blackberry melomel gold winner

20 LBS blackberrys
16 LBS clover honey non processed
4 packets Lalvin EC118 yeast
pectic enzyme
yeast nutrient
1 packet inningsglass
2 tsp potasium sorbate
2 tsp potasium metabisulfate
1 1/2 oz french oak chips
completely sanitize everything you will use before beginning!!!!!

Juice berries with steamer/juicer or at least pasturize at 160 for 10 minutes. remove all pulp; discard. Combine berry juice with honey and add 2 drops of liquid pectic enzyme per gallon this is a 6 gallon batch so 18 drops. Add 1 tsp yeast nutrient per gallon so 6 tsp. Combine in 8 gallon primary fermenter. Use drill and paddle to completely mix ingredients for 10 minutes as this also oxygenates the mixture well. When complete add 4 packets Yeast and oak chips, put in completely dark place for 1 month. Then rack into secondary fermenter. Wait 2 months rack again wait 1 month rack into primary fermentor add 1 LB clover honey or to taste (your desires sweetness) back into the melomel; and inningsglass, 2 tsb potasium sorbate and 2tsb potasium metabisulfate at this time. use drill and paddle again to degass the mixture and mix finishing agents into the mixture then rack mixture back into your secondary fermenter and store back in your dark place for 2 more months to allow the mixture to properly clear as this much honey requires the extra time. You will wind up with an 18% melomel that has bold intense flavors. After waiting for your melomel to clear for 2 months bottle with true cork not plastic to allow the cork to blend and mellow the Blackberry flavors properly with the honey. I reccomend waiting an additional 6 months after bottling to drink. You''ll appreciate it if you do.

Ok, so do you want comments/criticisms or do you just want to post your recipe for others to use? We have seperate boards for that. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=82

I prefer to stage ferment. Berries first, then rack onto the honey, but your recipe looks good. Where did you win the medal?

Well guys I won my medal at the Alaska state fair. We alaskans take beer and wine pretty seriously up here with our long winter months it gives me something to do. You can critisize if you want it really doesn't matter to me it is an excellent melomel and I just wanted to share it with you folks. Everyone has their version of the RIGHT way to do something. It really doesn't make theirs any better than the other guys untill you taste it. Then you put up or shut up. I keep my stuff simple and direct;... perfection and simplicity as I find that the more you mess with things the easier it is for a bad or hard to duplicate result occurs. Yuo may call me a snob if you will but it has been my experiance in the last 9 years of brewing that the people with the most criticizm have the least knowelege in brewing. The gentelman that likes to split his honey and friut has a good point however and yes it is a matter of taste. I just do mine togather to blend the flavors the way I prefere. BUT both are good and just a matter of preference and individuality. Happy brewing gentelmen.

ericd said:

Ok, so do you want comments/criticisms or do you just want to post your recipe for others to use? We have seperate boards for that. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/forumdisplay.php?f=82

Click to expand...

Hmmmm. I thought this was the recipe section for all to post whether showing off or seeking comments/advice!

Poobah58 said:

Hmmmm. I thought this was the recipe section for all to post whether showing off or seeking comments/advice!

Click to expand...

+1 agreed!

LOL, wow, thought it had something to do with a phone. :cross:

Recipe looks good. I'd like to try my first melomel. I've got 18lbs of frozen berries and would like to make a 5 gallon batch. Could you modify your recipe to accommodate?

Thanks

Mike

I make a variety of melomels. Saskatoon Berry, 3 lbs of berries per gallon, Blueberries 2.5 lbs. per gallon and I use 4 lbs per gallon of Raspberries or black berries.

Right now I have 9 gallons of blueberry/ mixed berry melomel working. It started out at 1.100 and is down to 1.010 now. It has been going about 3 weeks I used 15 lbs of blueberries, 8 lbs of mixed berries and 4 lbs of blackberries. and i used Lalavin EC-1118 Champaign yeast. I used 7 pints of warm water to disolve 3 lbs of Clover honey, this makes a gallon. The honey and fruit all came from Cosco. I'll let you all know how it comes out. My goal is a merlot styled high alchohol (13%), very dry melolmel to go with a steak dinner.