(by /u/Delta-Hotel)
Total Volume: 1 gallon, or 4 Liter
Style: Fruit Melomel
Carbonation: None
Target Original Gravity: 1.100
Target Final Gravity: 1.000-1.025 (higher than 1.000 gravity is post-stabilization)
Ingredients
US Units
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | 3 lbs | Wildflower, Orange Blossom, or other neutral tasting variety |
| Raspberries | 1.5 lbs | 1 lb for primary fermentation and 0.5 lbs for secondary. Muslin bag recommended for easy extraction and cleanup. Measuring and sperating before freezing makes for an easier brewday and less of a mess. Thaw in a bowl or container to collect juices |
| Blueberries | 0.5 lbs | Secondary fermentation. Muslin bag recommended for easy extraction and cleanup. Keep in same bag as raspberries |
| Vanilla Pod | 1 | Split down the middle, secondary fermentation |
| Fermaid O | 1.7 g | |
| Fermaid K | 1.9 g | |
| DAP | 1.1 g | |
| GoFerm PE | 6.25g | |
| Lalvin 71B-1122 | 5 g (dry yeast package) | Rehydrate in the Go Ferm using 290 ml water at 110 F |
Metric Units
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Honey | 1.3 kg | ~ .93 L Wildflower, Orange Blossom, or other neutral tasting variety |
| Raspberries | .68 kg | .45 kg for primary fermentation and .23 kg for secondary. Muslin bag recommended for easy extraction and cleanup. Measuring and separating before freezing makes for an easier brewday and less of a mess. Thaw in a bowl or container to collect juices |
| Blueberries | .23 kg | Secondary fermentation. Muslin bag recommended for easy extraction and cleanup. Keep in same bag as raspberries |
| Vanilla Pod | 1 | Split down the middle, secondary fermentation |
| Fermaid O | 1.8 g | |
| Fermaid K | 2 g | |
| DAP | 1.2 g | |
| GoFerm PE | 6.25g | |
| Lalvin 71B-1122 | 5 g (dry yeast package) | Rehydrate in the Go Ferm using 290 ml water at 110 F |
Method
Freeze and thaw all berries.
Make sure that you sanitize everything.
Heat 125ml of water to 110F (43C) and mix in the GoFerm and pour into a wide bowl. Wait until the temperature of the water is 104F (40C), and lightly sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the water, do not stir. Leave the yeast slurry undisturbed for 20 minutes, meanwhile:
In your fermentation vessel (a bucket is highly recommended), add room temperature honey, then add room temperature water until the total volume of the must is 1 gallon or 4 Liters depending on your units.
Stir or shake vigorously for 3-5 minutes.
20 minutes after pitching the yeast slurry, begin mixing small amounts of your must into the yeast slurry over the course of 5 minutes, until the difference in temperature between your must and the slurry is less than 18F(10C).
Pour the yeast slurry into the fermentation vessel.
Add 1 lb of raspberries.
Close and seal your fermentation vessel and add the airlock, then place it it a cool, dark spot.
After the lag phase, add the Fermaid O. Add the Fermaid K and DAP split into two additions at 48 and 72 hours. Every 24 hours for the first five days, open the fermenter and resubmerge the fruit.
When fermentation is finished (~2 weeks), rack into another bucket and add the raspberry/blueberry mix and vanilla pod.
Two weeks later, rack into carboy and stabilize and backsweeten if desired, then leave to clear. Be sure to minimize headspace.
When completely clear, rack off sediment. If you accidentally picked up some during racking, leave it alone and rack when clear again. Alternatively, use fining agents.
When clear with no sediment, bottle your mead. Like all meads, try to leave it as long as you can, but try to go at least 6 months.
Additional Notes:
This is a simple berry melomel. Be sure to check berries for mold before freezing. Also, buy berries without pesticides. Sweetness level is up to you, but at least a medium-sweet level is recommended. If it will not clear after racking, consider adding some pectic enzyme.