Black Currant Cherry Melomel

Going to do Curt Stocks Black Currant Cherry Melomel and would like the opinion of some more experianced Mead makers

22 lbs Wildflower Honey
8 lbs Black Currants
12 lbs Tart Cherries
3 gal Water
3 tsp Yeast Energizer/Nutrient Blend (Fermaid-K and DAP)
10 g Lalvin Narbonne Yeast (71B-1122)

Approximate OG: 1.161

Target FG: 1.030 - 1.040

Estimated ABV: 16.1%

Could not affordably allocate the currants so I went with the 96 Oz.Vintner's Harvest Black Currant Fruit Wine Base would this be an approximate equivalent

Should I put all the cherries in the primary (think that is what Curt does) or should I save a few pounds to go into the secondary

Would like it to finish a little dryer should i just lessen the honey addition by a couple of pounds

Does anyone boil there water, and let cool, before mixing and/or add campden previous day to drive off chloramines

Lastly after all is mixed (-yeast and nutrient) should I add campden tablets and/or pectic enzyme or just roll with it, the cherries are all bought frozen

Thanks,
Bells

any help would be appreciated, anything,anyone ??

bellsbrat said:

Going to do Curt Stocks Black Currant Cherry Melomel and would like the opinion of some more experianced Mead makers

22 lbs Wildflower Honey
8 lbs Black Currants
12 lbs Tart Cherries
3 gal Water
3 tsp Yeast Energizer/Nutrient Blend (Fermaid-K and DAP)
10 g Lalvin Narbonne Yeast (71B-1122)

Approximate OG: 1.161

Target FG: 1.030 - 1.040

Estimated ABV: 16.1%

Could not affordably allocate the currants so I went with the 96 Oz.Vintner's Harvest Black Currant Fruit Wine Base would this be an approximate equivalent

Should I put all the cherries in the primary (think that is what Curt does) or should I save a few pounds to go into the secondary

Would like it to finish a little dryer should i just lessen the honey addition by a couple of pounds

Does anyone boil there water, and let cool, before mixing and/or add campden previous day to drive off chloraminesv

Lastly after all is mixed (-yeast and nutrient) should I add campden tablets and/or pectic enzyme or just roll with it, the Curries are all bought frozen

Thanks,
Bells

Click to expand...

1) I am not sure about the equivalent about for black currents, but I'll see if I can figure it out for you in a bit.

2) You can put all the cherries in the primary if you like, but you'll get more cherry flavour if you as them in your secondary instead.

3) yes, less honey will leave it dryer. I'd say it is best to plan for a certain ABV and then back sweeten if you want it sweeter. I am not sure what the alcohol tolerance is for 71B, but it will go to at least is max tolerance unless pasteurized or cold crashed

4) Camden is ask you need. You can do both, but it is overkill.

5) no, just roll with it

Thanks for the help could you explain

Devo9 said:

4) Camden is ask you need.

Click to expand...

Use campdem for chloramines ?
Don't really need to boil water ?

bellsbrat said:

Thanks for the help could you explain

Use campdem for chloramines ?
Don't really need to boil water ?

Click to expand...

That was supposed to say "Campden is ALL you need"

Here is a Wikipedia quote:

" Campden tablets

Home brewers use reducing agents such as sodium metabisulfite or potassium metabisulfite (both proprietary sold as campden tablets) to remove chloramine from brewing fermented beverages. However, residual sodium can cause off flavors in beer [16] so potassium metabisulfite is preferred."

Since you are making mead not beer, don't worry about that last line. I've never heard anyone warning against using Campden tablets in mead.

Wikipedia isn't the absolute best source. I'll see if I can find a better source for that info.

I looked around for information on how much juice you get for each pound of blackcurrants, but I have had no luck. I would think that you would want your juice to weigh about as much as the required blackcurrants, maybe slightly less.

Good luck