Thinking Of Adding Figs To Mead Recipe

[keezawitch]

Hi , I am thinking of tossing in a couple of figs(semi dried, in my food dehydrator) to my next batch of no fail mead( recipe from this forum using bread yeast) has anyone tried this?

 

[machalel]

Not personally, but I have heard of it being done before.


Apparently the figs are quite subtle in flavour, but do give a very nice body and mouthfeel. If you want noticeable fig character then roughly 3 lbs per gallon (if dried) or 5 lbs per gallon (if fresh) is recommended. If you want quite strong, then I guess maybe bump that up a bit.

Depending on your figs, you may or may not need acid and tannin additions (add after fermentation to taste).


Here's a recipe for Fig Wine, I assume you could just swap the sugar for honey, and a different yeast if you want.
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques6.asp

 

[Innes]

Hi , I am thinking of tossing in a couple of figs(semi dried, in my food dehydrator) to my next batch of no fail mead( recipe from this forum using bread yeast) has anyone tried this?

I brewed a beer recently where I added rehydrated chopped figs into the secondary. Turned out alright, but not what I expected or hoped for. The beer had little to no fig flavour and the sugars in the figs kick started fermentation again in the secondary which dried everything out a little to much.

Figs do not have a very robust flavour and are easily overpowered by the most subtle of flavours. They are also full of sugars, particularly the dried or semi-dried variety as the drying process crystallises the sugars.

If you are going to add figs to your mead, you would want to make sure that the base recipe is very bland to allow the subtle fig flavour to come through.

 

[keezawitch]

thanks guys i am going to use a basic sweet mead so i think i will toss in quite a few as dad has a fig tree and i have been raiding it :lol: i think i will cut amount of oranges hope that will compliment the figs not overpower them

 

[keezawitch]

I went with the following

3ltr water
1.5kilo honey
Handfull of raisins
20 dried figs
1 orange
stick of cinnamon
1 clove
1.5 teaspoons bread yeast



bit worried it might bubble over

I have a photo but bugger me if i can figure out how to post it <_<

 

[machalel]

looks nice!

you might have a bit of trouble when racking, with all the seeds from the figs!

 

[keezawitch]

thanks, I will have to strain it through butter muslim, hopefully it will be ready for those cold winter nights.