Making a raspberry mead - adding raspberries to the secondary. Do i add the pectic enzyme during boil, prior to pitching yeast or after fermentation is done and I am adding the raspberries?
I guess I have to ask why you are boiling the fruit for a mead? If adding to secondary there should be enough alcohol to inhibit growth…
On another note… Still not sure what I did but the last raspberry melomel I made when adding fruit to secondary ended up tasting like cough syrup… I made it again out of frustration adding the raspberries when I mixed the must and it was great. YMMV.
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Not actually boiling - pasteurizing
FWIW, I’ve never done that with any fruit for a mead and I’ve never had an issue. I just clean, freeze, then thaw the fruit.
If you’re going to heat the fruit, you need to add pectic enzyme at the start of fermentation. From what I understand, pectic enzyme doesn’t work post-fermentation.
Using pre-frozen organic raspberries. Going to add them to the secondary. Should I not use the pectic enzyme ?
Not if you are not heating them to boiling. I also add it it if I’m adding very hot water to the must to extract flavor from fruit just in case.
I always add the fruit when mixing the must. I add hot but not boiling water to mix the honey and extract the flavors of any fruit, herbs, or spices that are in a mesh bag.
I prefer to add my fruit in primary as well, but there are some fruit (strawberries, I’m looking at you) that I just can’t seem to get enough flavor out of unless I use at least some in secondary. Primary = better incorporated & more wine-like fruit flavor; secondary = fresher fruit flavor. At least in my experience.
I wouldn’t bother, although I’m not really aware of any negatives with trying it. I wouldn’t bother heating them, either.