Toggle sidebar

Opinions on this recipe and procedure

  • PATRONS: Did you know we've a chat function for you now? Look to the bottom of the screen, you can chat, set up rooms, talk to each other individually or in groups! Click 'Chat' at the right side of the chat window to open the chat up.
  • Love Gotmead and want to see it grow? Then consider supporting the site and becoming a Patron! If you're logged in, click on your username to the right of the menu to see how as little as $30/year can get you access to the patron areas and the patron Facebook group and to support Gotmead!
  • We now have a Patron-exclusive Facebook group! Patrons my join at The Gotmead Patron Group. You MUST answer the questions, providing your Patron membership, when you request to join so I can verify your Patron membership. If the questions aren't answered, the request will be turned down.
Barrel Char Wood Products
Well I have 13.5 (Maple Syrup added later :-)) gallons in 3 buckets fermenting away at this point. I ended up using about 1 1/2 tsp of tannin per 5 gallon batch. I hope thats not too much. Thanks for all your help in figuring out the recipe :-)

Right now I'm using open fermentation. I have each of the three buckets covered with a towel with a rubber band to hold them in place. At what point to I put the lid on and add an airlock? Also, whens the best time to know that the lag phase is over?

Edit: I was also just thinking about when I took gravity readings last night. It was late so it didn't really hit me till now but I add 1 gallon of honey to 3.5 gallons of water. When I took the gravities tey ranged from about 20 to 21 or so. Doesn't that seem really low? The volume was spot on though. My graviety at this point is only 20 while I was expecting around a 26 or so. Does this seem funny to anyone else?

Adam
 
Oskaar said:
If so then I do recommend the tannin up front, but at a reduced rate of about 1/3 tsp/gallon for grape tannin. If you're using tannin galalcool or tannin VR then go with 75% of the recommended dosage.
Click to expand...

No 1 and a half per 5 gallons. I was following the above advice of 1/3 per gallon. Uh-oh, did I goof up bad?

Adam
 
Did you adjust the reading for temperature? Just a quick look at my hydrometer, figuring 12% alcohol potential in 5 gallons, mine says you should be around 22.5.

Yes honeys can vary in their water content by a couple of percent. It looks like your in the ballpark.

Wrathwilde
 
Hey Dan,

I use grape tannin or tannin VR for any pyments or dark fruit melomels. I'm now using tannin galalcool SP for traditional meads that run dry to semi-dry. I generally adjudicate how much to use based on the starting brix, and "thickness" of the must. The higher the brix of the must is, the more likely I am to go with the recommended amount, the lower the brix is, the lower the amount of the tannin I use. In some cases when coupled with oak in the primary I'll use the full dose.

I started using the tannin galalcool a few batches back and I really like it. Prior to that I used the tannin VR and wine grape tannin for about everything, but mostly in my wines. I'd used them at the end of fermentation and aging in my meads, but it was Joe Mattioli and Chuck Wettergreen's posts that got me interested in using it up front. I generally made my wine additions up front in my white wines, but was treating mead differently because of the way I made it. Now I do make the tannin additions up front.

When I blend honeys for traditional sweet meads I use about 50 - 75% of the recommended dosage of tannin galalcool SP and find that it helps the structure and in clearing a bit faster. But I say this as I stare at two fully-dosed dry meads that are about 4 months old and are just now acting like they want to clear. Then I have another dry one that is only two months old, with a full dose of the galacool SP, and it is about cleared at this point.

To me it really depends on your ingredients and what you're shooting for as far as middle palate structure, aroma, color and oak balance that drives what kind and amount of tannin you use, if any at all. I also think that wine grape tannin lends to clearing more than other types of tannin. That's not based on any empirical evidence other than experience.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar
 
Well I racked this mead tonight and added the maple syrup. I was pretty much all fermented out. The gravity was at around 0.997 and it was dry but tasted great. So far I'm very happy even though it is only 17 days old. Thanks again for all your help.

Any idea how long I should keep it in the carboy before its final racking for aging?


Adam
Boston, MA.
 
Two months at a minimum... it also gives you a chance to see if it is completely finished.

Steve
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom