Wait a few hours, IMO, then add in the puree to be sure the sorbate is incorporated by then and fermentation won't take off again.

I would also go ahead and add pectic enzyme in when you add the puree as well.

Another question... Since I only plant to add the blackberries to three gallons of mead.. Do I have to add K meta to the other 2 gallons, or will it be fine on its own?

 

[ckassotis]

I would filter anything that I'm bottling. Without it, even with a year of bulk aging, additional sediment will settle out over time, and I like flawless looking bottles. There is some discussion that filtering a big red will lose some character, but I think you're fine with a mead.

I'd add a bit of k-meta to all of it before you bottle, just helps to know that your fermentation is truly over and not going to start up again if it gets a little warm.

 

[CoastalEmpireWine]

So do you think that if I let it ferment completely out, rack it off the gross lees and into a carboy with the blackberries in it I could age it for about a month with no issues? As long as I add the K meta and Sorbate. Then rack off fruit, and into a carboy and age for roughly 3-4 months... Hows does that sound ckassotis?

 

[ckassotis]

That sounds like a solid plan to me! Toss some pectin in there with the fruit puree as well, and I think you're good to go!