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vanilla orange mead question

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T

Ty520

NewBee
Registered Member
Feb 19, 2020
21
3
3
i am planning to do a 1 gal batch of vanilla orange honey mead during my next run. so far, i have only done show meads, experimenting with various types of yeasts.


I'm thinking i want the vanilla and orange to be distinct but not strong: my plan was to use 2 beans split and the rind with pith removed of 1 orange in primary and tossed when racked for secondary

any thoughts on if i should prep vanilla or orange differently?

whole beans, scraped beans?

include orange pith?

include inner flesh of orange?

add during secondary instead?

transfer beans and/or rind during racking from primary to secondary?
 
4give

4give

Honey Master
Registered Member
Jan 1, 2018
402
76
28
Montrose, CO
I'm leary of orange pith. If I ever do an orange mead again, i may use the pulp/juice part, and some orange zest (primary, secondary, or both), but I'm not using the whole peal.

Squatchy advised that yeast will consume vanillin, so you'll want to add that after stabilization (secondary). i use whole beans, but I slice one side lengthwise all the way so the mead can get inside of the bean.

Another option for vanilla is some American Oak (I use Med+ char). If you use the xoaker brand, you'll only need 1 per gallon, but let it age on the oak for at least 4 months to get any of the vanillin out of it in my experience. Cubes may perform differently, so taste as you go.

You could do a Trad, and then add all this in secondary, or do an experiment fermenting with the orange in one gallon, and adding in secondary in the other, then seeing what it tastes like as a blend. Just some ideas to help you learn along the way.
 
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