Tannin and acid additions??

[Stevie G]

Two quick questions for the mead pros here. Powdered wine tannin ,can it be added post fermentation? And acids ,when should they be added ? Also, would Tartaric acid be best with berries? Blueberry ,strawberry etc ? Thanks

 

[MightyMosin]

Powdered tannins can be added post, though any of the ones you see listed with FT in the name such as FT Rouge Tannin is meant for use in the primary fermentation process.

Acid adjustment should be a late stage process and not usually done in primary unless you have a well established recipe that you know will turn out well. Some yeast like 71B can convert malic acid in primary and may shift your pH up.

Mead flavor changes the more you age it, especially with higher ABV and what you adjust early on may not be quite what you want later on. I generally do any acid adjustments relatively close to bottling.

Tartaric and Malic will generally be your go to acids. I tent to look up the acid content of whatever fruits I may be using and try to stay along those lines. Malic seems to give a smoother mouthfeel to me. Sometimes citric acid is good if you want a small bright acid pop; I kind of think of it like the Sweet Tarts acid flavor. That can be a nice complement to a low alcohol carbonated mead.

 

[Stevie G]

Powdered tannins can be added post, though any of the ones you see listed with FT in the name such as FT Rouge Tannin is meant for use in the primary fermentation process.

Acid adjustment should be a late stage process and not usually done in primary unless you have a well established recipe that you know will turn out well. Some yeast like 71B can convert malic acid in primary and may shift your pH up.

Mead flavor changes the more you age it, especially with higher ABV and what you adjust early on may not be quite what you want later on. I generally do any acid adjustments relatively close to bottling.

Tartaric and Malic will generally be your go to acids. I tent to look up the acid content of whatever fruits I may be using and try to stay along those lines. Malic seems to give a smoother mouthfeel to me. Sometimes citric acid is good if you want a small bright acid pop; I kind of think of it like the Sweet Tarts acid flavor. That can be a nice complement to a low alcohol carbonated mead.

Thanks for the input. I've seen "FT blanc soft" and the other FT tannins. I'm just using the northern brewer wine tannin. I've heard that malic acid is a go to when working with apples, but not many other applications. I've made about 10 meads to date and IMO all were decent and drinkable ,but I want to take my meads to the next level. Have yet to use any acid additions. I've heard some of the mead pros like Carvin Wilson, Tom Repas, and the great Ken Schramm talk about the importance of acid additions/blends in a great mead.
Mead making has quickly gone from just a hobby to a passion for me.

Thanks again for the help

 

[MightyMosin]

Have yet to use any acid additions. I've heard some of the mead pros like Carvin Wilson, Tom Repas, and the great Ken Schramm talk about the importance of acid additions/blends in a great mead.
Mead making has quickly gone from just a hobby to a passion for me.

I completely understand. I mess with acid adjustments on a more occasional basis... it all depends upon what I'm trying to get at the end.

 

[AzOr]

I’ll often add both acid and tannin during fermentation. But only small amounts, usually half of what you’ll think you’ll use.

So for a one gallon batch I’ll add 1/8 of a teaspoon and maybe a bit more acid (malic and tartaric blend).

Then I’ll dose again after it’s aged a bit.

I do this for no other reason but a half cocked belief of mine that it’s better for all my ingredients to get to know each other. Zero science but it’s what I’ve done for a while.

Another thing with post fermentation dosing-
Obviously use a small glass, separate from your fermenter and when you think you’ve got the correct ratio, dose with less.
Your taste buds are usually pretty beat up at that point and it’s easy to overdo it.

 

[Stevie G]

I’ll often add both acid and tannin during fermentation. But only small amounts, usually half of what you’ll think you’ll use.

So for a one gallon batch I’ll add 1/8 of a teaspoon and maybe a bit more acid (malic and tartaric blend).

Then I’ll dose again after it’s aged a bit.

I do this for no other reason but a half cocked belief of mine that it’s better for all my ingredients to get to know each other. Zero science but it’s what I’ve done for a while.

Another thing with post fermentation dosing-
Obviously use a small glass, separate from your fermenter and when you think you’ve got the correct ratio, dose with less.
Your taste buds are usually pretty beat up at that point and it’s easy to overdo it.

Sometimes our half cocked ideas turn out to be the best ones thank you