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Juices, pulp, skins, and seeds

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Pewter_of_Deodar

NewBee
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Sep 23, 2004
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Cedar Rapids, IA
While I am planning on doing 3 or 4 metheglins or cysers before my first melomel, I am always looking ahead towards pitching my first melomel.

I read in a different thread where someone had frozen, thawed, mashed, and then strained rasperries to get the seeds out. The end result (in my estimation) being that the must got the benefits of the juice and maybe some pulp. The resulting mead was mentioned not to have the rich redness of raspberries but was almost clear. So while avoiding the taste from fermenting on seeds, it evidently lost some of the benefits from fermenting on the skins and pulp?

In other reading, I have seen mention of racking onto fruit after primary fermentation, throwing the fruit into the primary fermentation, racking off of the fruit after a short period (2 weeks?), and so on...

I would just like to solicit opinions on what is the best method with the assumption being that I am starting out with fresh (or frozen) fruit (or maybe puree?). How do you maximize getting the color, flavor, tannins, aromas, and good stuff out while minimizing the negative affects of exposure to skin and seeds?

Thanks, in advance for your answers,
Pewter
 
My preferred method: pick fruit, clean (remove skins and pits depending on fruit, cut out bad parts), freeze, thaw, cram into carboy, rack from primary onto fruit. I haven't yet found a fruit where this doesn't work well.

Keep in mind that your "good stuff" (flavor, tannins, color, especially) frequently comes from the seeds and skins. My philosophy is that unless it will create an explicit negative (like too many cherry or peach pits), throw it in. Patience will get it clear.
 
I generally don't skin my fruits for exactly the reason Scott mentioned. That tannin can be really important if you like your meads sweet like I do.

Best I can say is that I found by experimentation and several batches what works best for me. Our family has made wine for a few generations and we used to stomp the grapes as kids. That was a lot of fun, and watching my dad and uncle make wine kind of lead to doing the same kind of thing with different fruits. Except peaches and other fuzzy fruits, I'm a firm believer in skinning peaches, kiwis etc.

Cheers,

Oskaar
 
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