Ok.. whilst my mead is burping away in my mr. beer.. I'm gonna pull the trigger on another big batch. What the heck. Satsumas (local tangerine type fruit to south Louisiana) are about to be in season, and just scream out to be put into some mead. Anyone out there ever use any of them in a recipe?
Satsuma mead?
- Thread starter Khyber
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Not Satsumas specifically, but I did recently do a big citrus batch that was from juice fresh squeezed from a collection of heritage oranges and tangerines. I learned that the amount of acid in tangerines is so overwhelming that 25% fruit juice is all that you should shoot for (even less, unless you really like that acidic bite), and that you should aim for a semi-sweet to sweet result. Dry and acidic is just way too sour for my taste.
Hope that helps!
Hope that helps!
Sounds like a good idea.. I was just thinking much less than 25% even, maybe just 3-4 satsumas/gallon of wort. And likely going for 5 gallons. For a sweet or semi-sweet mead, what would he the OG and FG that i should shoot for.. looking for around 12% ABV.
A good rule of thumb is that 12 lbs of honey into a 5 gallon batch (the rest water) will yield about an 11% ABV dry mead. So for 12%, add an additional cup or two of honey.
At the level that you plan to use those Satsumas, they will only be adding flavor, and very little in the way of additional fermentables. So, add them to this mix, ferment to dryness, and then backsweeten to taste. That would be my suggestion.
The original gravity, if you used 12 lbs, would be around 1.090, with the satsumas added. If you want it to be semi-sweet, add honey until you bring the final gravity back (from where it ought to first finish - around 0.998 ) to around 1.006-1.010.
At the level that you plan to use those Satsumas, they will only be adding flavor, and very little in the way of additional fermentables. So, add them to this mix, ferment to dryness, and then backsweeten to taste. That would be my suggestion.
The original gravity, if you used 12 lbs, would be around 1.090, with the satsumas added. If you want it to be semi-sweet, add honey until you bring the final gravity back (from where it ought to first finish - around 0.998 ) to around 1.006-1.010.
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Another thought here:
Follow Wayne's advice for the initial ferment. But add some zest from your Satsumas in the secondary. You'll be amazed out how much the aromas from the zest will affect your taste perceptions!
I've never used satsumas either but I do know that a little orange or tangelo zest in secondary can do wonders for enhancing a mead.
:cheers:
Wade
Follow Wayne's advice for the initial ferment. But add some zest from your Satsumas in the secondary. You'll be amazed out how much the aromas from the zest will affect your taste perceptions!
I've never used satsumas either but I do know that a little orange or tangelo zest in secondary can do wonders for enhancing a mead.
:cheers:
Wade
I just bottled a batch of key lime & clementine mead which turned out beautifully. I used Cotes de Blanc yeast, 12 lbs raw local wildflower honey, 16oz fresh squeezed key lime & clementine juice blend, energizer, and topped the whole thing off with spring water to 4 gallons. I think I added a pinch of tannin and some Na2CO3 to prevent an acid crash a little ways into the fermentation, but I'd need to check my log to give you the exact method. OG = 1.15, FG = 1.01 (I think - I'm going off memory since the journal is at home). It needs to be aged because WOAH MAMA it's strong! But I was thrilled with the result.
Next time, I'll save some zest and add it to the secondary. That's a great idea.
Next time, I'll save some zest and add it to the secondary. That's a great idea.
