Looking for ideas to incorporate coconut into a pineapple mead

[Dan O]

I was on one of my other forums I subscribe to & found an old thread about a pineapple mead that the OP wanted ideas for things to go with the pineapple. One poster said toasted coconut. Got my wheels spinning & thought that sounds really good! (to me)
BTW, the OP of that post hasn't been seen for a couple of years, so, I brought the question to my most active forum

My question is how would you go about adding the toasted coconut?

Tips on toasting, (if toasting it yourself,) please?
Sweetened or unsweetened?
Primary or secondary or both?
If both, equal portions or more in one than the other?

Or would a tincture of vodka be the way to go? I've never done a tincture though, so, I'd have to research how to do that.

I'm guessing you would have to account for extra sugars, if it's sweetened.

Maybe do a pineapple experiment and split it into 4 qts....1 qt control, 1 qt raw coconut, 1 qt toasted, 1 qt combination of toasted & raw?

I'm looking for ideas, so, please, chime in if you have one.
Thanks, in advance, for any help/tips/advice/ideas anyone can give.

Happy meading

 

[Psilocybe]

If you want a good bit of coconut flavor I would make a tea out of it and use that in your water for primary, and also add to secondary. Otherwise I would just put it in secondary for a week.

 

[Dan O]

If you want a good bit of coconut flavor I would make a tea out of it and use that in your water for primary, and also add to secondary. Otherwise I would just put it in secondary for a week.

Thank you

 

[Kyzaboy89]

I'd say secondary just from what I've read but I do have a pineapple/coconut/mango mead that's almost a month old. First time experiment and it finished fermentation within 72 hours... Fastest ferment I've ever had and I believe it had an O.G. of 1.090 or about there. Big sulfur smell from stress and I'm sure its going to need aged out, slowly getting better. As for toasting goes I have no idea but I'm trying chopped coconut in primary and I'm certain I'll need more in secondary. Like watermelon I think it can be a soft flavor to come through.

 

[Dan O]

I'd say secondary just from what I've read but I do have a pineapple/coconut/mango mead that's almost a month old. First time experiment and it finished fermentation within 72 hours... Fastest ferment I've ever had and I believe it had an O.G. of 1.090 or about there. Big sulfur smell from stress and I'm sure its going to need aged out, slowly getting better. As for toasting goes I have no idea but I'm trying chopped coconut in primary and I'm certain I'll need more in secondary. Like watermelon I think it can be a soft flavor to come through.

Thanks, man. Always appreciate the input.

 

[Kyzaboy89]

What I understand from others and studying online is that toasting will give a nutty flavor with the coconut and without toasting keeps it just a sweet flavor. Coconut will come through most in aroma due to oils before you get strong flavors and where I prefer doing alot of primary fermentation with everything, most brewers say it tends to disappear due to offgassing. This may be due to how much is used in primary so secondary should help dial in the flavor you want but I say try everything both ways. Now I can't get coconut off the brain haha

 

[Dan O]

I can't help but wonder if I did it in secondary & maybe threw in a tincture as well. Kind of a double whammy, old one-two punch

 

[Kyzaboy89]

Nothing says you can't do both, never done anything with tinctures but there's always room for fortifying.

 

[Dan O]

Nothing says you can't do both, never done anything with tinctures but there's always room for fortifying.

I've never done one either. But, Wth, why not? I wouldn't be doing a whole big bottle of it. Maybe a cup or less? I tend to keep my carboys pretty full, so, fitting another cup of liquid tends be challenging. (for 1 gallon batches)