Fruit After Ferment?

[happymondays]

I will have 5 gallon of plain Mead shortly (experiment) and was wanting to try adding fruit after ferment,
I remember Bob and Daw suggesting this on another topic, what could I use?
I suppose I would really want to add the fruit in a bag so I would need something that you could fit a bag in and get it out afterwards.

I have seen the 25 litre fermenting bins with a 4inch neck but then that would leave too much air space unless I did the whole 5 gallon but I would like to do maybe a few different fruits.

Is there something I could use for 1 gallon do you think?

Thanks in advance,

Best regards Scott....

[lockwood1956]

My understanding is that the fruit should be added as the mead is racked to the secondary vessel, not after ferment has finished.The idea being that the earlier stages of fermentation are very vigorous and likely to blow off any fruit flavour compounds.

regards
Bob

[happymondays]

Cheers Bob,

ok I thought you could add after but no probs still haven't fathomed out what you could use to manage the fruit with a bag, but will keep looking for ideas,

Regards Scott...

[Mamgiowl]

You'd put it in a covered bucket for the necessary time at start of fermentation, and then remove the bag and decant the liquid into a DJ

[lockwood1956]

Well you don't neccesarily need to use a bag (*GASP*)

just makes it messier when it comes to racking time....

[happymondays]

You'd put it in a covered bucket for the necessary time at start of fermentation, and then remove the bag and decant the liquid into a DJ

Sorry MG I meant what I could use to add fruit and bag after or towards end of ferment, as it wouldn't be easy to add fruit via a DJ, so was thinking of a fermenting bin with a screw top lid that would hold a gallon so there wasn't too much space for oxidisation and could add fruit through that, or come to thinking about it was you taking the mick in which case forget the explanation

[happymondays]

Well you don't neccesarily need to use a bag (*GASP*)

just makes it messier when it comes to racking time....

Yep I learnt that the hard way from the Strawberry Mel loads of pulp on first rack

[Mamgiowl]

Sorry MG I meant what I could use to add fruit and bag after or towards end of ferment, as it wouldn't be easy to add fruit via a DJ, so was thinking of a fermenting bin with a screw top lid that would hold a gallon so there wasn't too much space for oxidisation and could add fruit through that, or come to thinking about it was you taking the mick in which case forget the explanation

No I wasn't taking the mick, but I'm still not sure why you'd want to add fruit at the end of fermentation, unless you were talking about the likes of sloe gine, than you wouldn't use a bag anyway.

[Duffbeer]

No I wasn't taking the mick, but I'm still not sure why you'd want to add fruit at the end of fermentation, unless you were talking about the likes of sloe gine, than you wouldn't use a bag anyway.

Put me right if I'm wrong here Scott, Some wine / mead makers add fruit after fermentation for the sole purpose of flavour extraction, as we know the fermentation process drives off much of the original fruit flavour and bouquet when fermenting a must. The idea is to add it after fermentation and extract more from the fruit resulting in better flavour and bouquet.
In my opinion probably more suseptable to spoilage organisms and wild yeasts from the fruit skins , unless it has been well sulphited.

[lockwood1956]

Adding fruit After ferment would result in flavours being released via alcohol extraction, adding when racking to secondary vessel (at around 1.020 to 1.010) would result in a gentle extraction via the gentler end of fermentation, and would be gentler (less flavours driven off by vigorous ferment) than if it were added from the start, I think the latter option is likely the better one as you will still have protection from spoilage organisms via the CO2 being produced by the ferment.

just my two pennerth

[happymondays]

No I wasn't taking the mick, but I'm still not sure why you'd want to add fruit at the end of fermentation, unless you were talking about the likes of sloe gine, than you wouldn't use a bag anyway.

I have seen a few recipe's for Mead were fruit is added after fermentation is done for 2 weeks or up to 3 months!!

Put me right if I'm wrong here Scott, Some wine / mead makers add fruit after fermentation for the sole purpose of flavour extraction, as we know the fermentation process drives off much of the original fruit flavour and bouquet when fermenting a must. The idea is to add it after fermentation and extract more from the fruit resulting in better flavour and bouquet.
In my opinion probably more suseptable to spoilage organisms and wild yeasts from the fruit skins , unless it has been well sulphited.

Duff from what I can see you have it in a nutshell as I would guess that honey being quite predominant in taste that maybe the idea of adding after might give more of the fruit flavour.

Adding fruit After ferment would result in flavours being released via alcohol extraction, adding when racking to secondary vessel (at around 1.020 to 1.010) would result in a gentle extraction via the gentler end of fermentation, and would be gentler (less flavours driven off by vigorous ferment) than if it were added from the start, I think the latter option is likely the better one as you will still have protection from spoilage organisms via the CO2 being produced by the ferment.

just my two pennerth

Bob would the alcohol in the finished Mead be enough to ward off any nasties by adding the fruit after, or maybe even sulfite the fruit before adding, just an idea that I thought might give more fruit flavour.

Thanks all for the replies and having patience

regards Scott.....

[lockwood1956]

The only issue I could see would be with spoilage organisms, but I suppose if your sulphite levels were adequate, and there was not too much headspace, it should be OK.

regards
Bob

[happymondays]

Cheers Bob just need to figure out a secondary to accommodate easy access to fruit,

Regards Scott.....

[StockeyDAW]

My understanding is that fruit added after the fermentation process is over wll result in more flavor and color retention. That is a problem finding a secondary fermenter that will accommodate the fruit (large opening at the top). Want to spend a few bucks - stainless steel ones are available.

In my opinion an alternate way is to do an enzymic extraction ( extracts all the fruit juices and color prior to pitching the yeast in the primary fermenter). This is like a cold soak for the grape processing process. This method also has the advantage to eliminating the bitter taste than can be a problem when fermenting fruit with a lot of seeds like raspberries-blackberries etc. for an extended time period.

Cheers Daw

[happymondays]

My understanding is that fruit added after the fermentation process is over wll result in more flavor and color retention. That is a problem finding a secondary fermenter that will accommodate the fruit (large opening at the top). Want to spend a few bucks - stainless steel ones are available.

In my opinion an alternate way is to do an enzymic extraction ( extracts all the fruit juices and color prior to pitching the yeast in the primary fermenter). This is like a cold soak for the grape processing process. This method also has the advantage to eliminating the bitter taste than can be a problem when fermenting fruit with a lot of seeds like raspberries-blackberries etc. for an extended time period.

Cheers Daw

Daw,

I did have a look at the steel fermentors but the cheapest one I found were around the £200 mark so thats off the wish list.

The enzymic extraction sounds good is it complicated?

Cheers Daw,

regards Scott...