Joe's Quick Grape Mead

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

SuperiorBrew

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2007
Messages
1,672
Reaction score
48
Joe's Grape Mead / Pyment / Melomel

Ingredients
2 lbs Clover honey
1 oz buckwheat honey
64-oz Welch's Grape Juice with Vitamin C added- Make sure it has no preservatives in ingredients other than Vitamin C added (A.K.A. Absorbic Acid)
Balance water if you need it to make 1 gallon after adding honey mixed in water (don't use too much water in honey mix or you'll end up with more than you bargained for.
Lalvin EC-1118


Methods/steps
Just finished bottling my first Grape Mead Melomel or Pyment whatever one wishes to call it and it was started on November 4th and is simply wonderful to drink already. It was ready in 5 weeks!
Thought I would share my recipe with you, as it is the youngest best tasting, quick mead I have had thus far. Too bad

It will ferment super fast to dry (about 13% alcohol) because of type of yeast and all the nutrients and natural sugars in Welch's grape juice. It should be to SG =1.000 or less in 14- 21 days max.
Rack to clean carboy over mixture of 6-oz honey, 6-oz Welch's grape juice, 1/2t of Sorbate and 1/2 crushed campden tablet.
It will stabilize and clear fast. Let it clear and set for another 2 weeks and it will be ready to bottle and drink.
It will be medium sweet but smooth and drinkable right away. If you want it semi sweet use 4-oz honey instead of 6-oz / gal.
The only reason I used the Campden (Sulphite) is because my understanding is that using both Potassium Sorbate and Sulphite together will definitely inhibit renewed fermentation and it did for me.
Color is deep red, has nice legs on sides of glass after swirling, good nose and great balanced taste) Just don't tell everybody you used Welch's. I won't. Because the juice is clear to start, clearing is naturally fast, fast, fast.

I found this recipe at gotmead.com and since Joe's Ancient Orange Mead turned out so good I mad another batch of that and a batch of this today.


2186338890101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

2401388210101759406S600x600Q85.jpg


2088298840101759406S600x600Q85.jpg
 
SuperiorBrew said:
Joe's Grape Mead / Pyment / Melomel

Ingredients
2 lbs Clover honey
1 oz buckwheat honey
64-oz Welch's Grape Juice with Vitamin C added- Make sure it has no preservatives in ingredients other than Vitamin C added (A.K.A. Absorbic Acid)
Balance water if you need it to make 1 gallon after adding honey mixed in water (don't use too much water in honey mix or you'll end up with more than you bargained for.
Lalvin EC-1118


Methods/steps
Just finished bottling my first Grape Mead Melomel or Pyment whatever one wishes to call it and it was started on November 4th and is simply wonderful to drink already. It was ready in 5 weeks!
Thought I would share my recipe with you, as it is the youngest best tasting, quick mead I have had thus far. Too bad

It will ferment super fast to dry (about 13% alcohol) because of type of yeast and all the nutrients and natural sugars in Welch's grape juice. It should be to SG =1.000 or less in 14- 21 days max.
Rack to clean carboy over mixture of 6-oz honey, 6-oz Welch's grape juice, 1/2t of Sorbate and 1/2 crushed campden tablet.
It will stabilize and clear fast. Let it clear and set for another 2 weeks and it will be ready to bottle and drink.
It will be medium sweet but smooth and drinkable right away. If you want it semi sweet use 4-oz honey instead of 6-oz / gal.
The only reason I used the Campden (Sulphite) is because my understanding is that using both Potassium Sorbate and Sulphite together will definitely inhibit renewed fermentation and it did for me.
Color is deep red, has nice legs on sides of glass after swirling, good nose and great balanced taste) Just don't tell everybody you used Welch's. I won't. Because the juice is clear to start, clearing is naturally fast, fast, fast.

I found this recipe at gotmead.com and since Joe's Ancient Orange Mead turned out so good I mad another batch of that and a batch of this today.


2186338890101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

2401388210101759406S600x600Q85.jpg


2088298840101759406S600x600Q85.jpg

how's it coming along? i am thinking of making this... do you think it will turn out as good as JAOM?

also, where did you get the top that allows you to connect the airlock to the welch's juice bottle?
 
Its coming along nicely, looks like its just starting to clear a little. You can either melt a hole in and just use the airlock, or grind a hole in thats large enough for a small drilled stopper. I used a Dremmel because they don't drill too well.
 
Whoever wrote this recipe did a piss poor job. The instructions do not even mention what to do with the buckwheat honey.

However with that said I have a 1 gallon batch in its 4th week....
 
kebrown said:
Whoever wrote this recipe did a piss poor job. The instructions do not even mention what to do with the buckwheat honey.

Put it in the primary with the rest of the ingredients??

We should give proper credit to Joe Mattioli for this recipe. A lot of people, me included, have been successful with Joe's recipes. Joe is the same man who developed the famous Ancient Orange Mead.
 
kebrown said:
Whoever wrote this recipe did a piss poor job. The instructions do not even mention what to do with the buckwheat honey.

However with that said I have a 1 gallon batch in its 4th week....

I think Joe assumed that whoever would follow his recipe would be able to figure that part out.

I put mine on a bagel :D
 
SuperiorBrew said:
I think Joe assumed that whoever would follow his recipe would be able to figure that part out.

I put mine on a bagel :D

well started up my own batch today. didnt have the buckwheat honey... not sure what to do.. perhaps i should backsweeten with it???
 
I think it both adds a little bolder flavor and I am sure I read they added it for the extra nutrients of something it had. I wouldnt swear to that but I do remember it did serve another purpose in ther.

All that being said I'm sure you will be fine with out it.
 
I believe his last name is Mattioli and you were right to add both sorbate and sulfite as sorbate usually doesnt work unless there is a sufficient amount of free S02.
 
I was wondering about how to get by not adding sulphites, I have a friend that is allergic to them.


thanks
 
I was wondering about how to get by not adding sulphites, I have a friend that is allergic to them.


thanks

Leave it dry and bottle without the sulphites.
I don't think you can safely back-sweeten with honey without them.
You may however be able to make a sweet mead using non fermentable sugar like lactose or Splenda. This will not be the same as sweetening with honey.

Craig
 
Instead of adding the honey/sulphites step could I just leave this in the primary longer, then prime with corn sugar and bottle? I usually dont like to change the recipe but I dont have the Sulphites or campden tabs and no LHBS. Also how about D-47 or Montrachet yeast? (I just ordered some brewig stuff before I saw this recipe, darn it!)
 
How did this batch turn out? I know it was almost a year ago...I just started a batch of this today, followed the recipe from Got Mead - Mead (honeywine) making, mead drinking, mead recipes. My interpretation was that the juice and honey was to be topped up to 1 gallon with water. From your picture it looks like you didn't do this. Did it still turn out ok? Do you remember what your SG was?

For a 1 gallon batch I pulled an SG of 1.100 using a little over 2 lbs of honey, 64oz of grape juice, and about 6 cups of water to make it 1 gallon. I did substitute K1V-1116 as I didn't have any EC-1118 on hand, hopefully this won't make a difference in the quick fermentation and clearing time as the wifey and I are looking forward to this being ready in only 5 weeks.
 
Well I took a sample from the batch I made today, hasn't even been a full three weeks yet and this stuff is be-a-utiful. I can see many more of this being made in the immediate future. I'm gonna check the SG tomorrow and if it's low enough I'll be racking to start clearing. Already have plans to start a 5 gallon batch the beginning of march.
 
Instead of adding the honey/sulphites step could I just leave this in the primary longer, then prime with corn sugar and bottle? I usually dont like to change the recipe but I dont have the Sulphites or campden tabs and no LHBS. Also how about D-47 or Montrachet yeast? (I just ordered some brewig stuff before I saw this recipe, darn it!)

The sulphites and sorbate step stabilize the mead to prevent renewed fermentation and then adding the additional honey makes a sweet mead. If you will to make a dry sparkling mead you could do as you propose and prime before bottling without stabilization.

I think D-47 is an excellent yeast for mead. Montrachet should work fine also.

Craig
 
Just racked my batch of quick grape mead into a secondary, on top of potassium sorbate, campden tablet, and honey. Took a sample while doing so and it was very yummy. I also dropped the sample from the hydrometer into a half full glass of apfelwein on accident, but it tasted freakin awesome...definitely some grape-apfelwein-mead experimenting coming up in the future. grapefelmead anyone?
 
The sulphites and sorbate step stabilize the mead to prevent renewed fermentation and then adding the additional honey makes a sweet mead. If you will to make a dry sparkling mead you could do as you propose and prime before bottling without stabilization.

I think D-47 is an excellent yeast for mead. Montrachet should work fine also.

Craig

Thanks Craig! :mug:
 
I just made a batch last night and my airlock is pretty much full! Give yourself some head space - especially if you use EC-1118. I guess you could probably short yourself a couple cups of water, and then top off in a week or so when the major activity ceases...
 
I made 5 gallons of this back on december 16th. I was in the process of moving and left this it my old house in january so I didn't get a chance to rack it and back sweeten with more juice and honey. I went there this weekend to pick up some other stuff I left behind and decided to bottle it, got 26 bottles :). Popped a bottle open last night to get a feel for it. It has a very nice nose and pleasant taste. However I feel it is extremely dry, I don't know if it's the acidity of the Welche's but man it's like cotton mouth city. I'll let the other bottles sit for a while before I pop open another one.
 
The 1 gallon batch I made in february only lasted a week once bottled...I started another 1 gallon batch this week, hopefully will be able to do a five gallon batch sometime this month. Everyone who's tasted this loves it; it's not too sweet, not too dry, has a nice grape taste too it and gets you really derunkerd really kewick. A glass of this followed by a glass of apfelwein will set you down for the night...or get your swmbo to do wild and crazy things :D The batch I just made I only used 1.5 pounds of honey with 1 gallon juice/water mixture. The abv will only be 10% instead of 18%, I'm gonna see how the texture/taste differs.


I made 5 gallons of this back on december 16th. I was in the process of moving and left this it my old house in january so I didn't get a chance to rack it and back sweeten with more juice and honey. I went there this weekend to pick up some other stuff I left behind and decided to bottle it, got 26 bottles :). Popped a bottle open last night to get a feel for it. It has a very nice nose and pleasant taste. However I feel it is extremely dry, I don't know if it's the acidity of the Welche's but man it's like cotton mouth city. I'll let the other bottles sit for a while before I pop open another one.

I believe the racking onto juice/honey as well as the campden and sorbates is a crucial part to making this a quick mead. It makes it very good, and very drinkable, very quickly.
 
I just made this today in a two gallon bucket. I told my cousin I was not sure if the final must was one gallon but I know it's close. He informed me that mead is not supposed to have head space when fermenting. My first mead was made in the same bucket and fermented normally(it's degassing in a Carlo Rossi jug before I age it in bottles for 3 months). Pitched yeast at 6 and no activity 3 hours later. Should I buy another 64oz of grape juice and 3# of honey and make this a two gallon batch? Or should I just chill out and drink a beer?
 
I just made this today in a two gallon bucket. I told my cousin I was not sure if the final must was one gallon but I know it's close. He informed me that mead is not supposed to have head space when fermenting. My first mead was made in the same bucket and fermented normally(it's degassing in a Carlo Rossi jug before I age it in bottles for 3 months). Pitched yeast at 6 and no activity 3 hours later. Should I buy another 64oz of grape juice and 3# of honey and make this a two gallon batch? Or should I just chill out and drink a beer?

yes, chill out and drink a beer -- or two....:mug:
 
While drinking your beer, answer these questions: What kind of yeast did you use? Did you make sure the grape juice didn't have any preservatives? These are the only two things that could muck up this recipe, although the only yeast that wouldn't work well with this would be bread yeast as it would die out too quickly...but definitely a high alcohol yeast is recommended. Preservatives in juice would kill it. If you're okay on both of those points, give the juice a shakin and let it be; it should bubble up in no time.
 
I used EC-1118 and followed the recipe like it said. I cleaned and sanitized everything. 24 hours later, it is only bubbling occasionally. If fermentation does not pick up by tomorrow morning, I am going to double the recipe to fill the rest of the bucket and pitch re-hydrated EC-1118. Unless someone thinks that is a bad idea...
 
Doubling a recipe as good is this can't possibly be a bad idea, as long as you're careful about oxidation and sanitation and whatnot. I'm planning on making a 5 gallon batch of this by the end of the month.
 
Has anyone tried using white grape juice with this recipe? I want to make it but have more of a fan base for whites rather then reds.....got a great deal on organic grape juice...was courious to know if anyone else had experience with white???
thanks
anthony
 
White grape juice should work, though it may not clear as quickly. Be sure you're using grape juice, not grape juice cocktail as these have a lot of extra things you don't want. A good general rule is to avoid juices with anything other than juice, water, and vitamins(no preservatives). If you do make a white grape juice mead, let us know how quick the fermentation and clearing goes..I'd like to know.

The last 1 gallon batch I made with 1.5lb honey turned out just as good as every other batch, but wasn't quite as knock-you-on-your-ass strong as previous versions. If it was just slightly higher I think it would have been best. I'm hoping to make a 2 gallon batch tomorrow, gonna use 4 lbs honey with 128oz juice and top up with water. Hopefully it will end up right around 15%, right in between the two percentages I've made in the past...I'll report back my results, as usual.

[EDIT]Just checked, don't have any 1118 on hand so I'll be using K1-V1116.[/EDIT]
 
Just finished making my 2 gallon batch with 128oz grape juice(2x64oz) and 4.5lbs clover honey. The og was 1.100, which should yield right around 14% abv, pretty much what I was shooting for.

Here's some meadporn:

5-6-09_all.jpg
 
I'm seriously considering using this recipe to make some cheap drinkin stuff...

As far as the ale yeast? Which one? I doubt it... I would stick toe the 1118
 
My 1-gallon batch of this turned out so well that I'm making a 5-gallon today. :)

Mine came out a lot dryer than I expected, though, and I think the potassium sorbate+1/2 campden tablet didn't stop fermentation as the second bottle (aged a month) tasted much dryer than the first. Still, it's an easy recipe, and it's been popular with everyone who's tried - I'll just make sure I backsweeten properly this time, instead of guesstimating (I used 1/2 a 12 oz. honey bear for my 6 oz. backsweeten - think I might have gotten the amount a bit off).
 
Quick question - can I do the primary fermentation for a 1-gallon batch in a 2-gallon bucket? Will the extra headspace give rise to any problems? I plan to do the secondary fermentation in a 1-gallon carboy.
 
would ale yeast work?
Any yeast will work and give its own unique characteristics. The EC-1118 is recommended because it has a high alcohol tolerance. K1-V1116 is another good one, made for high alcohols. If you use a yeast not specifically bred for higher alcohols you could end up with some off flavors. You could try ale yeast and post the results here(og, fg, tasing notes)


when you backsweeten, do you need to dissolve the honey, or can u just add it to the carboy?
I just warm up the honey enough to liquify it and dump it into the secondary, then mix well with the first 1-2 cups of mead being racked.

Quick question - can I do the primary fermentation for a 1-gallon batch in a 2-gallon bucket? Will the extra headspace give rise to any problems? I plan to do the secondary fermentation in a 1-gallon carboy.

Headspace doesn't matter in primary, only in secondary. That being said, I have had this sitting in secondary with looooots of head space and not had any problems because the clearing time is so quick.
 
I started a batch on April 26 and now I have a question. I used 3 lbs. of Orange Blossom honey instead of the Clover and Buckwheat honey, and Lalvin D-47 yeast. I intended to follow the recipe, but two weeks into fermentation I realized I accidentally dumped all 3 lbs. of honey into the primary. The gravity on May 10 was 1.020. This past weekend the gravity was down to 1.016. I didn't take an OG reading.

Should I let this go until it stops fermenting and clears? It has not started to clear yet.


Thanks,
Jim
 
I racked to the secondary about a week ago. When I did that, I placed the sorbate and crushed campden tablet in first, then the honey, then the grape juice, then the mead. I took a look today and noticed sludge on the bottom that looks a lot like honey. Is it possible the honey did not mix in with the mead during racking? Should I give it a few quick stirs to mix it in better? The mead is still fermenting a little bit so I am wondering if the sorbate and campden did not do their job since they are under the honey.
 
I made a batch of this about 40 days ago and finally tasted it before planning on bottling it. After noticing a rocketfuel quality, i reracked to another secondary. I followed the recipe exactly and backsweetened with the semisweet amount, using the proper amounts of Campden and sorbate. I was skeptical of getting a drinkable mead in 35 days and now I'm convinced it's not possible. Am I unlucky/crappy or have people gotten good results after the minimal time?
 
Back
Top