SC - List Non-Topic Item

[Christi Redeker]

	I must say that I've never had any problems with the haze from
pectine.
	I have only used pectic enzyme on a few occations and that have
helped me getting rid of most of it.
	When I haven't used it I've just let the bottles (the 1.5 l PET
kind) stand for a while, 4 to 6 week mostly, and racked it
	to smaller bottles.

	Do you actually boil the honey?  I read an article about it that
stated that the proteins would coagulate in a lower temperature
	and thus one could preserve aromatic substances in the honey
that'll boil away at high temperatures, giving a more flavoured mead.
	 As far as the tannin goes, it'll give a brew less sensitive to
ageing (ie it'll spoil sooner) and if I want a low tannin mead
	I prefer to toss it into the dissolved honey and just keep it in
there for 5 mins or so, just enough to get it sterilized, then remove it
from the fermenter after 4 to 7 days depending in the size of the pieces
of fruit.
	A little amount of tannin can actually be preferred since it
will lessen the sometimes overly sweet taste of some meads.
	If one's making a metheglin a bag of tea, earl grey works fine,
is a good dource of the tannin needed.

	Brokk, just adding his 0.16 SEK to the list of useful tips.
>  
> > Basic concepts to remember when using fruit in brewing:
> > 1) Heat will set the natural pectins in fruit.  Rather than boil
> > (EEK!), steep
> > at 150F for half hour to sanitize your fruit.  Pectin will cause
> haze
> > that
> > acannot be cured...no taste problems, but cloudy.  I boil honey till
> > scum
> > coagulates, skim, turn off heat, then add fruit, cover, and wait 30
> > minutes.
> > Then cool with wort chiller and place fruit in the fermenter with
> the
> > must.
> > Extracts more flavors.
> > 
> > 2) Heat extracts tannins from skins.  The bitterish taste you get in
> > hearty red
> > wines like cabernet and merlot. Not unpleasant, but to be considered
> > in some
> > fruits like grapes, blueberries, and peaches to some degree.  Limit
> > extremes of
> > heat or duration in heat to limit tannin utilizations.
> > 
> > 3)  Use fruit that has not been chemically preserved.  It will kill
> > the yeast
> > and give off flavors.  fresh fruit that is steeped will taste MUCH
> > better.
> > 
> > 4)  remove fruit after primary frementation.  After about two weeks,
> > there ain't
> > much left but grusome looking hunks in the vat.  remove with
> > santitized
> > strainer, or rack the mead out from under the floating 'carcasses'
> > 
> > 5) vanilla beans will add a month to aging requirements....gotta
> > mellow that
> > stuff out!
> 
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