ok hive mind, I have a Strawberry Mead that I need a bit of help with.
Primary went fantastic:
3 Jars of Strawberry puree
15 lbs of honey
Water to 5 gallons
OG: 1.130
normal TONSA nutrient additions
after the 1/2 sugar break, I added another Strawberry puree and 3 lbs of honey with additional nutrients clarifying agent and pectinase
FG: 1.010 (ABV ~15%)
Racked into glass carboys from SS primary, initial tastes were faint strawberry flavor, nice a clean, just a little hot alcohol. figured aging for about 6 months would take the edge off.
Six months later, everything has settled out, and it's a nice rose color, but seems to have gone acid on me (Ph 3.4) and is un-drinkably bitter.
I used some calcium carbonate on a small sample to see if balancing the acid would pull it into a drinkable beverage, and it does to a degree, but it has that sour/bitterness of unripe green strawberries.
Any suggestions on how to rescue the 5 gallons I have sitting in a keg before I pour the lot out, and start over.
Primary went fantastic:
3 Jars of Strawberry puree
15 lbs of honey
Water to 5 gallons
OG: 1.130
normal TONSA nutrient additions
after the 1/2 sugar break, I added another Strawberry puree and 3 lbs of honey with additional nutrients clarifying agent and pectinase
FG: 1.010 (ABV ~15%)
Racked into glass carboys from SS primary, initial tastes were faint strawberry flavor, nice a clean, just a little hot alcohol. figured aging for about 6 months would take the edge off.
Six months later, everything has settled out, and it's a nice rose color, but seems to have gone acid on me (Ph 3.4) and is un-drinkably bitter.
I used some calcium carbonate on a small sample to see if balancing the acid would pull it into a drinkable beverage, and it does to a degree, but it has that sour/bitterness of unripe green strawberries.
Any suggestions on how to rescue the 5 gallons I have sitting in a keg before I pour the lot out, and start over.