Secondary Fermentation Temperature

[DesertDog]

I have some Pear Mead that I used D47 to ferment. The primary fermentation was done at 65°F and finished at a specific gravity of 1.000 from a start of 1.104. The recipe calls for a 5 month secondary after adding more pears and I was wondering if that should also be at the same temperature. Since the fermenting is done should the temperature be brought down (cold crash) to allow the mead to clear more easily?

Note: I tasted it as I was racking it and it really needs to mellow.

 

[CKuhns]

During secondary temp is less important, your thought about keeping it consistent or near fermentation temps is a good one.

Five months on pears is a long time. I believe most fruit gives up all its flavor after 10 to 14 days. Due to the alcohol content it wont hurt to go a bit longer.

I suspect the recipe intends a number of months to age and clarify vs.being on the fruit that long. Cold crashing does help when clarifying.

 

[DesertDog]

During secondary temp is less important, your thought about keeping it consistent or near fermentation temps is a good one.

Five months on pears is a long time. I believe most fruit gives up all its flavor after 10 to 14 days. Due to the alcohol content it wont hurt to go a bit longer.

I suspect the recipe intends a number of months to age and clarify vs.being on the fruit that long. Cold crashing does help when clarifying.

Thanks for the info. I wont keep it on the pears that long, I'll rack it at least once before the aging is done.

 

[bernardsmith]

Clarification is really an end stage process - before you intend to bottle. Assuming that the lack of clarity is caused by particulates in the mead being held in suspension by the CO2 saturating the liquid, as the CO2 slowly escapes over time, and gravity pulls the particles down, your mead will become more and more clear. If however, the cause of the lack of clarity is because of pectins from the fruit then neither cold crashing, nor time will make your mead crystal clear. You need to add pectic enzyme to break down the pectins. Before you pitch (add) the yeast you need only a little pectic enzyme but in the presence of alcohol you need far more. Your LHBS will likely sell the pectolase (the enzyme to break down pectins, NOT pectins to make jam).

 

[DesertDog]

Clarification is really an end stage process - before you intend to bottle. ... Before you pitch (add) the yeast you need only a little pectic enzyme but in the presence of alcohol you need far more. Your LHBS will likely sell the pectolase (the enzyme to break down pectins, NOT pectins to make jam).

I did add the enzyme at the beginning. It is only 2 weeks old at this point and I would expect it to need some time to clear. I was startled at how harsh the taste was though compared to the other two batches I've done. My plan is to rack it into a glass carboy in a couple of weeks and give it the rest of the time in that before bottling. I am just unsure as to the best time to call it done and turn down the temperature. A couple weeks to a month before bottling I'm guessing.