Extracts and Mead

[butterflymatron]

Sooooooo
for those who may have tried it, what are the pro's and con's of using pure flavor extracts in mead.

I know you can do it, but my question is this

Do you have to use organic extracts that are made without alcohol?
Because this last batch of pumpkin pie mead i made with vanilla extract

Now, you dont have to tell me not to use concentrated extracts I know.
But would using an extract that was made with alcohol kill the fermentation much as using vodka would kill the fermentation process?

I have so many ideas that are based around extracts so i have to figure this out otherwise i have to figure out flavor profiles for each recipe and using raw ingredients, some of which are highly incompatible with the fermentation process, or impossible to add, like butterscotch.

Anyway long and the short of this question is,

Tell me what you know about using extracts in mead.

a) Should i go ahead and add it during primary fermentation?
b) Should i wait until secondary fermentation?
c) *Should i add and mix at bottling time?
(wouldn't that possibly reactivate the fermentation process due to the sugurs?)*
d) should i void using extracts due to off flavor and or/ slowed fermentation process?


Anything else i should know?


Extracts open up a whole new world to mead makers, but bear in mind when answering my intention is to have very SWEET DESSERT MEADS, i dont want it to taste like honeywine, i want it to taste like an alcoholic dessert, i have tasted sweet dessert mead before and it was to die for, i dont want dry mead, i dont want characteristics of wine, i dont add tannen or any other flavor balancers because i want it sweet.

Like the vikings made it heavy and sweet, except im adding other flavors tee hee!


Anyway please respond

 

[EvilTOJ]

A few ounces of alcohol-laden extract isn't going to change the ABV of the mead perceptively. It'd take so much alcohol to kill the yeast youd have to drink it in shotglasses. I think someone calculated that a fifth of vodka going into 5 gallons of beer would raise it about 1%. Most mead yeast is quite hardy and can be boosted up to 21% with a bit of work.

If you are going to add anything to your mead, I'd say do it after the primary fermentation. You get more flavor out of it than putting it all in at once.

Honestly, I think you're selling yourself short using extracts. If you're already spending the coin on getting high quality honey and it's going to age a minimum of a year, why not use the best ingredients you can aquire? What sort of flavorings did you have in mind?

 

[summersolstice]

Honestly, I think you're selling yourself short using extracts. If you're already spending the coin on getting high quality honey and it's going to age a minimum of a year, why not use the best ingredients you can aquire?

+1. In my opinion, extracts don't mix well with mead and promote artificial flavors. It might be different to use a small amount of an extract to add to the secondary flavor of a melomel or pyment but I wouldn't recommend using them to replace fruit or some other primary ingredient.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Honestly, I think you're selling yourself short using extracts. If you're already spending the coin on getting high quality honey and it's going to age a minimum of a year, why not use the best ingredients you can aquire? What sort of flavorings did you have in mind?

+ 1, EvilTOJ & Summersolstice summed it up well. I learned the hard way that using cheap ingredients and/or shortcuts results in a cheaper tasting end product. Regards, GF.

 

[flyweed]

I agree with everyone here thus far...IF you are making a melomel..such as I am. I'd say add it to your secondary or even to flavor a bit before bottling.

I am currently making a 5 gallon batch of blueberry melomel..and only used real blueberries and of course honey to make the mead. Now, once it's all done fermenting and I am ready to bottle. I do have a container of Blueberry extract (the kind in alcohol) and will use that just to "taste" just before I bottle. I just want to give it a bit stronger blueberry flavor if it comes out too weak from the natural blueberries.

Hope that helps
Dan

 

[Fscchris]

Aged 6 months for blueberry and lime mead. ABV is off the charts and it's going to be a great desert wine. Didn't get enough blueberry or dark color that i am looking for. I plan on adding extracts in the morning bc i want it ready for Christmas. Cheers.

 

[bernardsmith]

Hi Butterflymatron - Always the contrarian, I would take a very different view from almost all the others who have responded, perhaps because I am experimenting with the addition of extracts in meads BUT and it is a very large but, I make my own extracts (and my own liqueurs) using a vodka base (and from your post it looks like you may too), so the ingredients are the same ingredients I would be adding if I were to simply adding the chestnuts or vanilla beans or lemon or star anise etc etc.. to the mead.
Like flyweed, above, I suggest that you add the extracts "before bottling" - in other words, after most of the aging has taken place. You might allow the extract to quietly sit in the mead about a month or two before bottling. But I would not want to add commercially produced extracts.

 

[Jericurl]

Like many things, your finished product will directly reflect the quality of the ingredients that you use.
I have no problem using extracts in my meads and they taste wonderful.

That said, most of my extracts are homemade using vodka.

I add my extracts in secondary, long after fermentation is finished but I would imagine you would have to add an amount that wouldn't be palatable if you added earlier and wanted to stop all fermentation.

I have used commercially produced floral extracts (Lavender, rose, and orange blossom) from Olive Nation in my mead and they are wonderful as well.

 

[jbee]

I have an organic apple extract and wondering how much for five gallons? I only want a hint of flavour.

 

[growlrr]

Only one way to truly know and that is the Tongue and taste buds version 1.0. This is because extracts come in an endless variety of strengths. Pour yourself a cup and add a few drops and taste it. Stop when you get the flavor profile you like and then scale that up to a five gallon dosage. You may want to start with a bit less than a "full" dosage based on your tasting as I've seen some extracts "over perform" when they are added in large dosages. You can always add more, but you can't take it away.

 

[jbee]

Thanks, I have some and put it in a batch of cider for more flavour but a few drops in five gallons was a little too much. I have become more of a mead guy now.
It's from California, Best Flavours Organic Red Apple.