Help me design my wine and save Hyrule from evil!

[seth8530]

What style are you trying to achieve? If you add juice, ya you're ping to bring the ABV down, but you'll also get a sweeter style. If you want that, fine, but if you want something dryer then you don't want to add juice.

Another question: Seth, I see on a lot of other discussions that you often ferment fruits either separately or in secondary when making melomel. Why is that? Isn't it more efficient to ferment everything together at primary? What's the pros and cons in your perspective?

The way I understand it, fermenting the fruit in the secondary results in a fruitier wine with less "fermented taste" ie, some people think that fermented cherries taste like cough syrup, thus by adding them into the secondary when fermentaion is gentle or non existent they hope to keep more of the cherry taste and get less of the " cough syrup".

If I was making a melomel, I would most likely ferment most of my fruit in the primary, but I would also add some into the secondary. Thus, I get all the nice things that happen to a fruit during fermentation that makes wine taste like wine but I can also get some of the fresher flavours as well.

However, if I was making a cherry melomel, I would be highly tempted to put all the cherries into secondary.....

One thing to keep in mind when doing things like this is you need to consider the dilution to your ABV this will do. So either take account for it by making the ABV a little higher than you normally would prior to secondary or try making sure the fruit has the same OG of the mead (hard)... Or you could just accept the fact you will get a lower abv mead.

Also, consider that making fruit and juice additions to secondary does not necessarily mean it will make the mead end up sweat. Typically their is still plenty of yeast left in the secondary whom are willing to pick the sword back up and resume fermentation.

 

[chasemandingo]

Very interesting stuff! Hey Seth, do you have any favorite online resources for obtaining high quality varietal honeys? I've been using the cheap stuff from the super markets.

 

[seth8530]

Indeed I do! These guys are the awesume.. Super friendly, easy to work with and their honey is amazing!

http://www.flyingbeeranch.net/

Good honey is not super cheap, but these guys are worth it. Ie, if you want order a meadowfoam and a white sage honey from them and give them a whirl. Im sure you will be impressed.

 

[chasemandingo]

So when you make mead with an expensive, exotic varietal such as the ones you mentioned, do you usually make a straight mead only. I have heard that with melomels and metheglins it's best to use clover honey since lots of the flavors are overpowered by the fruit or spices. What is your opinion on the matter?

 

[seth8530]

So when you make mead with an expensive, exotic varietal such as the ones you mentioned, do you usually make a straight mead only. I have heard that with melomels and metheglins it's best to use clover honey since lots of the flavors are overpowered by the fruit or spices. What is your opinion on the matter?

I would not consider these exotic. I would however, take into consideration the flavour of the honey you are using when you make up a mead. Ie, certain kinds of honey work well with certain fruits. Try not to cover up the unique flavour of your honey with your fruit but try and compliment it.

IE, don't use a really special honey if you plan on making fruit the main focus of the mead. However, do not cheap out on honey when making a melomel because it will show in the end.

So in ecccense,use good honey to make good mead. Match your honey, to your fruit. Ie, try buckwheat for a botchet. Try not to over power your honey with too much spice or fruit. Make the ingredients compliment each other not over power. I would be tempted to use a cheaper, but not supermarket honey for a melomel, but quality still counts.

 

[chasemandingo]

My dear sweet baby Jesus! I cannot believe the variety of honeys that are available on that website. And now as obsession sets in I must fight the urge to start buying honey!!!! Seth, you have created a monster!

 

[seth8530]

Hah, good! Honestly, if I was you I would call them up and ask for a variety deal where you get a bunch of types of honey and then you can try a few and figure out which ones you want.. Their prices have gone up on some of their honeys recently, I assume that means they are running a shortage on a few types..

 

[BernardSmith]

The way I understand it, fermenting the fruit in the secondary results in a fruitier wine with less "fermented taste" ie, some people think that fermented cherries taste like cough syrup, thus by adding them into the secondary when fermentaion is gentle or non existent they hope to keep more of the cherry taste and get less of the " cough syrup".

If I was making a melomel, I would most likely ferment most of my fruit in the primary, but I would also add some into the secondary. Thus, I get all the nice things that happen to a fruit during fermentation that makes wine taste like wine but I can also get some of the fresher flavours as well.

However, if I was making a cherry melomel, I would be highly tempted to put all the cherries into secondary.....

One thing to keep in mind when doing things like this is you need to consider the dilution to your ABV this will do. So either take account for it by making the ABV a little higher than you normally would prior to secondary or try making sure the fruit has the same OG of the mead (hard)... Or you could just accept the fact you will get a lower abv mead.

Also, consider that making fruit and juice additions to secondary does not necessarily mean it will make the mead end up sweat. Typically their is still plenty of yeast left in the secondary whom are willing to pick the sword back up and resume fermentation.

I wonder if the cough syrup flavor is because the pH is out of whack. I think many mazers go for a relatively high pH (low acidity) and when they add fruit there is really insufficient acidity in the wine

 

[seth8530]

The thing about mead is that the PH swings wildly for a small change in acid addition, thus they try and wait until the end to add acid to the mix.. However, I guess it is worth checking the acid at the end of the process just to make sure it looks reasonable if the wine ends up tasting cough syrup like.