Toggle sidebar

Watered down taste?

  • 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
S

scotsmead

NewBee
Registered Member
May 24, 2016
2
0
0
Oregon
I started a wild ferment blueberry melomel two weeks ago and have had notable success so far as to getting it started and having a strong fermentation. However, after having to clean up a slight mess due to TOO vigorous a ferment and having a little taste test, I thought that it had a good acidic profile and good bite to it already, however it tasted slightly watered down.

What would cause a mead to taste watered down? And what can remedy this? Is it the obvious answer - too much water? I thought perhaps more honey, or more tannin could help with this.

Any advice is much appreciated!


1 gallon Blueberry melomel
Blackberry honey - 1.2 lbs
Blueberries - 3 lbs (initial ferment), additional 0.5 lbs (after racking)
Spring water - 0.4 gal
Organic raisins - 10-15
Blueberry leaves (tannin) - 3 for 48 hours, then removed
Juice from 1 orange
 
Sorry no one answered this. I never saw it.

Welcome to the forum. You need to add more honey. I can't tell you how much unless I know where you are at in the process. It's also hard to know when your wild yeast will tap out. Can you tell us more?
 
Hi Scotsmead - and a belated welcome. I also never saw your post - so I hope you did not give up and leave the forum.
Adding more honey may help - This is a flavor thin mead that is not really based on the honey or the berries as there is not very much of either... My rule of thumb is to taste the must before you pitch (add) the yeast. With meads you have to then step back and try to imagine what it will taste like sans all sweetness. Blueberries - IMO, are flavor thin and the use of only a few pounds diluted in a great deal of H2O will not result in a flavor rich wine. What I try to do when I work with soft fruit is to use as little water as possible and so use the juice of the fruit as my liquid.
What to do here? You might find that adding more honey AFTER the mead has finished fermenting and you have stabilized it to prevent further fermentation - that is adding honey to sweeten the mead may help bring forward the flavors. The other thing that adding sweeteners to the mead might do is to increase the mouthfeel of the mead. If the mead simply runs down your throat like water rather than coats your mouth and slides down your throat allowing the flavors and aromas to linger inside your mouth (and so your nose) then any flavors the mead have will be experienced as far less rich and complex than they might be.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Barrel Char Wood Products

Viking Brew Vessels - Authentic Drinking Horns

Top Bottom