Questions about adding fruit to mead.

[Reedy96]

Hi all. I'm brand new to the home brewing scene and currently have my first batch of mead fermenting. Details are as follows:
15 lbs honey
Total volume 5 gallons
Original gravity: 1.112
Expected ABV about 14.5%
Yeast used: Lalvin ec-1118
Go ferm and fermaid o for re-hydration and nutrient additions.

I had read that EC 1118 should ferment to dryness as its rated for about 18% abv. I planned to add fruit to a couple gallons of my mead after primary fermentation is finished. I know that I should stabilize with k meta and k sorbate to prevent fermentation from restarting. My questions involve the best timing to add my fruit (blueberries/cherries).

My plan involves me racking from primary to secondary and allowing the mead to clear. Then I would rack off any sediment and stabilize/add fruit.

My thoughts are that I will give the yeast more time to fall out of solution and my chances of preventing fermentation from restarting will increase.

Am I being too cautious?

If I stabilized right after racking to secondary then added fruit would there be a higher chance of renewed fermentation?

This method would be less work and take less time. I would only have to clear the mead after adding fruit. Not before and after in my original plan.

For those with experience with fruit in secondary, what do you do?

Opinions and suggestions welcome.

 

[brianwattsturkeycalls]

question I have too. so iam following this one

 

[CKuhns]

As you probably are aware fruit can be added any number of ways to your mead. See my thoughts and notes below...

"My plan involves me racking from primary to secondary and allowing the mead to clear. Then I would rack off any sediment and stabilize/add fruit. My thoughts are that I will give the yeast more time to fall out of solution and my chances of preventing fermentation from restarting will increase."

That will certainly work.​

Am I being too cautious? Not really, but my experience has been that stabilizing isn't really necessary. It r

eally depends on the flavor you are looking for as to if you should stabilize or not. Fruit does bring sugars and of course yeast will eat those sugars if present.​

If I stabilized right after racking to secondary then added fruit would there be a higher chance of renewed fermentation?

Will active ferment start again without it? Yes, very likely but not a huge concern. ​

This method would be less work and take less time. I would only have to clear the mead after adding fruit. Not before and after in my original plan. Hmmm, maybe so but really not too much work in either case and you likely will need a couple of racking's regardless.

With all that said, not a bad plan.

Personally, all i do is wait for primary fermentation to be complete and rack from the gross lees. Freeze the fruit i intend to add, Freezing breaks the skin and fruit down allowing the juice to be more readily extracted. Then drop them frozen it in a sanitized paint strainer bag with a handful of marbles to sink them and let them sit for 10 - 14 days. Alternately you could just shove them through the carboy hole or just dump them in.

I use a wide mouth fermenter that allows the bag and fruit to be added and makes for easy clean up vs. messing with all that mushy fruit after a couple weeks. I also have found that pretty much any fruit gives up pretty much all its flavor in 14 days. Seeds on the outside of fruit or fruit with pits strawberries and cherries as an example after about 10 days can give off some pretty harsh flavors. I remove the pits and never leave strawberries in longer than 10 days. (Others on this forum will definitely have a differing opinion.)​

 

[Maylar]

I know a guy who lets his primary finish dry, stabilizes with sorbate and k-meta, then adds his fruit in a brew bag. After 2 weeks he removes the fruit and racks to secondary, usually to age on oak. But his method involves having the lees still in primary when stabilizing, and the amount of k-meta to add has to be calculated and measured because the lees bind to some of it. The benefit is that you only rack once, so you lose less mead.

I don't have that kind of experience or measuring equipment, so I will rack twice and suffer the losses. Let it clear as much as possible in primary (cold crashing helps), then rack to secondary and stabilize. Add your fruit and remove it after 2 weeks. Rack again when clear.

BTW if your mead is actively bubbling in primary, you can add Bentonite to it now which will greatly enhance clearing. One TSP per gallon dry. Beware of the foam it will make.

 

[Reedy96]

Thanks everyone. I think ve decided on how to proceed.

 

[OldYamaha]

I use a wide mouth fermenter that allows the bag and fruit to be added and makes for easy clean up vs. messing with all that mushy fruit after a couple weeks.

Does this wide mouth fermenter have a lid and airlock?

 

[CKuhns]

Yes it does - There are a couple options out there that i know of.

Fermonster or Big Mouth Bubbler. (Glass or plastic and carried by many home brew shops)