I have three mead books that all say use an acid blend for all types of meads. but on here ive read honey has enough of its own acids. ive since looked thru proven recipes and brew logs. large portion dont use acide blends. so the question is, do you use an acid blend and when?
Acid Blends?
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Never used acid blend. I tend toward melomels, which will have additional acid from the fruit. If the mead is flabby or flat, then I prefer to use tannin.
As you have read, mead tends to have enough acid from the honey. If you decide to try adding acid, though, add after fermentation is complete. That way you know what the finished mead tastes like and can better fine tune the mead. (Also, you can drop the pH too low for healthy fermentation if added while the yeasties are at work)
For updated material, try "The Compleat Meadmaker" by Ken Schramm
As you have read, mead tends to have enough acid from the honey. If you decide to try adding acid, though, add after fermentation is complete. That way you know what the finished mead tastes like and can better fine tune the mead. (Also, you can drop the pH too low for healthy fermentation if added while the yeasties are at work)
For updated material, try "The Compleat Meadmaker" by Ken Schramm
I don't use acid up front, only once the ferment is finished "to taste".
I never use pre-mixed ones either.....
For traditionals, a mix of 2 parts malic, 1 part tartaric.
If there's fruit in the batch, I check what the main acid is for the majority fruit and use that.....
I never use pre-mixed ones either.....
For traditionals, a mix of 2 parts malic, 1 part tartaric.
If there's fruit in the batch, I check what the main acid is for the majority fruit and use that.....
I do use acid blend or lemon juice in some wine recipes but rarely in meads anymore for the stated reasons... although actually I think I've used as much in other things as I have in wines, it's great to perk up a jam or jelly made with overripe fruit and I've added some to my homemade Turkish Delight when I thought the flavour needed it. If I run out of lemon juice, I'll probably use a little bit in my green iced tea recipe too.
See, I generally avoid citric acid unless its from the fruit type as I don't like the way it seems to give such a pronounced lemony/citrus sort of taste often where that's a characteristic that doesn't belong.....
Does honey always have "enough" acidity?
What does "enough" acidity mean? I generally try to lower the pH of fruit wines to about 3.5. Why would it be any different with honey. I measured the pH of the honey I am fermenting this week (8 lbs of honey making 3 gallons of must) and it was above 4.7. I added enough acid blend to bring the must closer to 3.5 before pitching my yeast.
What does "enough" acidity mean? I generally try to lower the pH of fruit wines to about 3.5. Why would it be any different with honey. I measured the pH of the honey I am fermenting this week (8 lbs of honey making 3 gallons of must) and it was above 4.7. I added enough acid blend to bring the must closer to 3.5 before pitching my yeast.
Yep. If you add anything early, some carbonates to prevent pH drops is probably going to be more helpful than adding acids.
Enough is the amount needed to optimize the flavor. There is no magic pH number to shoot for; only your taste buds can tell.
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As Riverat said, the pH drops as fermentation progresses because yeast create acids, but honey also contains its own acidity that sucrose doesn't, that's why it's different between meads and wines. I still use acid additions to my fruit wines too.
