Sweet Berry Mead

[vcasey]

So many mead makers focus on getting the alcohol level higher the the yeast are supposed to tolerate they take a chance and don't add the k-meta or sorbate. I figure, I'll never hear the end of it if that happens so unless its sparkling its gets k-meta & sorbate.
VC

 

[hartm]

Well I guess that makes sense for the sorbate which is added to prevent further fermentation, but isn't the k-met in there to help preserve the developing flavors of the wine/mead?

 

[Dean]

Sorbate stops yeast replication, so they cannot reproduce. It cannot stop fermentation. A good combination of K-Meta and Sorbate act as an antibacterial agent that will prevent nasty pathogens from spoiling the final wine or mead. K-meta alone will act as an anti-oxident.

 

[hartm]

Hard to believe its almost been 2 months since I started this one (my first). I racked the mead tonight and added K-met and sorbate. It still hasn't cleared up too much, but I was able to remove a lot of precipitate. The color looks great, a nice rosy red. It tastes great, too. The berries definitely come through as does the star thistle honey. This is certainly a desert wine. Now its back into the cellar until next summer.

 

[hartm]

Eight months later...


This mead has been sitting in bottles for about 5 months now. I'm not sure if I commented on another thread so I will post an update here. I had some people over to start a pale ale brew and we tasted a few of my meads. This one had developed a darker color and the raspberry taste really shined. It definitely is sweet, but delightful. I look forward to agingsome of these bottles a fewyears, but I wonder if I can keep myself out of it...

 

[vcasey]

Make more now!!!

 

[hartm]

I'm already planning for it. I need to wait for the local raspberry patches to start producing. I like the fact that all of the ingredients are local...well, at least from the state. I could use local wildflower honey though, but I like the flavors from the star thistle honey...