Small batch contracting the taste of previous contents...

[Swordnut]

So embarrassed...

I've made a small batch a little while back and when it was done fermenting (in a soda bottle) I decided to do the secondary in another soda bottle. Being stressed for time I didn't soak that new bottle in bleach for long enough. The result, my mead has now contracted some of the taste of what was in that bottle first (fanta). Kind of tastes like dead lemonade.

I've racked it into a new thoroughly bleached bottle and added charred oak in the hopes the charcoal will absorb the off taste. Will this help? Will aging mellow this out? Anything else I can do?

 

[fatbloke]

So embarrassed...

I've made a small batch a little while back and when it was done fermenting (in a soda bottle) I decided to do the secondary in another soda bottle. Being stressed for time I didn't soak that new bottle in bleach for long enough. The result, my mead has now contracted some of the taste of what was in that bottle first (fanta). Kind of tastes like dead lemonade.

I've racked it into a new thoroughly bleached bottle and added charred oak in the hopes the charcoal will absorb the off taste. Will this help? Will aging mellow this out? Anything else I can do?

Well seeing as a lot of the flavour of citrus fruit comes from citric acid, maybe something to reduce the pH a bit might help ?

Check the pH and then if it's a bit on the low side, maybe a tiny amount of potassium carbonate ? but that may change the character of the brew too, as low acid batches can be described as tasting a bit "flabby" ?

Apart from that, can't think of anything else ATM......