Schramm's Fall Bounty - why top of with water?

[Sol_Om_On]

Hi all!

I'm planning to do the Fall's Bounty cyser tomorrow from The Compleat Meadmaker. Schramm gives instructions to top of to 5 gallons with water, is there some specific purpose with adding water instead of just adding extra apple juice?

Also I'm planning to add vanilla beans beside the other herbs to the secondary, how much should I use and how do you add it? In bits, whole or sliced open?

Thanks!

 

[porterpounder]

It's probably just to hit the gravity he is going for. More juice, more sugar, more alcohol and when hitting the yeast's tolerance, more residual sweetness.

Slice the bean, scrap out the seeds, chop up the shell and drop it all in vodka for a couple weeks. Add to taste at bottling.

 

[Sol_Om_On]

Awesome, thanks.

 

[On-target]

I like to slice vanilla beans lengthwise and just put them in the secondary. The alcohol will extract the flavor pretty well.I don't like adding vodka to my meads. 1 or 2 beans per gallon is a good place to start. Good luck.

 

[Dr_Floyd]

It could also have to do with headspace and planning for your Gravity to land where you want it thereafter.

 

[bernardsmith]

Wouldn't dream of speaking for Ken Schramm but my guess is that he is quite anal about what goes into the primary and what is fermented in a secondary and topping up with fermentables blurs the lines between each...

 

[sheepcat]

1-2 beans in secondary is a huge amount; I'd use 2 or 3, split lengthwise, chopped too, if you feel like it.