2014 batch 2: Currant mead (10) - Removing oak chips

After tasting the currant mead I decided to remove the oak chips today (15th dec) The taste had not changed during the last week, so I do not think I will much more out of the chips for now.

The taste is quite good. I am very surprised about how well the oak combine the acidic currents with the sweetness of honey. It has really rounded the mead off. It is also quite interesting that after fermentation I could pretty much only taste the red current with high acidity. Now, after oaking, the black current taste is much more present - almost overpowering the red current.

I highly recommend the use of oak but also to take a sample of the mead before oaking, so that you can always taste the difference BEFORE the mead becomes too oaked. I am not kidding, at first I don't really notice a significant oak taste but when tasting the starting sample, the change is huge. If adding much more oak you would really taste the oak and it would be the first thing noticed. This was definitely not my intentions, so I will stop here. The alternative was just to add another "package" of oak chips if I was not satisfied. 

Measurements

Oe: 25 (Perfect)

pH: 3.42 (Still low)

It is quite interesting that pH is still 3.4 whereas the the taste is much more smooth. Before oaking the acid was stinging in the mouth, but now it is not that pronounced.