Banana mead.

[Dralarms]

I tested a little banana wine and honey mead together and it was some kind of good. Decided to try a banana mead.

50 lbs bananas (peeled and frozen)
11 LB 5 oz honey
Water to 5 gallons
Ec1118 yeast.

 

[Blacksmith1]

For your next batch take a look at the banana wine recipe in the recipes section. Trading out honey for the sugar would probably work.

 

[Dralarms]

I make banana wine all the time usually in 12 to 15 gallon batches. I wanted to try something different this time.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Your recipe just seems a bit heavy at 50 lbs for a five gallon batch is all. I'm in the early stages of my first banana wine, so I may not be the best judge....

 

[Dralarms]

Your recipe just seems a bit heavy at 50 lbs for a five gallon batch is all. I'm in the early stages of my first banana wine, so I may not be the best judge....

Oh I’ll get more than 5 gallons. Closer to 12.

 

[Dralarms]

Oh and when I make banana wine I usually use 130 lbs, about 1 to 1.5 gallons of apple juice (just for liquid), and get 12 to 14 gallons.

 

[SKBugs]

I have just racked the strawberry cabana (found in the recipe section). I used about 1/2 pounds of bananas for about 4 gallons. I peeled half of the bunch and then cut them all in half.
After 3 weeks there is a banana smell which is nice and a good banana taste on the back end of a sip.
The strawberry on the other hand will need some work i think.

 

[RPh_Guy]

Water to 5 gallons

Oh I’ll get more than 5 gallons. Closer to 12.

so confused

 

[Dralarms]

so confused

The frozen bananas will liquify. I’ll take a picture this morning before i stir.

 

[Beer666]

The frozen bananas will liquify. I’ll take a picture this morning before i stir.

Look forward to seeing a photo. How long does it take to be drinkable?

 

[Dralarms]

This is a 20 gallon container.

 

[NeverDie]

When it comes to mead, isn't the usual advice to add the fruit in secondary rather than primary?

 

[Dralarms]

Hadn’t heard that

 

[RPh_Guy]

So, you add the honey, and then enough water to make 5 gallons, and then add the bananas, which makes about 12 gallons total?

 

[Dralarms]

So, you add the honey, and then enough water to make 5 gallons, and then add the bananas, which makes about 12 gallons total?

That’s actually a guess, I don’t worry about yield. I was guessing about 12. But looking at it today it might be more. Freezing bananas and adding plenty of pectic enzyme sure causes them to break down better.

 

[Dralarms]

Look forward to seeing a photo. How long does it take to be drinkable?

I like to wait 6 to 8 months. But it’s drinkable on day one. Just gets better with some age under its belt

 

[RPh_Guy]

50lbs of water is 6 gallons, and bananas are more dense (after removing the air), so you should have under 11 gallons, total. I am curious about the yield though.

Hope it's delicious.

 

[Dralarms]

50lbs of water is 6 gallons, and bananas are more dense (after removing the air), so you should have under 11 gallons, total. I am curious about the yield though.

Hope it's delicious.

My first banana mead. But I make banana wine all the time. It’s very good. However the way the sugar in the bananas ferments it seems to be stronger than a normal wine.

 

[bob1852]

Many of the mead calculators assume that ~10lbs of fruit will end up yielding ~1 gallon of additional liquid, so the calculations from the OP are in the ballpark....

 

[Dralarms]

Many of the mead calculators assume that ~10lbs of fruit will end up yielding ~1 gallon of additional liquid, so the calculations from the OP are in the ballpark....

Didn’t know that, was just guessing with the amount of liquid I already have.

 

[Seamonkey84]

When it comes to mead, isn't the usual advice to add the fruit in secondary rather than primary?

That kind of depends when it comes to mead. From everything I’ve read, adding fruit to the primary will make it more wine like, while adding fruit to secondary will keep more of the fruit flavor. Like tasting a mead with some juice added for flavor vs a wine made from that juice with honey as the sugar source. If adding it to primary, there’s the toss up between adding the chosen pounds of fruit to the gallons of mead/must, or including the amount of fruit to make the target volume.
Adding it to primary means you need to manage the cap that the floating fruit creates as it ferments, which isn’t usually an issue with mead. Adding it to secondary has the benefit of the alcohol to prevent infection if you didn’t sanitize the fruit properly.

 

[NeverDie]

That kind of depends when it comes to mead. From everything I’ve read, adding fruit to the primary will make it more wine like, while adding fruit to secondary will keep more of the fruit flavor. Like tasting a mead with some juice added for flavor vs a wine made from that juice with honey as the sugar source. If adding it to primary, there’s the toss up between adding the chosen pounds of fruit to the gallons of mead/must, or including the amount of fruit to make the target volume.
Adding it to primary means you need to manage the cap that the floating fruit creates as it ferments, which isn’t usually an issue with mead. Adding it to secondary has the benefit of the alcohol to prevent infection if you didn’t sanitize the fruit properly.

Exactly. Good summation. We must be reading the same writings!

 

[Seamonkey84]

With how cheap bananas are, I might as well give this a try too, but I BOMM all my current wines so I wonder if I need to still add the potassium source.

 

[Dralarms]

With how cheap bananas are, I might as well give this a try too, but I BOMM all my current wines so I wonder if I need to still add the potassium source.

Ok. That a new analogy on me. What is “BOMM”?

 

[Maylar]

Ok. That a new analogy on me. What is “BOMM”?

BOMM - Bray's One Month Mead. See the sticky at the top of this forum.

 

[Dralarms]

BOMM - Bray's One Month Mead. See the sticky at the top of this forum.

Oh, lol. Just chalk it up to the new guy

 

[Seamonkey84]

It’s a specific nutrients protocol using wyeast 1388 to make a mead that is good/drinkable in one month, vs waiting a year or more for it to mellow out.
The post pinned at the top of the forum is a wonder but long read. His website has all the most updated info. Good start right here https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/mead-making-practices-mistakes/

 

[Dralarms]

It’s a specific nutrients protocol using wyeast 1388 to make a mead that is good/drinkable in one month, vs waiting a year or more for it to mellow out.
The post pinned at the top of the forum is a wonder but long read. His website has all the most updated info. Good start right here https://www.denardbrewing.com/blog/post/mead-making-practices-mistakes/

Thanks. I’ll check it out. I’ve made a few of the wOTM wines, some success but some I’d never try again.

 

[Blacksmith1]

Oh, lol. Just chalk it up to the new guy

Alot of us had to ask

 

[Dralarms]

Alot of us had to ask

Tell me about it. I started making wine in 2012 because my brother gave me some of his and I told my wife I bet I can do better. I started reading everything I could and gathering info. I now make wine that is head and shoulders better than his. Too bad you can’t sell it, I’ve had folks offer me 10 bucks a bottle. I always tell them no,I’ll give them a bottle but I can’t sell it.