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Trying to understand acids

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aenima

Got Mead? Patron
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Sep 22, 2016
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Hi!
I am trying to understand this acid thing (malic, tartaric, citric). I recently added some squiizzed lemon juice (drops) to one melomel with blackberries and another melomel with raspberries. Fermented those with 71B. If I should exaggerate a little they smelled a little old (added sulfit and sorbat and the smell has been very similar since the fermentation stopped). With a little lemon the taste got a little brighter. Noticed that I needed more lemon to the raspberries than the blackberries (more berries in the raspberries).

I have another mead, a tradtional of heather honey and the AMH yeast. Have added sulfit and sorbate to that one too. But it also also has a slightly "old/muddy" flavour. Should I add some squizzed lemon to that one too? Is their any rule when to add which acid? Citric for melomels and tartaric for pyments?

/Peter
 

bernardsmith

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Sep 1, 2013
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Saratoga Springs , NY
Not sure if there is a "rule" , but sometimes you may want to add the key acid that is in the fruit you are fermenting and that might help pop the flavor of the fruit. Sometimes you might want to add a blend of acids and that might help pop many other flavors that might be present. Lemon juice is always a good option, but a blend of acids can make a wine or mead taste bright. Apples have malic, berries have citric and grapes have tartaric.
 

Squatchy

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Nov 3, 2014
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I posted an entire page of info specifically for you on this question. It's at the end of a mead make along page in the forum started by me
 
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