I know there are sweet persimmons and also "astingent" persimmons. Actually I live in Japan for a while, and they grow over 60 different variety there. I know the use the astringent persimmons to make Kabu kaki..a type of fermented juice..it is very "tart" it bites your tongue..this may make a good pairing with a sweet mead..otherwise you'll want to look for some good sweet persimmons. Here is a website that could help you out a bit more if you'd like: http://www.seedtosupper.com/persimmons.html
Hope that helps
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Being from the south, I have eaten wild persimmons my whole life. Until ripe they are UNBELIEVABLY astringent. I'm guessing that you won't have that issue. They also, in the wild, ferment spontaneously, so you might want to account for that and manage the wild yeasties. Are you fermenting the honey first and adding fruit to the secondary? Or are you extracting juice/pulp and adding to the primary? Also to consider - they have a TON of pectin, so just care and pectic enzyme or be prepared for permanent haze.
I was planning to make a smush of them for the secondary, but I have no clue, really. I was thinking of making a batch with the honey I have left and then splitting it into a couple smaller batches, so I may try something small like a gallon or so of semi-sweet melomel and turn the rest into a vanilla methyglin.
if I am adding fruit in a smush form to the secondary, I presume I either have to cook it (bad for something high in pectin I would guess) so is the best way to deal sanitizing the fruit to use campden tabs?
If it were me - I'd ferment the honey to finish in a single batch, then split to add flavors in the secondaries.
Freeze the persimmons, remove the seeds, add UNCOOKED pulp/juice to the batch(es) and wait 2-6 months. This is roughly adapted from The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm. If you cook the juice it sets the pectin and you get hazy brew IIRC. If you ferment the honey first I don't think you have to campden as the alcohol helps out w/ wild yeasts, but YMMV.
Thanks for the link. It is interesting that they say all the soft-ripe varieties are technically what they call "astringent". Soft-ripe jelly-like ones are the tastiest but they definitely have to be ripe.
If it were me - I'd ferment the honey to finish in a single batch, then split to add flavors in the secondaries.
Freeze the persimmons, remove the seeds, add UNCOOKED pulp/juice to the batch(es) and wait 2-6 months. This is roughly adapted from The Compleat Meadmaker by Ken Schramm. If you cook the juice it sets the pectin and you get hazy brew IIRC. If you ferment the honey first I don't think you have to campden as the alcohol helps out w/ wild yeasts, but YMMV.
Good advice and I know I had read that. Coming from a homebrewing background I am always worried about infection and folks here don't seem to even mention the word, haha.
Good advice and I know I had read that. Coming from a homebrewing background I am always worried about infection and folks here don't seem to even mention the word, haha.
I'm both a meadmaker and a brewer - I'd certainly WASH the fruit, but assuming your finished mead (pre-persimmon) is > 9% ABV - that would take some work for a bug to get started, especially considering the pre-freeze. Myabe a wash, freeze, and a quick spray in sanitizer....
I'm both a meadmaker and a brewer - I'd certainly WASH the fruit, but assuming your finished mead (pre-persimmon) is > 9% ABV - that would take some work for a bug to get started, especially considering the pre-freeze. Myabe a wash, freeze, and a quick spray in sanitizer....
Well I knew I could talk a brewer into some anal retentive cleaning of somekind. Removing skin (and seeds) would seem to remove external contaminants for the most part.
I'll buy some persimmons tomorrow and clean/freeze them up... Seems like nobody has made one of these around here so I'm as good a guinea pig as anyone!
Remove the skins but add a few back as you would w/ a pyment or straight wine....my $.02. I think that adds complexity to use a "whole" food as the ferment source. And SOME tannins are definitely melomel-friendly, especially as they age.
Remove the skins but add a few back as you would w/ a pyment or straight wine....my $.02. I think that adds complexity to use a "whole" food as the ferment source. And SOME tannins are definitely melomel-friendly, especially as they age.
I like your plan for the skins. Only concern is that persimmons are already very high in tannin on their own. Man, that's a whole different experiment. How many variations have I talked myself up to so far? sheeesh.
I like your plan for the skins. Only concern is that persimmons are already very high in tannin on their own. Man, that's a whole different experiment. How many variations have I talked myself up to so far? sheeesh.
Dunno, but it sounds like fun if you primary 5 gallons and split into 1 gallon batches for variations. Last post before bed - save back 1+ gallons from the honey primary w/o fruit to blend in if the skins add too much tannin - best of both worlds. Please keep us (me) posted and good luck!
PS - I have family not too far south of you - Peoria, Bloomington, Oswego, Champagne
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Last post before bed - save back 1+ gallons from the honey primary w/o fruit to blend in if the skins add too much tannin - best of both worlds. Please keep us (me) posted and good luck!
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