Hello everybody, this is my first post on the forum. I have been reading it for about a year already but something odd happened to my most recent mead and I wanted to share it with you and get to know your experiences and opinions.
About a month ago I started a braggot (target ABV 9%, more mead than beer as the fermentables from the grain were very little in comparison with the honey). After primary fermentation was done, I racked and split the batch in two:
Batch A: Simple braggot (no additions)
Batch B: Cherry braggot (I added frozen cherries).
20 days after the racking it is remarkable how clear the cherry braggot is in comparison with the simple braggot.
I found this really odd because, if any, i tought the addition of fruit would worsen the clearing. I've read somewhere that for examples strawberries were particularly difficult in this regard. Is there maybe something in cherries that make them good for clearing? Maybe is the effect of some pesticides or additives?
Anyways, I'd like to see your thoughts and whether you've had a similar experience.
P.S.: Both braggots are still young but smell amazing.
More details about the recipe (total of 10lts):
First, I made a wort of about 3.5 liters after the boil with
700g pilsner
250g vienna
50g caramel pale
Mash at 72-75C, I used bottled water, I took note of the brand but don't remember the chemistry
90 min boil with 2g of Saaz (13min) and 12g of black Assam tea (5 min).
Then.
1.7kg of chestnut honey (I mixed it with some room temperature water and aerated it, I mixed it in with the chilled beer and completed the volume with more water)
8g of Lallemand Nothingam yeast rehydrated as per instructions and pitched at 30C.
During primary fermentation, room temperature was between 18 and 21C.
Additions in secondary to the cherry braggot (5lts sub-batch)
300g of packaged organic frozen cherries thawed
300g of fresh seasonal cherries (previously frozen and thawed)
Once split, I kept the two braggots in the same place, at the same temperature at identical carboys with identical airlocks with the same headspace (although the liquid volume differed due to the volume filled by the fruits)
The rationale for this recipe was, more than making a braggot was to get the richness, body, some residual sweetness (and hopefully a nice head) from the malt but having predominantly a mead character. I didn't want it to be hoppy neither (I was going to leave them out entirely but finally I decided to put just a bit) and I used black tea as a "substitute"
About a month ago I started a braggot (target ABV 9%, more mead than beer as the fermentables from the grain were very little in comparison with the honey). After primary fermentation was done, I racked and split the batch in two:
Batch A: Simple braggot (no additions)
Batch B: Cherry braggot (I added frozen cherries).
20 days after the racking it is remarkable how clear the cherry braggot is in comparison with the simple braggot.
I found this really odd because, if any, i tought the addition of fruit would worsen the clearing. I've read somewhere that for examples strawberries were particularly difficult in this regard. Is there maybe something in cherries that make them good for clearing? Maybe is the effect of some pesticides or additives?
Anyways, I'd like to see your thoughts and whether you've had a similar experience.
P.S.: Both braggots are still young but smell amazing.
More details about the recipe (total of 10lts):
First, I made a wort of about 3.5 liters after the boil with
700g pilsner
250g vienna
50g caramel pale
Mash at 72-75C, I used bottled water, I took note of the brand but don't remember the chemistry
90 min boil with 2g of Saaz (13min) and 12g of black Assam tea (5 min).
Then.
1.7kg of chestnut honey (I mixed it with some room temperature water and aerated it, I mixed it in with the chilled beer and completed the volume with more water)
8g of Lallemand Nothingam yeast rehydrated as per instructions and pitched at 30C.
During primary fermentation, room temperature was between 18 and 21C.
Additions in secondary to the cherry braggot (5lts sub-batch)
300g of packaged organic frozen cherries thawed
300g of fresh seasonal cherries (previously frozen and thawed)
Once split, I kept the two braggots in the same place, at the same temperature at identical carboys with identical airlocks with the same headspace (although the liquid volume differed due to the volume filled by the fruits)
The rationale for this recipe was, more than making a braggot was to get the richness, body, some residual sweetness (and hopefully a nice head) from the malt but having predominantly a mead character. I didn't want it to be hoppy neither (I was going to leave them out entirely but finally I decided to put just a bit) and I used black tea as a "substitute"
. The changes were 
