Cherry Melomel

[bob1852]

This thread explains the details: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/cherry-melomel-started-159408/

but here's the mead pr0n

Cherries

Pitting Cherries

Melomel

Fermenting

Done with Primary

Secondary (another ~5lbs cherries)

March 1

 

[riored4v]

never had a melomel before, but that looks damn tasty

 

[bierhaus15]

Um, so how much would a bottle of that cost me?? Seriously, that looks delicious!

 

[Tilldeath]

agreed, would love to see what this tastes like.

 

[homebrewer_99]

I made a Cherry Melomel last year.

I brewed it on 22 May and bottled on 22 Nov 2009.

OG: 1.090
FG: 1.001

9.345% ABW, 11.681% ABV

Very pretty in the glass and tastes more like a wine.

I'm drinking a Prickly Pear Mead that I made sometime in 2007. It's mellowed out a lot. It used to have a thick aloe-type flavor to it. It's mostly gone now. Very tasty.

 

[bob1852]

never had a melomel before, but that looks damn tasty

make one! It's easier than beer! Just takes a lot longer!

Um, so how much would a bottle of that cost me?? Seriously, that looks delicious!

It will hopefully be very delicious in a year or so!

agreed, would love to see what this tastes like.

Once I bottle this, I'm gonna hide at least 80% of the bottles so I don't try them for a year. I made a raspberry melomel 11/07 (bottled 3/08) that I wish I kept more of. I have a sixer left that I'm holding on to for as long as I can.

I made a Cherry Melomel last year.

I brewed it on 22 May and bottled on 22 Nov 2009.

OG: 1.090
FG: 1.001

9.345% ABW, 11.681% ABV

Very pretty in the glass and tastes more like a wine.

I'm drinking a Prickly Pear Mead that I made sometime in 2007. It's mellowed out a lot. It used to have a thick aloe-type flavor to it. It's mostly gone now. Very tasty.

What kind of honey and cherries did you use Bill?

 

[homebrewer_99]

I use local honey from the health food store.

Recipe is basically:

11 lbs (almost 1 gallon)
2 lbs Corn Sugar
5 tsp Yeast Nutrient
46 oz (1.36 liter) Montmorancy Cherry Juice (from Fareway)
1 vial WLP720 Sweet Mead Yeast
top off to 5.5 gals

Ferment out for 1 month then rack.

Add 1 can (3 lbs, 1 oz) of Oregon Sweet Cherry Puree.

Ferment out for 1 month then rack.

Add 2 lbs (frozen) Bing Cherries.

Ferment out for 1 month then rack off of trub.

Let bulk age and clear for 4 months.

OK, those comments are from my notes.

I also noted that I would make changes next time like not using the cherry juice and use some Cherry Pie Filling (why? I don't know...there were just comments I made while sampling)

You can do anything different.

My coworker (winemaker) says it tastes like a good Merlot. I think she's gotten 3 bottles from me already so she would know. She got the 3rd bottle this week since it was her birthday.

 

[bob1852]

nice! good recipe. sounds great! I hope mine turns out as well!

 

[homebrewer_99]

You and everyone you share it with...

 

[Whiskey]

Melomels are freaking fantastic. I have a buddy who owns a Meadery in Ohio (Brothers Drake fine Meads) their Scarlet Solstice melomel is possibly my most favorite drink on the planet.

 

[svengoat]

soooooo thirsty....

 

[Chuck_Swillery]

Yeah, live in the Cherry Capital and there's a honey farm within a mile of my house... guess I'd better get busy!

 

[winstonofbeer]

Ya that looks really good.
Might have to get some stuff together and try it.

 

[bob1852]

I bottled today finally, and here's how she looks

 

[Hellfish76]

That looks absolutely beautiful! Hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Good work!

 

[InYerMouth]

Thats Awesome!!! I currently have a sherry melomel going that I just put in secondary. Did you add any extract or anything? I had 10lbs tart cherries in primary, and just racked on to an extra 5 last week. Right now mine seems very very light as compared to yours?? Im at 14.9% so I stabilized going into secondary. Im hoping the 5lbs will back sweeten and darken up a little bit.

Any suggestions of how you got that beautiful color?

 

[bob1852]

Thats Awesome!!! I currently have a sherry melomel going that I just put in secondary. Did you add any extract or anything? I had 10lbs tart cherries in primary, and just racked on to an extra 5 last week. Right now mine seems very very light as compared to yours?? Im at 14.9% so I stabilized going into secondary. Im hoping the 5lbs will back sweeten and darken up a little bit.

Any suggestions of how you got that beautiful color?

Pure luck

What kinda cherries did you use?

 

[InYerMouth]

Pure luck

What kinda cherries did you use?

Canned Oregon Red Tart Cherries....with the water....

I hope I get as lucky as you did!! lol

 

[CaliBrewin]

OMG that looks tasty

 

[winstonofbeer]

I wish i could have a sample so i knew if i like it before i made it...
Then again, It looks so good!!!!

Hmmmm Might be a good winter project soon as i get this bathroom remodel done.

 

[JoshuaWhite5522]

looks very good, did you use any fining agents, like sparkeloid? Or did you just let time and careful racking do the work? Also ho much mead did you loose to the fruit? My Rapberry and Blackberry melomels lost about a third.

 

[bob1852]

looks very good, did you use any fining agents, like sparkeloid? Or did you just let time and careful racking do the work? Also ho much mead did you loose to the fruit? My Rapberry and Blackberry melomels lost about a third.

Just time.....and three rackings after I got it off the fruit.

It was a three gallon batch, and yeah, I lost almost a gallon because of fruit. What I did was make a gallon of show mead at the same time (3lbs orange blossom honey, water to one gallon, same yeast, etc.), and when I racked off the fruit I topped off with the show mead (and then racked the rest of the show mead into a 64oz growler so I could keep headspace down and use it again during further rackings. It seemed to work.