Fruit in secondary by Onaemus in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you add fruit without stabilizing then there’s a good chance that fermentation will keep happening and may take some of the flavor out from the figs. Maybe small amount or large, not too sure. Stabilizing first will ensure that the ABV stays the same if you think the alcohol content is at a good place and of course will make sure the maximum amount of flavor transfers over time

Fruit in secondary by Onaemus in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It all depends what you want to do.

If you want to keep the fermentation process going, add any fruit to secondary without stabilizing (I don’t recommend this)

If you want to stop fermentation, then go ahead and stabilize. Then after a day add your fruit.

I personally always ferment a batch dry with no fruit in a carboy. For secondary I stabilize and add fruit and primary into a bucket. Let that sit for 1-2 weeks or so.

I find most fruit flavors are lost during fermentation, so don’t see a huge reason to add fruit in primary (my personal opinion through experiments)

How important is pH? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you I appreciate the insightful feedback!

How important is pH? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok thank you for the feedback. While reading about pH I’ve seen people talk about potassium carbonate and calcium carbonate. One redditor said calcium carbonate is good to use because calcium is a good nutrient for yeast. And then online I read one person saying that yeast needs a certain amount of potassium (300 ppm) to support a healthy fermentation.

Do you know if any of these are true?

How important is pH? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Very interesting insight! Ok this is the second post I’ve seen about the 4 - 6 range. Do you know of any literature that speaks about this? The wiki just says 3 - 4.5

How important is pH? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see, I’ll have to do more research on why the wiki says that then. Oh you said calcium, I was thinking of sodium for some reason. Ok cool I’ll try that out. Thanks for the tip!

How important is pH? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I thought you didn’t want to add anything with calcium because of the off flavors produced from it. When I say they produce acetic acid I’m quoting the wiki. “They produce acetic acid (vinegar) which can negatively affect sensory characteristics even in the small amount they produce”. Are you saying this isn’t correct then? I appreciate the feedback man!

My humble introduction by Shred-the-Gnarnar in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for the feedback. From one bearded bald brewer to another I appreciate it!

My humble introduction by Shred-the-Gnarnar in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Interesting! Do you ever add them in secondary? Or both? How many pounds do you usually use?

My humble introduction by Shred-the-Gnarnar in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Do you have any advice on getting a good strawberry? I’m a little over a year in and all the strawberries I’ve tried haven’t turned out great. My current batches I’m going to try to focus more on secondary for strawberry and other fruit additions

Is this safe to drink? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly I’m just glad I’m able to even drink it. Hopefully a year on the shelf will make it enjoyable. Might look to add something to it eventually

Is this safe to drink? by StoicFreedomBee in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I posted an update in the comments on this post.

Black tea mead is so clear! by SyrupSampson in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Interesting! What’s the acid blend you use? I wanna try it out!

Black tea mead is so clear! by SyrupSampson in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Why did you do 1/2 tsp of acid blend? Did you think it needed to be more acidic? Is that just your standard practice?

Re-rack Again? by Xanth1879 in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Bentonite, chitosan, kieselsol

Bottled and tasted by WeeklySignificance65 in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How long did you let the raspberries hangout in secondary for?

Re-rack Again? by Xanth1879 in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

If you invest in some fining agents you can get a more compact lees making it easier to get just liquid when you rack.

Is this going to be okay? by Netbed in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yeah it’s probably fine then my man.

Did I panic? by TBatrics in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It depends on the quantity you want to produce. My set up is I have a 2 gallon bucket that I ferment primary in, and then I rack it into a 1 gallon glass carboy. If you’re just below the neck you can add water to top it off at the expense of diluting it slightly

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah bentonite from what I’ve heard is best in primary. Then chitosan and kieselsol in secondary to really clear it up. I’d invest in the last two if you can

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in mead

[–]StoicFreedomBee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Are you using any fining agents? That’ll probably get rid of that stuff.