when to add juices...

[Shawn]

I've got a batch of sack mead on it's second racking, and I'm wondering if it's too late to add pomeranite juice. (or if I can do it at all, for that matter)

I started the batch on 20 march, racked it on 5 april.

 

[CosmicCharlie]

Its never too late! (or, at least in my opinion its never too late) I believe the fruit will impart different characteristics to the mead depending on when it is added. Adding at this point should preserve more of the fruit flavor and sweetness.

 

[Shawn]

Ok, how much juice to a gaooln of mead?

 

[lostnbronx]

Shawn,

How is the fermentation going at this stage? Any action? Do you want to actually ferment the pomegranite juice, or just impart some flavor? If it's just flavor you want, I'd wait until fermentation is complete, stabilize it, and then add the pomegranite juice to taste (that is, slowly, tasting as you go until you get the flavor you're after).

-David

 

[CosmicCharlie]

I usually make 1 gallon batches - I juice 2 to 3 lbs of frozen fruit which yields between 2 and 3 cups of juice. I am new at this, so I dont know if that's the optimal ratio, but its what I'm doing. Its too soon to really know the results but it seems to impart plenty of fruit aroma and flavor.

 

[JamesP]

Oskaars advice in http://www.gotmead.com/smf/index.php/topic,660.msg4214.html#msg4214
is

I find that by starting with a 1000 ml Erlenmyer Flask full of the mead I'm going to tweak, I can pour off 100 ml increments and make additions to each of those using lower ml pipettes or other smaller measure devices and get the taste to where I want it.

Then I back-calculate and reduce by a small factor again, and make the addition to the mead. I let it stand for a few days, then go back and taste, if necessary I'll goose it once or twice with whatever I feel it needs and go forward.

It's worked pretty well for me, and I use it when I infuse with other stuff too.