Do I need to treat fruit or spices that go into a mead?

[Beer Viking]

Hello everyone,

I'm going to be doing a plain batch of mead soon but I'm going to be doing one with fruit or spices after that, is there anything I need to do to treat the ingredients that I put into the primary fermenter?

 

[fluketamer]

this is definately a quetion that has been answered many times before. the search bar is you friend and or google.

i google "treating fruit for mead homebrewtalk"

the following thread came up :

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/thread...=If you add fruit to,you'll have good results.


fruit has wild yeast you need to kill it. cambden i believe is your answer.

spices if dried i would say not needed.

most stuff needs moisture to thrive. dried spices lack that. however spores dont need moisture. potentially there are yeast/ mold spores on your dried spices but the amount shouldnt be an issue competing with the yeast you are using.

the fresh fruit on the other hand (which has some moisture) is prolly loaded with wild yeast. / molds.

consiider fruit juices they lack the wild spores. and i have found they work equally as well as fresh fruit imo

 

[Beer Viking]

Thanks that's really good advice, but what exactly is cambden and where can I get it?

 

[tracer bullet]

It's actually campden. Easy search, ask any local homebrew shop or add it to the next order when you get your ingredients. Not bad to put a little in your water if it's chlorinated.

 

[Barzahl]

Thanks that's really good advice, but what exactly is cambden and where can I get it?

It's Sodium Metabisulfite in tablet form

 

[Dan O]

Thanks that's really good advice, but what exactly is cambden and where can I get it?

https://morewinemaking.com/products/campden-tablets-sodium-metabisulphite-25.html

 

[MightyMosin]

It's Sodium Metabisulfite in tablet form

I don't remember where I saw it, but I believe I read that the tablets are Sodium Metabisulfite, though that shouldn't matter for the intended purpose.

The only concern I remember reading was adding Sodium.

 

[CKuhns]

Some other options to consider.

Rinse them with clean water and dump them in. Freeze them then thaw and dump them in.

If using a yeast starter in primary the yeast you add will quickly overwhelm anything on the fruit. If adding in secondary and a higher ABV the alcohol will inhibit anything on thw fruit. Neither of these are 100% and there is some small risk.

Get some Star San mix up a mild batch and soak them in it for 2 or 3 minutes.

 

[Raptor99]

You can also get potassium metabisulfite Campden tablets, which I would prefer.

 

[Miraculix]

I never bothered with treating stuff that goes into mead. There's enough yeast already inside and the conditions are so harsh that almost nothing survives that in big enough numbers, except our yeast. That is, if you manage to keep oxygen out, which we usually manage to do.

For convenience, I usually use fruit juice. Sour cherry and blackberry work really well as an addition. No need to get rid of the remainder of the fruits and if it's bottled juice, it's free of unwanted micro organisms.

 

[Beer Viking]

If Campden is just Sodium Metabisulfite, could I mix some Sodium Metabisulfite with water and give the fruit a soak in in? Is so how much should I add?

 

[Raptor99]

When I make fruit wine, I treat the fresh fruit before fermentation. Mix everything up in the primary fermenter except for the yeast and nutrient. Add 0.44 g Potassium Metabisulfite per gallon, mix well, and let sit overnight. The next day stir well, add yeast nutrients and pitch yeast.