Guys, I just wanted to take a moment and post a recipe that I just "tasted" tonight after a number of long months waiting in anticipation. This is a Blueberry Mead(sweet) that is absolutely outstanding! It is from a member that goes by MGAYER here on HBT. I have come to know Mark via PM's and emails and must give credit where credit is due. This recipe is his, with just a few minor additions of my own. I HIGHLY suggest anyone looking for a good, fruit mead, to give this one a try, and patiently wait..it's worth it. I promise.
Here's the recipe: (to make 5 gallons)
10 lbs Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
16 lbs of honey (I used clover)
5 tsp yeast nutrients
2 tsp yeast energizer
3/4 tsp Pectic enzyme
5 campden tablets (or 1/4 tsp. potassium metabisulphite)
3 packets of Lavlin D47 yeast.
4 oz bottle of blueberry flavoring (no fermentables packed in alcohol)
Mix 13 lbs of honey with 1 gallon of water. Shake until your arms are tired..or about 5 minutes. I use about a half gallon of hot (not boiling) water from the tap per half gallon of honey. Pour into fermentor and add one gallon of room temp water. Add nutrients, energizer, pectic enzyme and crushed campden tablets. Allow the blueberries to completely thaw if using frozen..then mash them with your hands so you crush and split the skins. Add the blueberries to the Must and cover with a cloth for 24 hours.
Make a yeast starter witha cup of water and a cup of the must, around 84 degrees. Add the yeast and make sure it is working. Pitch the yeast after 30 minutes and then stir the Must to suspend.
Top off, but be careful how much water you add as the blueberries will rise to the surface and start to expand and swell up. Cover the fermentor with a towel (NOT AIRLOCK) or some other material that can breathe. You need LOTS of O2 right now. Stir the Must and punch the cap down every day for the next 10-12 days. After this rack off into secondary and again top off with water. Put on the airlock and let sit. rack this every 30 days for the next 4 months (yes 4 months!) Add 1 pound of honey for the first 3 rackings for a sweeter mead. It should NOT be in the dry range. The yeast should take this to about 14.5% ABV..before it is overwhelmed.
This Must should start to clear and fermentation finished by around 4 months. Age as needed, and I recommend bulk aging.
My schedule was as follows:
Starting temp: 72F
Date: 11/05/08
O.G. = 1.141
1st racking was: 11/17/08 (1.113) added 1 pound honey
2nd racking was: 12/16/08 1 pound of honey added
3rd racking was: 01/12/09 1 pound honey added + 2oz. natural blueberry flavor
4th racking 2/14/09..added 2 oz of natural blueberry flavor and racked into 5 gallon corney keg...shielded with c02 to purge oxygen..and bulk age.
Today(03/31/09)...ramped co2 up to 8psi..and drew off a glass of chilled mead. WONDERFUL.
I cannot tell you how GOOD this tastes. Great purple color, nice honey aroma and flavor mixed with a good blueberry nose..not overwhelming at all. Light, crisp taste. did I say how good this is????? Oh yeah...I've had two glasses now and am feeling a buzz already.
Again, Great great recipe..and I highly recommend this one to you all. It is definitely worth the little bit of waiting time.
Dan
Here's the recipe: (to make 5 gallons)
10 lbs Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
16 lbs of honey (I used clover)
5 tsp yeast nutrients
2 tsp yeast energizer
3/4 tsp Pectic enzyme
5 campden tablets (or 1/4 tsp. potassium metabisulphite)
3 packets of Lavlin D47 yeast.
4 oz bottle of blueberry flavoring (no fermentables packed in alcohol)
Mix 13 lbs of honey with 1 gallon of water. Shake until your arms are tired..or about 5 minutes. I use about a half gallon of hot (not boiling) water from the tap per half gallon of honey. Pour into fermentor and add one gallon of room temp water. Add nutrients, energizer, pectic enzyme and crushed campden tablets. Allow the blueberries to completely thaw if using frozen..then mash them with your hands so you crush and split the skins. Add the blueberries to the Must and cover with a cloth for 24 hours.
Make a yeast starter witha cup of water and a cup of the must, around 84 degrees. Add the yeast and make sure it is working. Pitch the yeast after 30 minutes and then stir the Must to suspend.
Top off, but be careful how much water you add as the blueberries will rise to the surface and start to expand and swell up. Cover the fermentor with a towel (NOT AIRLOCK) or some other material that can breathe. You need LOTS of O2 right now. Stir the Must and punch the cap down every day for the next 10-12 days. After this rack off into secondary and again top off with water. Put on the airlock and let sit. rack this every 30 days for the next 4 months (yes 4 months!) Add 1 pound of honey for the first 3 rackings for a sweeter mead. It should NOT be in the dry range. The yeast should take this to about 14.5% ABV..before it is overwhelmed.
This Must should start to clear and fermentation finished by around 4 months. Age as needed, and I recommend bulk aging.
My schedule was as follows:
Starting temp: 72F
Date: 11/05/08
O.G. = 1.141
1st racking was: 11/17/08 (1.113) added 1 pound honey
2nd racking was: 12/16/08 1 pound of honey added
3rd racking was: 01/12/09 1 pound honey added + 2oz. natural blueberry flavor
4th racking 2/14/09..added 2 oz of natural blueberry flavor and racked into 5 gallon corney keg...shielded with c02 to purge oxygen..and bulk age.
Today(03/31/09)...ramped co2 up to 8psi..and drew off a glass of chilled mead. WONDERFUL.
I cannot tell you how GOOD this tastes. Great purple color, nice honey aroma and flavor mixed with a good blueberry nose..not overwhelming at all. Light, crisp taste. did I say how good this is????? Oh yeah...I've had two glasses now and am feeling a buzz already.
Again, Great great recipe..and I highly recommend this one to you all. It is definitely worth the little bit of waiting time.
Dan