Use of concentrated flavor

[Darkfreak]

Hello all!

First of all, great forum!
Been lurking around the past 2 months in preparation of my first batch.
Given the fact that questions arose I decided to register !

About two weeks ago I started my first Mead batch ever (5L, sweet show mead, nothing fancy, just plain 'ol honey from the local beekeeper, water, yeast and nutrition).
The batch is going great as it looks. Smells great and activity is slowly starting to drop (still P1).

Here a picture I took this morning (17-03-2015):

I've been playing around with recipes in my head for a while now. And I'm almost certain that my second batch (10L) will be one containing raspberries, cherries, blueberries and strawberries. (Or something with Apple and Cinnamon, not sure yet).

One thing I started to wonder, though, and here comes my question:
What about the use of concentrated flavoring?
I'm talking about the little 20-25ml bottles usd to add flavor to any kind of food (ice etc)? I got loads of those still. Used to use them for baking, making ice, and liquids for vaporizers. I got them in several flavors (from chocolate, to apple pie and blueberry cinnamon cake).

Can they be used to add flavoring to mead? If so in what quantities and in what stage are they to be used?

I searched the forum but could only find topics about making concentrated stuff, not using them (or i didn't search right =/)

 

[npipich]

I am an amateur mead maker myself and I've never used any "concentrated flavoring." The rule of thumb is to always use fresh and natural ingredients and to stay away from anything artificial or full of chemicals. If you're flavorings are natural id say go for it and see what happens.

 

[npipich]

And as for how much to add I would start very small and taste as you go. You can always add more flavoring but you can't remove it

 

[Darkfreak]

And as for how much to add I would start very small and taste as you go. You can always add more flavoring but you can't remove it

Of course I understand that fresh ingredients are the best way to go .
One of the reasons why I'm planning to get several kinds of berry bushes so I can harvest them myself.

But given the fact that I already own the flavours I was wondering.
They are all water-based naturally-diluted concentrated flavours all approved by the FDA.

I think I'll start by adding a few drops post-bottling and see how it affects the flavour. Based on that I might add in in P2 when I make a new (small) batch

 

[madscientist451]

A good way to try the flavors is to measure a small amount of mead, beer or whatever your making, in a glass and start adding the flavor by drops, counting the drops as you go.
Have several measured samples ready, because as you taste them the measured amount will change. When you get the desired flavor profile, you'll have to do some math to figure how much to put in to your larger batch.

 

[Darkfreak]

A good way to try the flavors is to measure a small amount of mead, beer or whatever your making, in a glass and start adding the flavor by drops, counting the drops as you go.
Have several measured samples ready, because as you taste them the measured amount will change. When you get the desired flavor profile, you'll have to do some math to figure how much to put in to your larger batch.

This was my planned approach if nobody would advice against it.
Glad to hear my initial plan isn't that bad !

Well, I still got quite some time to go until this first batch will be ready to drink.
I got an unused 10 liter jug sitting around, so I might start a melomel next month (need to wait for cash in order to get new (and much) honey from the local beekeper and fresh fruit

 

[Jericurl]

Go for it.

Just start slowly and add to a bit of mead in a separate container first, wait a week, if you like the taste, then add to the batch. Wait until fermentation is completely over and the batch has been sitting for several months.

I have several flavorings (lavender, rose, and black walnut) that I have added to wine and they turned out great.
I got them from Olive Nation. They also work well in jams. My apricot lavender jam is to die for.

I also make infusions with vodka and herbs, etc. If I think it might add to the flavor, I have no hesitation adding it to wine or mead. Or anything else for that matter.

 

[Darkfreak]

Go for it.

Just start slowly and add to a bit of mead in a separate container first, wait a week, if you like the taste, then add to the batch. Wait until fermentation is completely over and the batch has been sitting for several months.

I have several flavorings (lavender, rose, and black walnut) that I have added to wine and they turned out great.
I got them from Olive Nation. They also work well in jams. My apricot lavender jam is to die for.

I also make infusions with vodka and herbs, etc. If I think it might add to the flavor, I have no hesitation adding it to wine or mead. Or anything else for that matter.

Thanks for your feedback! I feel confident in trying it out now ! Can't wait.

Have been toying around with several ideas in my head already.
One thing I'm dieing to try is something with the use of saffron or the pink cactusfruit (called dragonfruit over here in the netherlands).

Basicly anything with the addition of fruit (so ciders and melomels) is what interests me. I've got a huge sweettooth.
The meads that almost always hold my favorites in terms of taste are always dessert-meads (high-% and very sweet in taste).

One of the best meads I've had tasted like someone dropped an appelpie into a bucket of mead (strong apple and cinamon taste)

 

[Jericurl]

Good!

I can't wait to read about some of the flavors you come up with.

I've got a mead I started in January using saffron, bay leaf, grains of paradise, and preserved lemon. We tasted it a couple of days ago and it's pretty good for such a young one.

I made prickly pear wine a couple of years ago. The ones that grow wild here have dark pink/purple fruit. The juice from them was a day-glo fluorescent fuschia color. Sadly it darkened a bit after fermentation. The wine is good though.
I see a lot of recipes around for prickly pear mead so I'll probably be trying that this fall as well.

I had no idea prickly pear cactus grew in the Netherlands.

 

[Darkfreak]

I had no idea prickly pear cactus grew in the Netherlands.

They don't.
But you're referring to a different cactus fruit than I am.

Prickly pear (Opuntia) is this one:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opuntia

I am referring to Dragon Fruit (Pitaya):
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitaya

They don't grow over here, but have become very popular over the years so import has grown to the point where you can find them in most big supermarkets

 

[Jericurl]

Ahhhhh, I see.

 

[loveofrose]

Fresh is not always better if you have a specific flavor in mind. Peaches are a fine example. Getting peach flavor into mead requires a metric ****load of very fresh sweet peaches. Flavoring is a lot easier.

I generally wait until the mead is finished, then pull a glass for volume ratio tasting. When I think it is good, I add half the calculated amount to the carboy. Look at "Put on your Bigboy Pants" sack mead on my website in my signature for more detail.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html