# chocolate mead- question about chocolate



## BernardSmith (Nov 24, 2013)

On 11/17 I started a chocolate mead. I added 8 oz of Hershey's cocoa to about 3/4 gallon of boiling water. Allowed the water to cool and then added this chocolate mix to a blender to which I poured 3lbs of honey that I had heated in their containers in a pan of hot water (to increase viscosity). Added enough water to make 1 gallon. After adding pectic enzyme and nutrients I pitched QA23. 
SG was 1.100. After four days gravity dropped close to 1.000 and I racked from primary. Today the chocolate is slowly collecting in the bottom of the carboy and is about 3 or 4 inches high. 
My question is it likely that the chocolate will compact. My past experience with chocolate wines used cocoa nibs rather than chocolate powder. If it won't compact by itself is there something I can do to help it compact? And for the time being should I be mixing this chocolate back into suspension to increase the chocolate flavor. Thanks.


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## Deezil (Nov 24, 2013)

Mixing it back into suspension should give you more flavor, although I'm not sure what all is in that cocoa mix

If you wanted to make those compact better, my first option would be bentonite personally. I dont know if the bentonite would bind with the chocolate particles in particular but the bentonite being in the lees would help things compact, I'd think.


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## seth8530 (Nov 24, 2013)

I have heard that it can be quite dificult to get a coca powder infused wine to clear.. But best of luck, time and patience!


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## BernardSmith (Nov 25, 2013)

Hi Seth, The clearing is not an issue. I am sure that it will take many months to clear. My problem is the apparent height of the "lees" at this time. They are about 3 -4 inches high and so about 1/4 the height of the carboy. If the lees don't compact or if I cannot compact them then I will likely lose about 1/3 of this volume of mead when next I rack. Perhaps I need to rig up something like a coffee press to press the lees while allowing the liquid to raise through and above them.


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## BernardSmith (Nov 25, 2013)

Deezil said:


> Mixing it back into suspension should give you more flavor, although I'm not sure what all is in that cocoa mix
> 
> If you wanted to make those compact better, my first option would be bentonite personally. I dont know if the bentonite would bind with the chocolate particles in particular but the bentonite being in the lees would help things compact, I'd think.


 
Hi Deezil, Thanks for your suggestion. 
I did add bentonite shortly after I racked into the secondary. I wonder if it is the CO2 even at this early point that is preventing the cocoa from compacting. Never done this before at this stage but perhaps degassing might help the cocoa compact?


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## seth8530 (Nov 25, 2013)

Hmm, you could try mixing in some super klear and stirring it all up to try and get the lees to compact a little better.. Those are some pretty harsh losses.


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## BernardSmith (Nov 25, 2013)

seth8530 said:


> Hmm, you could try mixing in some super klear and stirring it all up to try and get the lees to compact a little better.. Those are some pretty harsh losses.



Is there some way to filter the must so that I can get more of the liquid from these lees? I am thinking of rigging a buchner flask and filtering the lees by vacuum.


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## Deezil (Nov 25, 2013)

I always degas with my vacuum pump immediately after fermentation is finished, because it will most definitely help to compact the lees.

But dont forget to add SO2, because there will be no more/very little CO2 for protection


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## BernardSmith (Nov 25, 2013)

Deezil said:


> I always degas with my vacuum pump immediately after fermentation is finished, because it will most definitely help to compact the lees.
> 
> But dont forget to add SO2, because there will be no more/very little CO2 for protection



Thanks for the tip about adding K-meta. I don't think that that would have struck me as necessary so soon after racking into the secondary. Much appreciated. Looks like I have my work cut out for me over the next few days. Fortunate (ha ha ) that those of us who are with the State University of NY are required to take three days unpaid leave (furlough) to help the state meet its financial obligations (except to its employees), so I will have some time on my hands after Tuesday. (We get the money back in a couple of years I believe, so it's a long term, compulsory, interest free loan to the state).


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## seth8530 (Nov 25, 2013)

Ouch, hopefully all will work out for you. I am interested to see how your buchner funnel is going to work!


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## BernardSmith (Nov 25, 2013)

i Just spoke with Reid, the fellow who owns our local home brew store and he suggests that I don't do anything for a couple of months but just wait. He thinks the cocoa will compact on its own over time. But as to the buchner funnel, I was going to use a small funnel , coffee filter and attach the funnel to a a double holed bung and attach a hose to the second hole to my vacuum pump. My plan was to pour the lees into the funnel and pull a vacuum forcing the liquid through the filter . I have a sieve-like plate that sits on the bottom of the funnel and would allow the liquid to flow through multiple holes...


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