Getting the fruit out of the mead

[Deege]

I made a rasberry melomel. Wow it tastes great!! The only problem is all the "floaters". I've got little bits of rasberries that seem to come with each racking. Is there a good method to get these out of the mead?

[Oskaar]

There are a couple of ways to rack off without getting the floaties, but the easiest way is to send me the batch and I'll make sure there are no floaties left! ;)

Seriously though, shipping is so cheap nowadays . . .

But if you're still getting floaties you can try:

1. Slide a sanitized fine mesh grain bag over your racking cane and inserting it into your vessel to rack, this usually works fine.

2. Wrap a Kurly Kate around the end of the racking cane. This is tricky if you're using a carboy though. A couple of sanitized rubber bands will hold it on.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

[Pewter_of_Deodar]

My red raspberry mead is almost stopped and is about half clear, half garbage. I will likely run the racking through some cheesecloth over a strainer over a funnel into the carboy to remove the gunk, though it may take another racking in a wek or two.

On the other hand, my red raspberry wine has dropped clear like every other batch I've done before....

[Talon]

Careful, Pewter, that may unnecessarilly oxygenate your must.

I'd wrap the cheese cloth over the end of your racking cane instead.

Talon.

[Deege]

Hmmm.... I don't use a racking cane. I drain from a spout... How bad is oxygenation?

[Talon]

Oxydation will give your mead a more of a Sherry flavor profile than a wine/mead like profile. To see what I mean, get two of the small taster samples of wine from your grocery store. The nip sized ones of about a 6oz glass...

Take one and drink half of it. Put them both in the refrigerator and let them sit for a week. Be sure to take notes on the flavors you tasted, etc. At the end of the week, take a sip of the unopened one and compare to your notes to make sure it was the same. Then take a sip of the opened one and take notes on it. Compare it to the first set of notes and flavor profile of the other.

[CosmicCharlie]

Like Oskaar said, I cut a little square of cheesecloth and attach it to my racking cane by placing it between the cane and the tip (you know, this thing: http://www.thegrape.net/prodimg/rb50b.jpg)

[toolboxdiver]

lol...good example Cosmic Charlie, like the added touch of the picture. No mistaking that