Medjool Date Melomel?

Has anyone ever tried making a melomel with Medjool or Khadrawi dates? As in the fruit of the date palm? I searched the forum, and got no hits on Medjool and over 500 on Date Melomel, go figure. Just to let folks know I did search before starting a new thread.

Anyway, back on topic, what does anyone know about the Phoenix dactylifera? If I was going to "experiment" with a 1 gallon batch using 3lbs of honey, how much and how should I add Medjool dates to the mixture? Should I freeze them first? Pit them? Just throw them in whole? I can either use a 1 gallon glass jug or a 2 gallon plastic bucket to ferment if I use whole fruits.

I would normally use Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast and some DAP and Energizer. Is pH a concern with this fruit? I've been needing an excuse to buy a pH meter.

I've used dates in Ken Schramm's Falls Bounty Cyser, but I honestly didn't notice any added flavour from them, but that could also be due to the dates being added in a relatively small amount. I know there are recipes for date wine, but I've never tasted a date wine. Dates contain a good amount of sugar though & far as I know it's all fermentable, so this will add to your ABV.

I pitted & quartered my dates, I pit all stone fruits before fermenting. I also freeze/thaw and freeze/thaw fruit before fermenting. This helps to break down the cell walls & extracts more juice/flavour. I also like to use pectic enzyme, it helps to do the same thing. I'm guessing you'll be using at least 3lbs of fruit/gallon or more, so I'd primary in a bucket fermenter. Here's a link you may find useful: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques64.asp
Hope some of this info helps. Regards, GF.

Are the dates dried ? or fresh ?

Only because dried dates often have some slightly strange preservatives i.e. some sort of oil - and/or some chemical preservatives as well.....

If they turned out Ok, then I'd be thinking of using some in secondary (pitted and chopped in a mesh/muslin net), then some more in tertiary i.e. to steep the fruit to get some flavour of it..... again in a muslin/mesh bag, pitted and chopped.......

regards

fatbloke

gratus fermentatio said:

Here's a link you may find useful: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques64.asp
Hope some of this info helps. Regards, GF.

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Thanks, I follow Jack's wineblog using my Google Reader, but I didn't know this existed.

gratus fermentatio said:

I'm guessing you'll be using at least 3lbs of fruit/gallon or more

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Wow, I've always used a 1lb/gallon of fruit to 3lbs/gallon honey ratio. I've never tried that much fruit before. However, I usually weigh the fruit after pitting, skinning, stoning, freezing, etc. so I'm not weighing the "unprocessed" fruit. Only the portion that I use. Do you really think I should use 3lbs of dates and 3lbs of honey for a 1 gallon batch? I'm sure it won't be "bad", but it sure puts the cost of melomel right into the stratosphere.

fatbloke said:

Are the dates dried ? or fresh ?

Only because dried dates often have some slightly strange preservatives i.e. some sort of oil - and/or some chemical preservatives as well.....

If they turned out Ok, then I'd be thinking of using some in secondary (pitted and chopped in a mesh/muslin net), then some more in tertiary i.e. to steep the fruit to get some flavour of it..... again in a muslin/mesh bag, pitted and chopped.......

regards

fatbloke

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That makes sense. My wife made date squares this past weekend which gave me the idea. Personally, I think you may as well chug Castor oil. Has the same effect, if you catch my drift. hopefully you're upwind...

The dates she used say "Whole Fresh" on the package and I can't see any preservatives or any ingredients on the package. However, I have never seen them "spontaneously ferment", so there must be some preservative somewhere. Any ideas on how to proceed?

I honestly don't know how much flavour you'll get from dates. Go ahead & use the 1lb fruit : 3lbs honey; you can always add more fruit later if you want more date flavour. Regards, GF.