Mead - Fruit Addition

[newbiewinemaker]

Hey Everyone!

I have a batch of skeeter mead going (15 gal) and it has been in secondary for about 4 weeks. I have decided I would like to make a smaller batch (6 gal) or some blueberry lemon and wondering is it too late at this stage to add blueberry fruit puree if I racked off 6 gallons? I know I could stabilize first, or I could rack it and let fermentation kick back up (since its a lower ABV to begin with). My concerns are on clearing and sediment. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[wildmazer]

if you’re willing to wait a bit, go for it. time and a couple rackings should do for clearing and sediment.

 

[bernardsmith]

Strongly agree with wildmazer. Many of us who make country wines or melomels (mead with fruit) add fruit and or spices, herbs and nuts and the like to the secondary and use the alcohol to help extract different flavor compounds that would not be extracted in quite the same way by water. Your call, of course, whether you simply want to flavor the mead with the fruit (and so you stabilize first) or use the yeast to ferment the sugars in the fruit.

 

[newbiewinemaker]

Thanks everyone! I picked up some fruit base today and am going to give it a shot. One cherry and one blackberry as they didn't have any blueberry on hand!