Melomel question

Kyle · August 04, 2011, 09:43:10 AM

So I am planning to make a sparkling Melomel (fruit mead) on Sunday, along with the juice + zest of 2 lemons and limes

has anyone used the pure wild blueberry juice from the farmers market, its pricy, but really, really good. How much of the juice would you recommend, keeping in mind it is pure, no added water or anything else?

it will be a five gal batch with about 18 pounds of honey to ferment, and then a bit more to back-sweeten. It will be force carbonated.

I would add the juice to the primary fermenter after active fermentation has ended, let sit for a couple of weeks, then age in secondary.

Richard · August 04, 2011, 11:59:20 AM

Make sure you remember the yeast food - I got a wee bit spare if you cba buying a whole bunch.

Kyle · August 04, 2011, 01:49:34 PM

yeah, if you don't mind, I'll grab some yeast nutrient from you some time this weekend, along with the honey and all the other stuff I have at your place... time to start brewing again.

Kyle · October 07, 2011, 04:22:56 PM

Well, Brewed August 11, put in secondary about 6 weeks later, added sulphites and the stuff to kill the yeast, racked into third carboy today, getting pretty clear.

Smells floral, fruity. Taste is still a bit rocket-fuel-y when plain (fermented too warm and needs to age). But added a bit of brown sugar to the sample I took, and it is begining to come along. The plan is to back sweeten once its good on its own.

Richard · October 07, 2011, 04:25:43 PM

Bottled mine yesterday; didn't bother with a melomel in the end, just went with the sweet mead as-is. Didn't have quite enough bottles so made a watered-down version to go in a keg (diluted to about 6-7%, will be heavily carbed).

Will trade you some bottles once you're done

Kyle · October 08, 2011, 02:30:47 PM

What a difference being chilled makes. I put my carboy sample with the added brown sugar in the fridge, and tasted it when cold a couple of hours later. This will be going in the serving keg probably mid November.

Kyle · January 17, 2012, 05:35:43 PM

finally go around to kegging this, and its pretty good.

Kyle · February 07, 2012, 09:12:34 PM

Definitely at its peak now. Decided not to backsweeten as it has quite a bit of residual sweetness, carbed to about 3 volumes.