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When to take the OG in melomels?

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Zem

Got Mead? Patron
GotMead Patron
Sep 14, 2005
1,396
1
38
I take the gravity reading before I add fruit so that the density of the fruit does not effect my SG measurement.
 

Yo momma

NewBee
Registered Member
Jul 14, 2007
934
3
0
52
Flint, Michigan
When I mix up the must, I let it stand for a few minuts and use a Turkey baster to get a sample from underneath the cap when it settles up top. Most fruit will add sugar to your must which your not measuring if your taking pre-inserted fruit measurements. YMMV
 

Medsen Fey

Fuselier since 2007
Premium Patron
I take gravity readings after the fruit is added, but I like to use a refractometer so that I can use a couple of drops and the fruit particles don't interfere. If you use a hydrometer, it helps to strain out the fruit or let it settle out to get a true reading.
 

Oskaar

Got Mead Partner
Administrator
Dec 26, 2004
7,874
8
0
34
The OC
Both.

You should check your brix/gravity once the honey is added, and then again after the fruit has been added. In many cases you'll find that your gravity has come down lower than you expected due to the juice being lower in brix/gravity than your honey must. It's also a good idea to take a fruit sampling at random (juice/crush up about 20 berries, some peach slices, or if you're using juice just measure it from the container, as long as you have a representative mixture of fruit/juice to get a good reading) before you add it in so you can calculate out how much the juice/fruit will dilute down your honey must gravity. There's a good tool in the Mead Calculator that will help with this.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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