First Mead - Space Problem - Inpromptu Cyser

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teresalgl

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Hi Everybody,

Just wanted to pick your brains...I made my first mead a couple weeks ago (3 lbs raw honey to a gallon with Lalvin 71B-1122, added nutrient and energizer as well). I want to add ~3 lbs. of rhubarb to it but I don't think it will all fit into a 1-gal jug. So I was thinking I could split it between 2 jugs and top it off with apple juice...thoughts?

(I will be adding pectic enzyme, splitting the rhubarb between 2 separate jugs, racking the mead on top of it, and then adding the apple juice (while allowing some head space).

Also, should I add precipitated chalk? I heard that it can balance out severe acidity like that in rhubarb...

Thanks!

*Impromptu*
 
Thanks Insomniac, so is there a reason that I shouldn't rack onto the rhubarb? I thought that is the generally accepted method as with beer?
 
Freezing helps break down the cell walls from what i've read. & you don't know whats on your rhubarb so you might want to use a campden tablet but since you already pitch the yeast, you might make a 2nd batch with it & blend it. That being said if you rack it on top it would most likely work, just not maybe as ideal as one might want it. just might thoughts as i'm still pretty new to Mead making. hope this helps

also, make sure you don't use the leaves, just the stalks.
 
Thanks Brewmiser, I actually put my chopped rhubarb (just the stalks) in the freezer about a week ago and I was planning on pasteurizing about half of it and leaving the other half raw. But my big question was about the apple juice...has anyone added apple juice to secondary and if so how did it turn out?
 
oh, I added Some nice Black cherry Juice to one of my Meads & that turned out fine. Were you looking to ferment out the AJ too or kind of back sweeten with it?
 
The other option I guess would be to rack what you can on the rhubarb, putting what doesn't fit into a bottle with a smaller bung and an airlock. Then, later on, rack to tertiary and put back the stuff in the bottle to get back to the full amount?
 
Hmmm...that gives me an idea-er...I could rack as much as I can fit on top of the rhubarb, then rack the remaining onto some apple juice mixed with corn sugar -- making a kind of mead-apfelwine...

Thoughts?!

Thanks again for the input! I very much appreciate it!

EDIT: Yes, Brewmiser, I want to ferment out the apple juice.

:mug:
 
Is there any reason you couldn't just displace some must with the rhubarb and just dump it (the displaced must) down the drain?
 
Is there any reason you couldn't just displace some must with the rhubarb and just dump it (the displaced must) down the drain?

:eek:

Other than the fact that I would be dumping a precious liquid that I spent time, energy, and money making, no.
 
That is on my list of options. ;)

that's not gonna taste good when its that young, but it will give you one humdinger of a hangover!
i've added apple juice into a mead secondary, it works just fine. added some fresh pressed blueberries into one i have going now.

basically, as with almost all brewing, just give it a go; it'll probably be delicious and even if its not, you learned something.
 
Great! I'll give it a go. Thanks!

Does anyone have experience using precipitated chalk to balance acitity? Or is that just a wine thing?

One more question and I will leave all you awesome people alone (for now :)):

How long should it sit on the fruit? Should I move to another fermenter after it has been on the rhubarb to clear?

Thanks so much!

:mug:
 
tends to be different for different fruits and i have never used rhubarb. as i have no experience with that fruit, i would probably leave it for two weeks or so, assuming ferment starts up again nicely, then rack off the fruit. again though, that is nothing more than a guess.
 
One more question and I will leave all you awesome people alone (for now :)):

How long should it sit on the fruit? Should I move to another fermenter after it has been on the rhubarb to clear?
:mug:

Two weeks is the standard answer, sometimes less, sometimes more. Depends on the kind of fruit and how much fermentation is going on. If the fruit is graying it is definitely time to rack it off to a different vessel. That's why Insomniac suggested saving some of the mead so you could refill with mead after racking.

-cheers
 
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