Advice using mangoes?

[snowveil]

I've got a simple cider from store-bought apple juice in the carboy now and I plan on adding Mangoes to the secondary. Has anyone used them before? My original plan was cut them traditionally into slices, removing the skin (just as you'd do if eating one, similar to http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_cut_a_mango/). I then plan to vaccuum seal and freeze them.

I've read that the pit is highly tannic, however, which from my understanding is desirable for a simple cider such as the one I typically make. So now I'm thinking of freezing the pits/seeds (whatever the lingo is) in addition to the pulp and chucking them into secondary too.


Thoughts? Also, I've never used fresh fruit before...should I worry about sanitizing them in any way or just trust that the alcohol and freezing will drive off critters?

 

[schwiz]

Why is it you are freezing them? I would drop them in a rinse free sanitizer, cut them into slices with the skin on, and drop them straight into the fermentation vessel, I would throw the pit in there as well.

 

[snowveil]

I plan on freezing to break down the cell walls to create more accessible sugar

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[Pickled_Pepper]

If it were mine, I'd try to figure out a way to juice them. I bet after the freezer, they will probably just turn to mush and probably make clearing in secondary that much more difficult. If a clear cider isn't a big deal, just dump them in. Hopefully they will settle out and you can rack from off the top. I'd skip the pits. If you are using a glass carboy for secondary then it might be difficult to get out.

 

[snowveil]

I'm going to secondary in a bucket to make cleanup a bit easier. After a week or two (depending on how long it actively referments) I'll rack it over to a keg.

Pickled_pepper, why would you recommend skipping the pits? The main reason I'm considering using them is for some tannin extraction, but I could be swayed away from it if you've got a good reason why not to use them.

 

[Pickled_Pepper]

I thought you were using a glass carboy for secondary and removing the pits might prove difficult through the small neck. Since you are using a bucket it's no problem. You might also consider putting the fruit in a mesh bag. You could give it a squeeze every few days (per Jack Keller's mango wine recipe) and make removal of the pits and mush easier.

I'd still juice em though (I personally don't know anything about the particulars of extracting tannins from mango pits)

 

[bajaedition]

you know
Jack Lalanne would roll over in his grave if he knew why I bought his juicer

 

[sfrisby]

I've tried juicing mango before and it was ineffective. Maybe I have a poor juicer, just FYI from one guys experience.


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[snowveil]

so inside the "pit" of the mango is a very meaty seed. It takes some pretty abusive knifework to get to it but it sure is there. I took a tiny, tiny taste of one and it is ASTRINGENT! This, of course, I'm sure is tannins. I'm definitely going to rack onto the full 6 mangoes but I think I'll only toss 2 seeds in there in fear of over-extraction.

I do have a large mesh bag, but I think I'll probably just put a muslin bag over the end of the autosiphon instead of over the mangoes themselves. Thanks for the insight, and wish me luck.

 

[csimmons21]

I made a mango habanero cider recently and used 3 fresh mangoes, blended, along a half gallon of mango nectar in primary. It eventually settled out about a week after fermentation and now has a nice light golden color, slightly hazy, but great flavor. Prolly a good idea to secondary on fresh mango again, sliced, after you rack into secondary...I don't see any issue with you adding mango nectar right now to your carboy besides restarting the ferm which is nbd.

My batch size was 1.5 gallons