My first mead - well, melomel...whaddya think?

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So I tried the mead thing today and I'm curious as to any feedback. I slightly modified one of the raspberry melamel recipes from this board.

I heated one gallon of spring water to 115*F; added 7.5 lbs of clover honey and stirred to dissolve. Added 5g pack of D-47 to 100mL 105*F water to bloom. Added 24 oz. fresh raspberries to a 3 gallon carboy, along with 0.5 cup earl grey tea, and the strained juice from 4 lemons and 4 limes. I added 1 tsp. yeast nutriet to the honey mix, and added the honey mix to the carboy. I topped off the carboy to ~3 gallons with spring water (almost 1 more gallon); mixed well and took a temp. Right at 80*F so I grabbed a sample for OG and pitched the yeast.

The OG (temp corrected) is 1.105. I'm excited for my first mead...errrr....melamel! :rockin:
 
one more question - I've read to rack off the fruit after a week. Is that a good thing to do?

And also, I'm assuming this ain't like beer with a 1-2-3 method :D What's the consensus for how long before bottling (and yes, I know that waiting until fermentation is done is the obvious thing); and how long to condition?

My initial plan was to rack off the fruit at 1-2 weeks - keep in the carboy for at least 6-8 weeks, and age in the bottles for at least 3 months...

thx.
 
My initial plan was to rack off the fruit at 1-2 weeks - keep in the carboy for at least 6-8 weeks, and age in the bottles for at least 3 months...

Sounds like a good plan! Rack off the fruit when the gravity gets below 1.010 and then rack again a couple of weeks later when the gravity is around .096. It'll be dry by then so you can decide whether you want to stabilize and backsweeten. Bulk age in the carboy for at least 3 months. I leave mine in for 8-12 months.
 
Detassled???? Holy crappers...mother of.....I haven't heard that word in a long long time...man that WAS my summer job growing up in Rural Iowa. I worked on both large "bus" size detassling crews, as well as contracted a number of acres myself.

Talk about THE TOUGHEST Job you'll ever HATE!! Good money, but man..lots of hard work...Nothing like FULL PULL!! :)

Dan
 
Detassled???? Holy crappers...mother of.....I haven't heard that word in a long long time...man that WAS my summer job growing up in Rural Iowa. I worked on both large "bus" size detassling crews, as well as contracted a number of acres myself.

Talk about THE TOUGHEST Job you'll ever HATE!! Good money, but man..lots of hard work...Nothing like FULL PULL!! :)

Dan

great money when I was 14! But man, those 1/2 mile rows were killers...

Were you on an Oetting's crew?
 
LOL..boy you are bringing back memories...actually my last 2 years were working for the big "O-TEAM"....I was a crew chief..so my detassling days were done, but I had a very successful crew that worked for me those last two years while I was Crew Chief for Oettings.

Dan
 
Crew chief - ah yes; the 17-18 year olds on the crew!!! good god, I didn't eat corn for two years after doing that!!

I heard Oetting's went out of business eventually...my folks worked with some of their family (yeah, an in-bred Nebraska thing).

Sometimes I'll still hear a cetain cadence of "pop, pop, pop, pop" and look around for tassels being popped!

But, I don't miss corn-smut or errant crop-dusters!
 
wait - I think I hijacked my own thread!!

Enough about slave labor jobs I had at 14.

any mead advice? I'd still like to know more about racking, clearing, aging...
 
What exactly are you wanting to know about racking, clearing and aging?

IMO, Rack it when it drops below 1.010 and then every time there is 1/4-1/2" of lees. Clear it naturally, by letting it sit on the carboy until you can read a newspaper through it. And age it for as long as you can stand (at least 5 or 6 months preferably), and then enjoy your brew.
 
What exactly are you wanting to know about racking, clearing and aging?

IMO, Rack it when it drops below 1.010 and then every time there is 1/4-1/2" of lees. Clear it naturally, by letting it sit on the carboy until you can read a newspaper through it. And age it for as long as you can stand (at least 5 or 6 months preferably), and then enjoy your brew.

That's exactly what I wanted to hear! thx! Only now I wish I started 6 months ago!
 
I racked off of the raspberries tonight; mainly 'cuz i'll be traveling for awhile and was a little worried about letting it sit on the fruit that long.

So, after 10 days; it's now reading 1.070. I'm assuming that's normal for a mead - plus I'm fermenting a little cooler than planned -- around 62-65. I've got it wrapped in a blanket, and will now start the patient wait. I'll probably check the gravity in another 10-14 days just to make sure it's not stuck.

I'm guessing mead's usually take at least a month or two to get to FG; not to mention clearing and aging.

thx.

AZ_Mead
 
Your raspberry mead is right about where mine was/is. I racked off the raspberries after 10 days, and measured S.G...and was right at 1.070. I just took another reading yesterday and it's sitting at 1.060 right now. Clearing nicely as well. I am going to let it sit another month to clear and do a few checks on the S.G...and then it should be ready to bottle.

Dan
 
I just took another reading yesterday and it's sitting at 1.060 right now. Clearing nicely as well.
Dan

You really have mead clearing at 1.060?
Is it like Raspberry Syrup or what? I've never had anything clear above 1.010, and it was just stuck.

If I'm not nuts (and we all know I am) 1.060 and enough time to clear = STUCK!
 
You really have mead clearing at 1.060?
Is it like Raspberry Syrup or what? I've never had anything clear above 1.010, and it was just stuck.

If I'm not nuts (and we all know I am) 1.060 and enough time to clear = STUCK!

I'm assuming that "clearing" is a relative term...

I appreciate all's input on this thread as it's my first mead, or whatever...I'm gonna let mine sit for another few weeks as long as there's some signs of fermentation and see where we're at. When I racked off the raspberries today I made it a point to stir up as much of the yeast as I could -- I'm not in clearing mode yet, I figured...
 
you are right BK...by clearing, I guess I mean that it's much clearer than where it started, but it does have a ways to go. I topped off with spring water at the last racking, and as I stated it's 1.060 at 63F...yes it is pretty sweet, but not syrupy. It's got a nice honey and raspberry taste right now..but I am gonna let it go as low as it can..I am hoping to hit at least 1.020 when all said and done..and then carbonate lightly.

Dan
 
Wow, I just did a blueberry mead using the staggered nutrient schedule and it went from 1.100 to 1.000 in 10 days! I just did a strawberry and blackberry mead 3 days ago and they are both down to 1.050 (from 1.100). You should do a search on this method...
 
Wow, I just did a blueberry mead using the staggered nutrient schedule and it went from 1.100 to 1.000 in 10 days! I just did a strawberry and blackberry mead 3 days ago and they are both down to 1.050 (from 1.100). You should do a search on this method...
Or, just read the FAQ sticky at the top of this forum... ;)
 
I suppose I'll answer my own question when I take a reading this week; but should I just go ahead and add some yeast energizer and nutrient? I was in Phx this weekend and stocked up at the LHBS...

I'm a little worried that this fermentation is going a little slow; but then again, it's my first mead (melamel), and I know these things take time!
 
I suppose I'll answer my own question when I take a reading this week; but should I just go ahead and add some yeast energizer and nutrient?
Actually, the reverse order would be best. Simply adding nutrients at any time one pleases is not the best practice. Adding too much, too late can contribute to problems (details are in the FAQs):
Too large an influx of nitrogen can also be harmful to the yeasts. It throws the cell's metabolism off-balance leading to flavor problems, nitrogen wasting, and can even "yeast suicide", and fermenting too fast a can generate enough heat to kill the yeast.

Lastly, it is not necessarily a good practice to add nitrogen to a sluggish or stuck fermentation because it won't help and it CAN hurt! The nitrogen will not be used by the yeasts, and the excess can cause the pH to rise and off favors to be developed by stimulating spoilage microbe growth.
Depending upon whose nutrient addition protocol you follow, nutrients should never be added beyond the 30% (or 50%) sugar break.
 
well the gravity is still dropping; albeit a little slow, so in typical frustration I wanted to do something.

I added 1/2 tsp. of yeast energizer and we'll see what happens.

And I thought mead was like the Ronco oven - set it and forget it!
 
well here it is so far...

IMG_10491.jpg
 
Actually that is a great looking batch of mead, give it 20X+ the time frame for brewing a beer and you will be happy.
My only problem in making mead was adjusting my brewing schedule for the long ferments. Then I said to heck with it and bought a few more carboys and kegs to bulk age it. Now the only problem is fridge space for the primary, oh and patience.
 
Actually that is a great looking batch of mead, give it 20X+ the time frame for brewing a beer and you will be happy.
My only problem in making mead was adjusting my brewing schedule for the long ferments. Then I said to heck with it and bought a few more carboys and kegs to bulk age it. Now the only problem is fridge space for the primary, oh and patience.

yup - I bought a 3-gallon carboy just for Apfelwein. Then I made this mead a couple weeks ago, and bought a new 3 gallon carboy just for Apfelwein (again) :rockin:
 
JV, it is bubbling.... I know I am a little late on the reply but after you added the ENERGIZER it is still steadily plodding along.

I swear it tastes just like Demotap or a myriad of cough syrups. Don't worry I am not drinking it, just when we took the gravity reading last time. Interested in tasting when it is finally ready.
 
well it's down to about 1.030 now - man this stuff takes a long time!

I know, I know -

beer = weeks/months from fermenting to drinking
mead = months/years from fermenting to drinking
 
Well you're already at 10%, but as long as it keeps on going you've got nothing to worry about. Can't wait to see how this turns out for you, especially after finishing my blueberry apple wine.
 
well it's down to about 1.030 now - man this stuff takes a long time!
Hey, I'm in the same boat, I hit 1.030 last weekend at 12% ABV, I hoping for 1.020 or below this weekend to rack to secondary. Then I can sit it into my storeroom and try to forget about it for 4 months at least.
 
Thanks for the continued feedback and info...

Here's my next question - will I need gelatin or something else to help this thing clear eventually do to the use of raspberries (well, fruit in general)?
 
Not necessarily, time will clear almost all meads and wines, but some may eventually need finings. I have used sparkaloid with great results.
 
... will I need gelatin or something else to help this thing clear eventually do to the use of raspberries (well, fruit in general)?
Whenever fruit is used, it can't hurt to use pectic enzyme.

Pectin is a type of carbohydrate found in fruits that serves as a structural member of the fruit.

In home brewing, pectin levels are usually kept low for two reasons. The first reason is clarity - a cosmetic issue. Pectin can cause haze. The second thing about pectin is that it impairs filtration. The reason for both is the large size of the molecule and the tendency for the molecule to form gels.

Pectic enzyme (pectinase) breaks the pectin molecule into smaller pieces.

It is possible to check for the presence of pectin by adding one part of the must to one part 70% alcohol in a clear glass container - iso-propanol (rubbing alcohol) works well and is cheap. The test will cause any pectin to gel - alcohol precipitates the pectin resulting in a jellylike substance. When this occurs, the sample will become cloudy, the pectin begins to precipitate, and will eventually settle on the bottom of the sample glass. The firmness of the precipitate is an indication of the amount of pectin present.
 
Thanks for the info hightest (and others)

I'll be picking up some pectin enzyme and sparkaloid (and hell, probably a few other carboys to get some more mead experiments going.....)
 
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