I recently wanted to make something other than beer and Mead was the next best choice. Traditionally a Mead contains approximately 15 lbs of un processed honey. Local grown honey is best. A Melomel is a berry and honey wine. Usually 13-16% ABV (alcohol by volume)
I was blessed with my good pal Dan P’s blackberry bush. He dropped about 3 lbs of Ohio grown blackberries. I plan on infusing this Mead with them. Here is the recipe.
Blackberry Melomel
10lbs Clover Honey (yes from Costco)
3lbs Wildflower Dark Honey (local)
2lbs of Mixed berry fruit salad (left overs)
4 gallons clean water
3tbsp DAP (yeast energizer)
1pk Danstar Wine Yeast D-74 White wine
Heat water to 140deg. Add honey and pureed fruit salad. Make sure you remove the pot from the stove as you add honey, as it may scorch. Keep warm for 10min. Remove from heat. Let cool overnight in fermenter and add energizer. Take your gravity reading, mine was a bit low as I used too much water. (I adjusted in the recipe here.) Pitch yeast when it is at least 80deg or less. Wait. Wait for 2 weeks or until gravity reads 1.020. Then rack this onto fresh blackberries or any type of berry. I simply took the berries, froze them to break down the cell structure. Heated them and some more honey, about 2# at 150deg for 15min. Let cool and then pour into the fermenter for another week. Then I “rack” it to another fermenter for the second stage of fermentation. This needs to be repeated for at least 3 more times. Mead takes 1 year to make.
After at least 4 rackings, and 6-8 months of time, you are ready to bottle. I am using ice wine bottles for gifts.
