New Batch of Melomel ( Blackberry Mead) Finished and bottled. Pics in thread.

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - New Batch of Melomel ( Blackberry Mead) Finished and bottled. Pics in thread.

Posted: 10/27/2017 7:08:53 PM EDT

I made a 1 gallon batch of blackberry last year that turned out really good, so I decided to make a 3 gallon batch, but I changed up some things trying to change the flavor profile a bit.

This 3 gallon batch started with 8lbs of honey and 6 lbs of blackberrys. I used Lalvin 71B-1122 ~~red~~ white wine yeast and the usual other items, such as acid blend and pectic enzyme. I initially fed the yeast with 2 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1 tsp of yeast energizer. After 7 days I fed it with 1 tsp nutrient and 1/2 energizer. This sent the yeast to work at a tremendous pace. The bubble rate dropped of a bunch after a couple of days and I had a lot of lees. Today I boiled 4 lbs of blackberries in 1 gallon of water, strained the berries out of the juice and while it cooled I racked the must.
After it had cooled enough I added blackberry juice to the must, filling the 3 gallon carboy up to the neck for a secondary fermentation. I have really good steady bubble rate and a nice color for new mead. I plan to feed the mead once more when the rate slows. Then age in the carboy until I get a clarity level I like.

Posted: 10/27/2017 8:07:25 PM EDT

[#1]

Right on.

Posted: 10/27/2017 8:12:59 PM EDT

[#2]

Skål

Posted: 10/30/2017 4:16:49 PM EDT

[#3]

Fed again this morning with 1/2 Tsp of nutrient plus 1/4 tsp of pectic enzyme. The yeast went right to work with a new frenzy.

Posted: 10/31/2017 3:41:47 PM EDT

[#4]

Fed again this morning 1/4 tsp of yeast nutrient. It briefly had a surge of activity and then went back to a 6 second bubble rate. It is starting to clear as shown in the first photo of this post. The next photo will give you some idea of the lees sinking to the bottom.

Posted: 10/31/2017 3:47:55 PM EDT

[#5]

I may try that next. I bet that's really freaking good.

Posted: 10/31/2017 4:21:13 PM EDT

[#6]

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Quoted:
I may try that next. I bet that's really freaking good.

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The last one I made was super tart and undrinkabley harsh at 6 months. At 11 months it was perfection....

Posted: 11/19/2017 11:18:24 PM EDT

[#7]

A little over one month in. Racked and degassed today. It is really clearing up now. Beautiful color.

Posted: 11/19/2017 11:53:04 PM EDT

[#8]

Looks great.

Posted: 11/20/2017 9:41:28 AM EDT

[#9]

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Looks great.

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Thank you sir.

Posted: 12/14/2017 3:13:40 PM EDT

[#10]

I'm going to give this a try at the end of the month.

Posted: 12/14/2017 3:17:48 PM EDT

[#11]

So say I'd like to make some mead. How much $ are we talking roughly? That looks delicious by the way

Posted: 12/15/2017 9:50:48 AM EDT

[#12]

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So say I'd like to make some mead. How much $ are we talking roughly? That looks delicious by the way

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You'll need a couple of carboys. The 3 gallon ones are about $35.00 each. I pay just under $15.00 for 4 lbs of honey, so about $45.00 for a 3 gallon batch. I guess you'll need a couple of hundred dollars to get started, meybe a little more or less...

Posted: 4/17/2018 11:20:10 AM EDT

[#13]

@MCSquared this is one I am aging right now. It is beautiful. I am going to wait until it is one year old to try it.

Posted: 4/17/2018 11:39:58 AM EDT

[#14]

@AMERIKINSHIP

The 5 gal carboys are about $20 in DFW (last I checked, to be fair it's been more than a few years). You'll need a racking cane, bleach, "iodine", or other sanitizing agent. You'll also eventually need bottles and a way to cork them.

I also use a mash bag (disposable) and a 5 gal food grade plastic bucket for the initial couple of weeks of fermentation. After i cut up the fruit I squeeze it out into the mash bag (it's in the bucket), then tie it off and seal the bucket after pitching the yeast. I like the full fruit, minus seeds/pits, in the initial fermentation.

But the most important thing to do when brewing is to keep a log. Since most recipes are "off the cuff", at least for me, the log tracks what you did. You can review the log the next time you brew a similar drink and make changes from that baseline.

Posted: 4/26/2018 4:30:06 PM EDT

[#15]

@buckshot_jim

Did you originally put the 6lbs of blackberries in with the honey for the initial fermentation or just use them for juice that you prepared for the 2nd?

Posted: 4/26/2018 4:41:58 PM EDT

[#16]

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@buckshot_jim

Did you originally put the 6lbs of blackberries in with the honey for the initial fermentation or just use them for juice that you prepared for the 2nd?

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I boiled them for 20 minutes in bottled water, then let them cool and strained out the solids. It makes for much clearer mead and leaves room for more liquid in the carboy.

Posted: 4/26/2018 5:26:52 PM EDT

[#17]

Screw all of that.... Where can I order my sampler??

Posted: 4/30/2018 11:53:03 AM EDT

[#18]

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Quoted:
I boiled them for 20 minutes in bottled water, then let them cool and strained out the solids. It makes for much clearer mead and leaves room for more liquid in the carboy.

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Quoted:

Quoted:
@buckshot_jim

Did you originally put the 6lbs of blackberries in with the honey for the initial fermentation or just use them for juice that you prepared for the 2nd?

I boiled them for 20 minutes in bottled water, then let them cool and strained out the solids. It makes for much clearer mead and leaves room for more liquid in the carboy.

Primary or Secondary?

Posted: 4/30/2018 12:37:11 PM EDT

[#19]

Using any hops?

Posted: 4/30/2018 1:29:49 PM EDT

[#20]

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Primary or Secondary?

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If you will re-read the OP, it says that I used 6 lbs , then later I used 4 lbs. The 6 lbs was the primary, the 4 lbs in the secondary.

Posted: 4/30/2018 1:30:10 PM EDT

[#21]

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Using any hops?

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No, why?

Posted: 4/30/2018 1:32:04 PM EDT

[#22]

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No, why?

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Am allergic.

Posted: 4/30/2018 3:39:15 PM EDT

[#23]

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Quoted:
If you will re-read the OP, it says that I used 6 lbs , then later I used 4 lbs. The 6 lbs was the primary, the 4 lbs in the secondary.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

Primary or Secondary?

If you will re-read the OP, it says that I used 6 lbs , then later I used 4 lbs. The 6 lbs was the primary, the 4 lbs in the secondary.

Reading is for people who buy their booze at the store, no one brewing has time fo dat.

Posted: 4/30/2018 4:18:27 PM EDT

[#24]

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Quoted:

Reading is for people who buy their booze at the store, no one brewing has time fo dat.

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Posted: 6/8/2018 4:06:23 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

This 3 gallon batch started with 8lbs of honey and 6 lbs of blackberrys. I used Lalvin 71B-1122 ~~red~~ white wine yeast and the usual other items, such as acid blend and pectic enzyme. I initially fed the yeast with 2 tsp of yeast nutrient and 1 tsp of yeast energizer.

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First of all, looks good, sounds like a good recipe you have going there. I just wanted to mention that you should add your acid blend after primary fermentation, not before, it's not good for yeast health.

Posted: 6/11/2018 3:11:13 PM EDT

[#26]

Somehow I missed drinking this Friday or Saturday night.

Posted: 6/12/2018 7:54:07 PM EDT

[#27]

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Somehow I missed drinking this Friday or Saturday night.

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@backbencher

It is aging. It may be ready for the fall HTF thing.

Posted: 6/12/2018 7:54:49 PM EDT

[#28]

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Quoted:

First of all, looks good, sounds like a good recipe you have going there. I just wanted to mention that you should add your acid blend after primary fermentation, not before, it's not good for yeast health.

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@djkest thanks. Next time I'll do that.

Posted: 6/12/2018 8:50:09 PM EDT

[#29]

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Quoted: @backbencher

It is aging. It may be ready for the fall HTF thing.

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Hopefully it ages better than you!

Then again, Blackberry Mead is probably better w/o hair...

Posted: 6/13/2018 12:17:19 PM EDT

[#30]

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Hopefully it ages better than you! https://www.ar15.com/images/smilies/smiley_abused.gif

Then again, Blackberry Mead is probably better w/o hair...

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Posted: 6/25/2018 2:06:55 PM EDT

[#31]

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Am allergic.

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You are in luck. The vast majority of mead doesn't have any hops in it whatsoever. And I've never seen a wine that does, either.
It's also all gluten free (legally can't have grains in it).

Posted: 10/1/2018 8:32:51 PM EDT

[#32]

Just over 11 months old. I racked it for the final time and degassed. It stirred up some yeast and it's bubbling against at about 15 seconds. tasted okay, needs more time. it's just a little harsh at the finish. I'm guessing ready for Christmas.

Posted: 11/4/2018 8:43:47 PM EDT

[#33]

I bottled today. It made 23, 375 ml bottles. It took just over 1 year from start to finish. My wife is a wine snob and tasted it. These are her thoughts:

" Dry but fruit forward. Very slightly woody. Good blackberry finish. I like the little tingle on the tip of the tongue."

Posted: 11/5/2018 5:43:47 PM EDT

[#34]

I love those bottles. Did you buy them locally?
The place I go to around here those are $1.60 - $2 each.

I recently bought a floor corker so I'll be doing more corked bottles in the future.

Posted: 11/5/2018 10:52:29 PM EDT

[#35]

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Quoted:
I love those bottles. Did you buy them locally?
The place I go to around here those are $1.60 - $2 each.

I recently bought a floor corker so I'll be doing more corked bottles in the future.

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I bought them on amazon.