Fruit/Racking

I have a mead that is finishing up primary and I want to add fruit in secondary. My question is about the step after that. Do most people rack off the fruit into a tertiary stage or go straight to bottling?

I see advantages to each. The extra racking would make for clearer mead, but would also increase the likelihood of infection/oxidization.

I'm not sure how best to proceed.

You really want to rack off of the fruit in to tetriary. It is also best to rack about every 2 months from there until you can read print through it. Then either bulk age or bottle then age a year. Most people rack off of the fruit and do it in this way. Just make sure all of your tools are sanitized and dry. By tools: Racking cane and clean plastic tube, food grade, carboy that you are racking into and your surface areas are clean and dry. As far as oxidization, it is really minimal as if you don't slosh and keep it flowing under the first bit you don't need to worry. Sanitation is key here on the infection consern. Go to a resturant suplly store and get some sanitizer pills. What you do is crush them, fill up your container with water and mix that, sanitize everything you are going to use. Then make sure to dump and set out to air dry on clean towels. Once dry you just rack and go. You will loose some volume when racking each time but it is worth it. I have found that around 2-3 rackings at least are neccessary. Some people thin out their mead a bit by toping off with fresh water. It can be a good Idea but not neccessary in my mind.

I have never had an infection or really bad flavors due to oxidization. I usually rack my mead at the 2 month mark from the last one if not racking off the primary or fruit. Sanitation is the key. Just do it careful and slowly. Pretend that you are a lab tech is a mad scientists lab is always fun.. You will be fine.

Thanks. What about Sparkalloid to help clarify the mead?

if you have fruit in your secondary, you might want to add a bit of pectic enzyme as well... and when you rack to your tertiary.. Id wait for sparkallnoid until a racking after your tertiary.. or even the one after that (depending how long youre waiting for it to clarify)

personally i think giving it a chance to clear naturally might be better then additives.. but to each his own ^^;

Definitely wait and let stuff drop out as much as naturally, but if you need it (I had one metheglyn that wouldn't quite make it to crystal clear on it's own), then sparkalloid does work well.

Actually, have first split of that mead in fridge to give a quick sample. Only been a few months in bottle, so long way to go, but curious to see where it's at now. Right around one year since I started fermentation.