Attemptin Melomel

[Silver Wind]

Hello all, I'm looking at creating my first melomel though I need some help/advice if anybody is willing to do so. I am looking to make a 1 gallon batch of plum and a 1 gallon batch of blackberry.

So question number 1. When making a melomel do you have to take into account the natural sugars of the fruit when determining the amount of honey to use, or simply use as much honey as you would if it were a standard mead? (I'm looking for a wet sweet finish),

Question 2. I've seen people talk about "cap punching" and I understand what the cap is, but I'm unsure of how to actually break the cap on the melomel. Do you just shake/stir the brew until the cap is gone or is there some other method?

 

[Shine0n]

I swirl my melomel to keep the cap moist while degassing at the same time.
I'm also using fruit in the primary and secondary but I have significant loss due to so much fruit.

The amount of honey depends on how much sweetness you're after, and by your post you want a sweet mead. 1 gallon will have a good loss of volume due to fruit and racking but I'd mix up the honey and water to get 1.1 OG then add the fruit, remember though some if not alot of the base fruit flavors will be blown off by the co2 but not all, that's why I add to secondary to have more fruit flavors.

 

[Silver Wind]

I swirl my melomel to keep the cap moist while degassing at the same time.
I'm also using fruit in the primary and secondary but I have significant loss due to so much fruit.

The amount of honey depends on how much sweetness you're after, and by your post you want a sweet mead. 1 gallon will have a good loss of volume due to fruit and racking but I'd mix up the honey and water to get 1.1 OG then add the fruit, remember though some if not alot of the base fruit flavors will be blown off by the co2 but not all, that's why I add to secondary to have more fruit flavors.

Okay thanks! Anther question. If using a fruit purée as the fruit additive, should I put it in like a cheese cloth or anything of the sort or just mix it in with the must?

 

[Shine0n]

Imo the puree gives a great flavor with great loss when racking and I'm not sure how much would escape the mesh bag since I haven't used them but being puree I'm almost sure it would be significant.

I've been using whole fresh frozen fruits and they also turn to mush by the end of fermentation plus in the secondary so I loose quite a bit but not enough to stop me.

Try the bag and see what you think, it may not be bad at all but idk.

 

[CKuhns]

I have done lots of Melomels. None with a purchased puree so can't speak to that. Did a couple with my own purees that i pulsed the fruit in a food processor and one just mashed with a hand potato masher. The interesting thing is I almost always use a paint strainer bag for fruit. Did not for the purees.

Not only is there a significant amount of loss when racking i found that breaking or releasing the pectin made it difficult to clarify or clear even when adding pectic enzyme.

Interested in hearing how it turned out with the bag.