Newest Threads

summersolstice · 07-08-2008, 02:35 PM

Like many mead makers, Joe Mattioli has been an inspiration to me. I make a lot of mead but sometimes my friends want something right away - aging be damned. To that end I developed (with Joe's help) a quick blueberry/pomegranate mead. I tried the first bottle within two months. It was a little tart but it had a nice honey nose and flavor and it cleared very nicely. This is a straightforward quick drinking mead.

8 cans Old Orchard Blueberry/Pomegranate concentrate (Wally World)
1/2 can Welch's white grape/raspberry concentrate
6 pounds Nebraska alfalfa honey
1/2 pound Western buckwheat honey
1/2t pectic enzyme (don't know if it's really needed)
water to 4 gallons
Lalvin EC1118
OG 1.078

no starter or rehydration - ten days in the primary at 67F drops it down to 1.001. Four more weeks in secondary to .996, add K-meta/sorbate and backsweeten with 8 oz alfalfa honey and 6 oz Welch's white grape concentrate (more honey/concentrate will make it less tart but why make a pomegranate mead if you don't like tart?). Within another week to ten days it'll be clear and ready to bottle.

Put this in crown capped sparkling wine bottles, beer bottles, and swing tops for 3-4 weeks and refrigerate and you'll have a nice sparkling mead. Add k-meta and potassium sulfite and allow it to age for 2-3 more months in the secondary for a still mead.

Kauai_Kahuna · 07-10-2008, 08:58 AM

Let me get back to you on this in around three months, if I can find the Blueberry/Pomegranate concentrate. Now if only I can find more carboys.

**novafire** · 01-05-2009, 08:42 PM

How did this turn out? It's been 5 months since the recipe was posted and I am hoping someone has thoughts on this recipe by now.

flyweed · 01-05-2009, 08:45 PM

I'd like to know too...it sounds yummy, and I've love to hear the outcome and final tasting thoughts.

summersolstice · 01-05-2009, 09:34 PM

I've made this twice now. The first batch, made a couple of years ago, was officially gone when I consumed the last 1-liter crown cap last weekend. I still have almost a case of 12-oz crown caps left and it, too is delicious!

As good as it is, I prefer the Johnny Jump Up sparkling cider posted in the Cider recipe section. It's made the same way but with apple juice and sugar instead of the far more expensive B/P juice and honey.

avaserfi · 01-09-2009, 01:09 AM

SWMBO has asked that I make her this mead. Never done it before, but I have a 3 gallon better bottle that needs filling so I figure 2.5 gallon batch would be good to go. I am guessing this is a 5 gallon recipe batch? If so I just need to cut everything in half to get it right?

Also, would you recommend this for a first mead? It seems fairly simple, but I have no idea...

Any suggestions on where to buy these types of honey online?

summersolstice · 01-09-2009, 11:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by avaserfi

SWMBO has asked that I make her this mead. Never done it before, but I have a 3 gallon better bottle that needs filling so I figure 2.5 gallon batch would be good to go. I am guessing this is a 5 gallon recipe batch? If so I just need to cut everything in half to get it right?

Also, would you recommend this for a first mead? It seems fairly simple, but I have no idea...

Any suggestions on where to buy these types of honey online?

You'll do fine on this one. The only problem you may have, since you don't have previous mead (wine?) experience, is knowing when to bottle. Too soon and it isn't clear enough and you may have exploding bottles, too late and you'll have still mead rather than sparkling. Otherwise, it's based on a basic quick mead recipe.

flyweed · 01-09-2009, 06:49 PM

Summer....what was your F.G. on this mead? It seems that the Johnny Jump Up finished fairly dry to me for a cider. I like mine a bit sweeter.

flyweed · 01-09-2009, 06:51 PM

Oops..nevermind..I see you posted it in your first post. .996..man that's dry.

summersolstice · 01-10-2009, 01:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flyweed

Oops..nevermind..I see you posted it in your first post. .996..man that's dry.

Yes, it dry but ith the addition of acid the resulting sparkling cider tastes remarkably similar to a dry sparkling grape wine. It's difficult getting a sweet sparkling wine.