Quadruple-berry melomel

[gspot]

Work was cancelled today due to the impending winter storm, so what's a guy to do but make a mead. Triple berry mix and frozen strawberries from Sam's + local honey. Doing a multi step nutrient addition. Hoping to have it drinkable by summer.

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[TandemTails]

Awesome, I bet that will be a great summer drink.how many lbs of fruit and honey did you use?

 

[gspot]

10.5 lbs triple berry (3 pkgs), 5 lbs strawberries (1 pkg), and 15 lbs honey (1.25 gals). Still not fermenting 24 hours later. Might pitch a 2nd packet of d47 tomorrow if still no activity along with 2nd nutrient addition.

 

[ruger988]

10.5 lbs triple berry (3 pkgs), 5 lbs strawberries (1 pkg), and 15 lbs honey (1.25 gals). Still not fermenting 24 hours later. Might pitch a 2nd packet of d47 tomorrow if still no activity along with 2nd nutrient addition.

Maybe there aren't enough fermentable sugars in there....

 

[AkTom]

Gotta love storm days... Especially 8 months later.

 

[gspot]

Yeah, I'm a little dismayed at how much money I've thrown into the bucket: $42 for the honey and another $40 for the fruit. By far more expensive than any Beer I've brewed. Guess that's what I get for watching that BrewingTV episode on YouTube featuring Curt Stock who makes it look like it's no biggie. Sure hope it starts fermenting soon...

 

[JJack887]

Wait three days minimum. And don't sweat the price. 15 pounds of our local honey would run me $72. Sounds like a good mead, though.

 

[fuelish]

Might pitch a 2nd packet of d47 tomorrow if still no activity along with 2nd nutrient addition.

You DID pitch the first pack, yes??? (I keed, I keed) Hope it kicks off soon for ya....adding a second pack would cause no harm, perhaps make a small starter for the second pack??? Sounds like a decently high gravity mead

 

[madscientist451]

I always rehydrate dry yeast with some go-ferm before pitching. Some say just toss it in, but I like to see that the yeast is active before adding it.
I've been disappointed when using fruit in the primary of mead (or fruit wine) the fruit flavors and aromas are mostly lost in the fermentation process.
Adding pureed fruit to the secondary works better for me, perhaps yours will be different, you'll have to wait and see.

 

[fuelish]

I always rehydrate dry yeast with some go-ferm before pitching. Some say just toss it in, but I like to see that the yeast is active before adding it.
I've been disappointed when using fruit in the primary of mead (or fruit wine) the fruit flavors and aromas are mostly lost in the fermentation process.
Adding pureed fruit to the secondary works better for me, perhaps yours will be different, you'll have to wait and see.

Agree on the yeast ... as far as fruit, I kinda go in-between...I'll somethimes add juice to the must initially, but I'll wait until primary ferment nears the end and chuck my fruits/whatever in at that time....let that ferment out and then go to secondary/tertiary...works for me

 

[gspot]

Well I pitched another packet (rehydrated) along with a teaspoon of nutrient. When I made it on Thursday, the partially frozen fruit made for a very cold must--in the 40s. Today at least it's probably around 62. Perhaps that'll help get it kicked off.

 

[bob1852]

Well I pitched another packet (rehydrated) along with a teaspoon of nutrient. When I made it on Thursday, the partially frozen fruit made for a very cold must--in the 40s. Today at least it's probably around 62. Perhaps that'll help get it kicked off.

Yeah, that's why I always sulfite the must and let it sit a day when I use frozen berries. Yeast don't like ~40* must too much.

 

[fuelish]

I always thaw frozen fruit to ambient temp...no probs

 

[CKuhns]

I always thaw frozen fruit to ambient temp...no probs

Agree with the freeze and thaw to ambient - Fruit in secondary or when primary is nearly done works for me.

 

[gspot]

Well, that was an absolute disaster. Yesterday i "racked" it to secondary after about seven weeks in the primary. "Racked" is in quotes because that process couldn't be called a smooth error-free transfer. I made the crucial mistake of forgetting to put the fruit in a muslin bag when I made it, and I had to alternately suck and blow on the tubing trying to get the fruit pieces unstuck and the mead to flow. I ended up breaking two racking canes and having to pour it through a strainer, oxidizing it I'm sure. On the plus side, I got to taste it and it was already pretty good. Maybe, just maybe, it'll survive that harsh treatment yesterday and turn out Ok.

 

[JJack887]

You didn't use an auto-siphon? The end piece to those should prevent fruit pieces from entering the vinyl tubing. Sorry to hear that.

 

[gspot]

This is certainly one situation where that would have come in handy. I have never used one of those in 16 years of brewing... Maybe it's time to get one.

 

[Yeroc]

Maybe, just maybe, it'll survive that harsh treatment yesterday and turn out Ok.

Is your primary fermentation complete? Maybe add a bit more honey or some fruit juice to kick up secondary fermentation. Getting the yeast active again might help deal with any oxygen you picked up during transfer. Just a thought.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

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