Ugli Mead/Melomel

petes · 10-23-2008, 07:50 AM

Was given some uglis today - curious whether any poster has tried these in a brew.

Nice flavours; maybe just modify a JAOM - leave out the spices - and go from there. Clover honey @ say 250/300 grams/litre shouldn't have alcohol overpower the fruit?

malkore · 10-23-2008, 11:53 PM

i've never had ugli fruit. is it citrus-like?

how many do you have? I say its worth trying...maybe a half batch though in case it comes out horrible.

I once knew a guy who made grapefruit mead...it smelled like fresh vomit...to the point we couldn't even try to taste it.

petes · 10-24-2008, 05:17 AM

Ugli fruit are a citrus; have an orange coloured skin, with a kind of crumpled 'lived-in' look. Deep orange, can even have brown tones, on the underside, lighter towards the top.
Flesh is orange tending to brownish, sweet tasting, few pips, plenty of juice.

Have a couple of dozen fruit with access to plenty more, thinking initially at least of just a 1 gallon brew to gauge viability. Keep honey ratio low to give fruit flavour a chance.

FWIW have made lemon wines that aren't too bad, but my mandarins just don't show the fruit. (Could power my lawn mower tho.)

**BigKahuna** · 10-24-2008, 05:22 AM

Tooomanycolors did a grapefruit mead that I had the distinct pleasure of trying. It was the best grapefruit anything I've had in a long time!
Maybe you could go like he did, make a nice mead and add fruit in secondary. The only complaint I had about his mead was the pith flavor that I now know (JOAM) ages out. I'd still avoid it.

petes · 10-24-2008, 06:57 AM

Thanks BK, that was a most interesting thread toomanycolors posted.
Much to ponder there especially as I have some 71B to hand.
His honey ratio was higher then I'd envisaged but what the hell, it obviously worked.

petes · 10-28-2008, 07:07 AM

This one's down and has fairly sizzled for the last 3 days.
You'd swear there's a fry pan on from the sound it puts out. Very strong aroma too. Hoping these signs are positives