Blueberry mead

[metalpysko]

Was only able to get frozen blueberries over here in Alaska I'll be able to get fresh ones once the spring and summer comes around

 

[CM4OSU]

I imagine it would be fine, just give them a wash and maybe blend them up a bit.

 

[metalpysko]

Someone said don't blend them cause u will crack the seeds and that will give it a bitter taste

 

[BoxMan]

I actually read that, too. Maybe just let them thaw a little bit then mash them up?


I'd venture to guess they should work fine, but might not taste the same as fresh. Not worse, just different. But I don't know much about blueberries, anyway, so yeah...

 

[regulatedhobbyist]

I pureed my blackberries in a melomel recently with no noticeable affect on taste. Maybe I was lucky. Crushing them shouldn't be bad though, one would think, because then your not splitting the seeds. I could be entirely wrong though.

I do know that if you blend/crush them, they will settle out faster. I learned that this week.

 

[Devo9]

I've been told you want to freeze your fresh berries to help break down cell walls to allow for better fermentation. So frozen blueberries should be fine.

I personally wouldn't blend them due to the fact that they are easier to rack off of if they are whole. (but I'm still a bit of a n00b myself)

 

[Devo9]

Oh, and I've already made a blueberry mead using frozen blueberries. It turned out great!

 

[regulatedhobbyist]

I've been told you want to freeze your fresh berries to help break down cell walls to allow for better fermentation. So frozen blueberries should be fine.

I personally wouldn't blend them due to the fact that they are easier to rack off of if they are whole. (but I'm still a bit of a n00b myself)

I was just figuring I'd learn by trial and error. I did the freezing and thawing bit too. I figured by blending the fruit there would be more reactive surface area.

Had a Chem class a few years ago, increasing reactive surface area decreases reaction time. I guess I should have thought about the bitterness of seeds. Oh well, I find out eventually what the result is! Either way, I am a 'stubborn old goat' as SWMBO claims, so I'll drink every bitter swallow!

Never thought about the racking off the fruit bit. It should be interesting, maybe have to rack a few more times to clear. Good call on that.

metalpysko - I would probably not blend them - if I had the choice to do it over again.

 

[metalpysko]

Well I made it and I was wondering all my honey did not disprove is that an issue????

 

[metalpysko]

Well I made it and I was wondering all my honey did not dissolve is that an issue????

 

[Devo9]

Well I made it and I was wondering all my honey did not dissolve is that an issue????

I don't think so, the yeasties should find their way to it... but it wouldn't hurt to give it a good stir to try to help it disolve. Just as long as your spoon is 100% sanitised.

I think undisolved honey would lead to a slower longer fermentation. However this is more of an educated guess then actual knowledge. Please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[regulatedhobbyist]

If you have honey on the bottom it should be fine. It should diffuse to the rest of the must. The yeast will find their way to it. I read on another thread here that you can watch the layer disappear over the next couple of weeks.

Another option, is to use a degassing rod (if you have one). It's like a long stirring stick that you hook up to your drill. I've done this, just make sure to sanitize anything going into the must.

 

[metalpysko]

Well I transferred to a secondary today got the mead off the blue berries Tryed it an it's really sweet like a desert mead I liked it a lot it seems like it will just keep fermenting never took an og or and fg so who knows what the abv will be and Ibrewmaster said it might 11.66 abv

 

[calicojack]

i used oceanspray blueberry cocktail juice. turned out wonderfully.