Additions in primary, secondary, or both?

[b0rt1980]

So I've read a lot about additions to mead in primary and alternatively secondary. I've now made mead with additions of fruit and/or spices to both primary and secondary to see what my opinion is on the matter. I feel that both have benefits.

My question though would be, has anyone made additions of the same ingredient to both primary and secondary? Alternatively, read something about it?

For instance, I've made strawberry mead with fruit in one or the other. Both were good. But if I put strawberries in both primary and secondary, would I get more flavor and color, or would there be no benefit?

Thoughts?

 

[bernardsmith]

Hiya b0rt1980 - I am not sure that the issue is "more" flavor in any simple way - Putting fruit in the primary may mean that all other things being equal the action of the yeast will blow off much of the flavor. Adding fruit to the secondary -early - means that the action of the yeast will draw out some flavor. Adding fruit to the secondary -late means that the alcohol will help extract some of the flavor. Bottom line- the quality of the flavor changes.
Color is a different story. If the acidity is too low you will find that color drains out of strawberries. You need relatively high acidity to FIX the color.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

The main differences between adding fruit to primary and/or secondary/tertiary are the amount of flavor & the type of flavor. Fruit added to primary will give you a more wine-like flavor & often, a lot of the aromatics are lost in the process. Adding to secondary/tertiary will give you more of a fresh fruit flavor & you'll get more of the aromatics this way. I usually add fruit to both, as I think it gives a fuller flavor. In most things I make, I want both the wine-like flavor & the fresh fruit flavor; I think they compliment each other perfectly in my plum melomel.
Hope that helps. Regards, GF.

 

[madscientist451]

I'm running a two fermenter experiment, same ingredients in both, honey, usual nutrients, frozen blueberries, and blueberry puree, but in one I'll add all the fruit at the beginning, the other all the fruit will go in secondary. I'll post the results when I get them.

 

[b0rt1980]

Right on. Thanks guys. I think my next mead I'll try adding fruit to both primary and secondary and see how it turns out. Got a whack of hand picked sour cherries I've been meaning to turn into mead.