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How long to leave spices in and when to put them in?

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thewarning

NewBee
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Nov 6, 2018
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After around 21 days in the primary, I'm going to leave my mead in the secondary fermentation carboy for about a year. I want to use all the main pumpkin pie spices. My first question is how long do I leave the spices in generally? The full year it's in the secondary, 3 or 6 months before bottling, etc?

Who here puts spices in the primary and secondary? If you put in both, do you break up the amounts (e.g., I was going to use 5 cinnamon sticks, so I’ll put 1 in the primary and 4 in the secondary)?
 

EricHartman

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Mar 4, 2019
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I generally let the mead settle for a few months so the taste will stabilize to some degree and I know what I'm working with. Then I add the flavoring I want and taste every other day to every day. When I don't know how a flavoring will behave I reduce the risk by increasing the work. You're better off starting with smaller amounts and changing out more frequently than taking a larger amount and ignoring for 2 weeks. Commonly enough flavoring a little to the stronger side will allow the flavor to settle into the sweet spot over time.
 

Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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After around 21 days in the primary, I'm going to leave my mead in the secondary fermentation carboy for about a year. I want to use all the main pumpkin pie spices. My first question is how long do I leave the spices in generally? The full year it's in the secondary, 3 or 6 months before bottling, etc?

Who here puts spices in the primary and secondary? If you put in both, do you break up the amounts (e.g., I was going to use 5 cinnamon sticks, so I’ll put 1 in the primary and 4 in the secondary)?

What Eric has told you is solid info. I would add that if you are making something new. I would suggest not add anything upfront. Unless perhaps say for instance. Something like oak or SIY's (Specific Inactivated Yeast) look it up. And then only if you have used those before in so much, that you are familiar with them. Some work better/ or differently if you add them upfront versus on the back end. Flavor-wise, you are so far from being able to really taste how it fits into the story. You might not even know how your mead will taste like when it's clear. Let alone aged. I would wait until it's clear and has aged at least some before you start adding flavor adjuncts. Otherwise, you just tossing darts at moving targets, in the dark. Lastly. It's really hard. Maybe especially so initially, as a beginner. To add several different flavor fractions at the same time. You may want to add what you think is the primary piece of a combination and bring it to where it seems to fit with your must how it currently is. Then pick another adjunct and bring it in, and so forth. This is mostly how I do this. And sometimes I need to go back and add more of the primary to make it stand proud of the supporting characters if need be. A bit of a dance at times depending on what you are targeting at the end of the day.

Ha. I just realized I didn't even answer your question did I? Extraction rates will vary depending on Etho levels and adjuncts. I think for most I would think that a couple of weeks and most of the goodies would have been leeched out of your adjuncts. If you are using fruits or foodstuffs. You need to consider not letting it start to take on spoiled effects of too long that the ads no longer taste fresh . Cooler temps can deter this some
 
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