Ask Dr. Beermeister

Q: The fruit mead I made does not have as much (any?) of the fruity flavor
   I wanted. Is there anything I can do to up the fruitiness before bottling
   or during a second fermenting?

A: Remember you are diluting the fruit with a lot of water and honey. Some
   fruits stand up to this well, for example raspberries, others like
   strawberries quickly become buried in the honey and yeast flavors. Also,
   some of the fruit aromas leave with the carbon dioxide produced during
   fermentation. So adding more fruit after the initial fermentation is a
   Good Idea. I would add half of the fruit at the beginning and then add
   the other half after a few weeks of fermentation. The exact amounts and
   time differ from batch to batch of mead. If you add fruit to a mature mead
   (several months old), the added sugars and nutrients may cause fermentation
   to start up again. So, either kill off the yeast or be prepared to let
   the mead ferment for a while longer.