Secondary fermentation. Is it too late to add lemon?

I Am about to start my secondary fermentation on my first batch of mead. I was hoping it isn't too late to add lemon. I was hoping for input.

Thanks!
Shelli

manifestress said:

I Am about to start my secondary fermentation on my first batch of mead. I was hoping it isn't too late to add lemon. I was hoping for input.

Thanks!
Shelli

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Is it sweet ? Do you want to add whole lemon, a bit like if you'd done a JAO batch ?

How much to add ? as it can make a batch mega acidic tasting.

If it's just a hint of lemon you're wanting to add, then I'd just make sure that the lemon is "unwaxed" and then either slice off the outer skin/zest (as little of the white pith as possible) and add that.

If it's a case that your batch has finished sweet and you want to balance the taste some, then yes you can add lemon juice (a little at a time, as it's easy to add more, but if you add too much, it's hard to remove).

If it's likely that you will be adding anything that is a source of more fermentable sugars, then it should really be stabilised first, with sulphite and sorbate.

I would like to add a hint of lemon flavor. Does lemon juice have added sugars?

manifestress said:

I would like to add a hint of lemon flavor. Does lemon juice have added sugars?

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Ah, well, the juice most certainly does. But therein lies the rub. All (well most) of the flavour is in the juice, whereas just about all of the fresh aromatics are in the oil/skin/zest.

So I'm gonna suggest this, with either a knife or zesting scraper, get the skin/zest, juice the flesh, stabilise the mead with sulphite AND sorbate, add the zest, then add the juice in small amounts, tasting after each addition of juice, to get to your desired level of "lemoniness" if you go a bit far, you can always add a bit of honey/water (50/50) syrup to sweeten it back up again, as you've already stabilised.

Get it roughly, to where you like it, then bulk age it to allow the zest flavour/aromatics to impart. Then taste again. As I say, its easy to add more, its hard to remove or disguise if you add too much......

Thanks-a-million!

If you want the flavor, I would think zesting is the best way to go. Or if you want to be more traditional about it, just cut up and throw a whole lemon in there! But yeah, a little at a time, you can always add more! No more than one lemon per gallon to start.