Hello,
Quinces are one of my favorite fall fruits, and while eating some quince pie the other day it occurred to me that a quince melomel would be quite tasty.
The only problem with quinces is that they are pretty much inedible raw; they're hard and astringent, but are magical when cooked. From reading The Compleat Mead Maker and these forums, it seems that the best thing to do is to add fruit to the secondary.
Here is my question: typically, quinces are poached in some sort of liquid.
If I want to make a quince melomel, should I just make ~4 gallons of show mead and then add ~1 gallon of cooked quinces mushed into the consistency of applesauce?
I assume I should add plenty of pectic enzyme, but how much?
And while we're at it, what's a good honey to use? One option I've considered is half raspberry/half alfalfa, to get some fruitiness without being overwhelming.
Quinces are one of my favorite fall fruits, and while eating some quince pie the other day it occurred to me that a quince melomel would be quite tasty.
The only problem with quinces is that they are pretty much inedible raw; they're hard and astringent, but are magical when cooked. From reading The Compleat Mead Maker and these forums, it seems that the best thing to do is to add fruit to the secondary.
Here is my question: typically, quinces are poached in some sort of liquid.
If I want to make a quince melomel, should I just make ~4 gallons of show mead and then add ~1 gallon of cooked quinces mushed into the consistency of applesauce?
I assume I should add plenty of pectic enzyme, but how much?
And while we're at it, what's a good honey to use? One option I've considered is half raspberry/half alfalfa, to get some fruitiness without being overwhelming.