Mulberry Mead: The Dramatic Adventure

will_cbe · 09-22-2008, 01:33 PM

This June, I picked several pounds of mulberries with the purpose of making a batch of mulberry mead. After I cleaned the berries, I placed them in my freezer, with the intention of waiting a couple weeks until I get home from vacation to start the batch. That was the intention. Let's look at what has happened to thwart my efforts.

Memorial Day Weekend: My wife and I leave town for a funeral. We are gone almost the entire week. When we get back, we find that our AC has stopped working.

No AC, week 2: While doing laundry, I notice black splotches on parts of my basement wall. LOTS of black splotches. Humid air condensed on the walls, allowing nifty mold to grow!

June, week 3: Berry pickin' time! After I get all the berries picked and cleaned, I've got about 6 cups of berries. I put them in the deep freeze for safe keeping.

End of June: A month and 1200 dollars later, we get our AC back.

End of July: We leave on vacation.

August, week 1: My loving mother takes it upon herself to bring an inspector into our house WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE. The verdict? Penicillin mold. A fairly harmless mold, unless you happen to be allergic. Guess what. My sister points out that this is why Mom doesn't have a key to her house.

August, week 2: Home again. I start removing everything from the basement. Can't start the mead because I don't want it to get contaminated with mold.

September 14: The remains of Hurricane Ike decimates the power grid of Ohio. 2 million people are without power. My mulberries are still in the freezer.

September 20: After waiting nearly a WEEK for power to be restored, I open my deep freeze. Temperature is well above freezing. I pull the berries out and take them upstairs. After checking to make sure they aren't fuzzy or rancid, I toss them in my pot, add some campden, pectin enzyme, and a couple cups of hot tap water. I take the pot upstairs, far, FAR away from my moldy basement. I also buy 5 lbs of honey from the local vendor.

September 21: Throw in 1116 yeast and about 1 lb of honey, wait.

I am happy to report that the yeast is bubbling away happily. I get to move the juice into a carboy Saturday. Still don't have power yet, apparently I'm one of the lucky people stuck in an "individual pocket."

**Evets** · 09-23-2008, 10:48 AM

Keep us posted on that mead. I've made Mulberry wine twice and was thinking about a mead with them. I have sour cherry and blueberry melomels (2 meads) in primary right now.

will_cbe · 05-11-2009, 05:39 PM

And one more bit of drama.
Racking from primary to secondary came and went without a hitch. I bottled Saturday. Half way through, my month old daughter started fussing. So I clamped the hose and went to attend her. I came back 10 minutes later to a great big puddle all over my kitchen. Damn thing wasn't tight enough, and it just slowed down, instead of stopping. Swearing under my breath all the while I moved the fridge and stove to clean it all up.

From the gallon I started with, final output is 2.5 liters. Of some of the best &^&*% mead I've put together so far.

At least mulberry season is less than two months away. The trees are already growing little green berries.

KingBrianI · 05-11-2009, 05:57 PM

The little mulberry tree I planted this spring has already ripened a few berries but nothing near the amount to ferment something. There are lots of little green ones growing though. Hopefully next year I can give mulberry mead and wine a try too. By the way, what type is your mulberry? Mine is an Illinois Everbearing.

will_cbe · 05-11-2009, 06:52 PM

Wild. I know a few places where I can get them. Public golf course, friend's yards, places like that. Far as I know, they weren't planted intentionally.

BeerRunner · 05-12-2009, 04:25 AM

Are the Mulberries in your area covered in tiny little yellow bugs? They are in the tree in my back yard (Near Austin TX). I've been putting them in a pan and running cold water over them for 15-20 minutes. I get about a half pound every other day. Saving them up for 4 gallons of Mulberry Port wine.

will_cbe · 05-12-2009, 12:19 PM

No, I don't think so. But I'm much farther north than you (Ohio). The berries are still small and green.

Is the water bath to knock the bugs off?

wayneb · 05-12-2009, 03:48 PM

FWIW, a saltwater bath will remove almost all bugs from the surface of fresh-picked fruit, and if you quickly follow that bath with a thorough rinse in fresh water, the fruit absorbs almost none of the salt.

BeerRunner · 05-13-2009, 05:10 AM

Yes, the water bath is to knock the bugs off. The berries have been in season for a month or so, I guess. I looked at the purple splotches on my patio a couple of weeks ago and figured I may as well get something out of this.

I'll try the salt water bath. Thanks for the tip.