Blueberry, Orange and Vanilla Melomel questions and hoping for some tips!

[Northerngal]

I would like to do a blueberry melomel with some orange and vanilla. I'm thinking about using this as a recipe, any tips/suggestions/adjustments would be appreciated!! 5gal

10-12 lbs honey, depending on OG
10lbs blueberries in primary
5lbs blueberries in 2nd
Pectic enzyme
SNA
1gal OJ in primary
Zest of a few (any suggestions on how many?) oranges in 2nd
5 vanilla beans in 2nd (I want subtle hints of vanilla & citrus/orange)

Should I oak it? I may split it into two three gals and only oak one for comparison. Any thoughts on using orange juice and zest? Does anyone have any experience with this or should I try lemon? More or less vanilla?

Thank you in advance!

 

[Matrix4b]

Due to the Vanilla, I would recommend medium toasted American oak, 1 oz in a 5 gal batch for 2 weeks. Chips, if you use cubes then do 3 weeks.

Also, I would put 1/4 cup of lemon juice in to bring the blueberry flavor more out in the open. As for zest: Yes, zest both a couple of oranges and a lemon. It will help. Put the zest in the secondary as well as the fruit. Keep in mind that if you do use fruit juice that the pulp will fall out of it nearly immediately.

Looks like you are going for a medium sweet batch. If your goal is sweet then think about stabilizing and backsweetening with 4-6 pounds.

You didn't mention what type of yeast. I recommend against bread yeast. Stick with wine yeast, Lavin D47 is a good one, keep brew temp below 70F. Or Lavin 71b, brew temp can go as high as 80 but rack promptly with this one to prevent off flavors.

Let me know if you want deeper explanations.

Matrix

 

[Northerngal]

Thank you!!! I have D47, safale S04, RC 212, EC118 and Nottingham. I was thinking probably the D47 or 212. I would love a med-sweet finish. Thanks

 

[Northerngal]

Thank you!!! I have D47, safale S04, RC 212, EC118 and Nottingham. I was thinking probably the D47 or 212. I would love a med-sweet finish. Thanks

 

[Matrix4b]

I recommend that you back sweeten then with 6 pounds of honey.

Backsweetening (Ops vary)
1:Hit it with 1 tablespoon of Potassium Sorbate
2: Wait 2 days
3: Mix 3 pounds with 1/4 gal water: you will be adding about 1/2 gal of volume.

Also, swap the amounts of blueberries: go with less in the primary and more in the secondary, if you do not do all the fruit in the secondary, which is what I recommend.

Matrix

 

[Northerngal]

Sounds good! I've got 45lbs of blueberries in the freezer, fresh picked. Just waiting until Aug/Sept to pick up some honey from southern BC. There's blueberry and blackberry available; as well as wildflower, a taste test which will determine the one I pick.

Thank you for all your suggestions, I'm going to do something very similar with blackberries as long as I can find and pick a large amount in Aug/Sept. Any variations to the recipe for blackberries would also be appreciated! I'm thinking of D47 or RC212 for yeast, any thoughts?

 

[Matrix4b]

I did a Blackberry Black tea that turned out well.

I made a tea with the water from the start, let cool a little, then mixed in the honey. Turned out well. With Blackberries, I don't think you need the lemon.

I also would use 14 pounds of blackberries in the secondary only. Best way to have the flavor.

Matrix

 

[DirtyGerman]

Do you Just dump the blueberries in or do you heat them up enough to kill the wild yeast on them ? i just did my first batch (5 gallons)
12lb Honey (6months)
3lb Honey (at the 6 month mark)
Total Honey
15lb
2.5 lb blueberries (in the secondary at the 6 month mark)
I just added the blueberries yesterday, man from what you guys are saying i should be going with way more blueberries
i like the Idea of lemon and lemon zest how much of that do you all use

 

[Matrix4b]

You don't need to kill the wild yeast. Basically any commercial yeast is going to out compete any wild yeast. Also, in the secondary you have something close to 10% ABV. That's enough to kill wild yeasts and most other nasties. So boiling, sanitizing or otherwise treating the fruit is not necessary.

I use a brew bucket for the secondary when I put in fruit. I do a freeze/thaw on the fruit so it's mushy when I use it. I then put the fruit into a mesh bag for easy removal. For berries I also like to take a potato masher and smash up the berries a little. Usually the fruit goes in for 2 weeks to a month. I put the fruit in the mesh bag, bag in the brew bucket, smash a little, then rack the mead onto the berries.

Hope this helps.

Matrix

 

[DirtyGerman]

So you do the fruit into the secondary , how long do you wait to do that? the reason i ask is I'm at 6 months now so I figured adding the fruit wasn't a bad idea , that the yeast wouldn't go after the sugars from the fruit to much at this point, hopefully leaving that blueberry taste , but you guys are putting in 7 times as much as me so maybe I'm wayyyyyy off

 

[Matrix4b]

Well, I would put in the whole amount of blueberries. About 8-10 pounds in the secondary.

Basically, I let it ferment out til it slows down to almost imperceptible levels. About 1 bubble per 2-5 min. Or if you prefer, take a gravity reading weekly, when you get 3 readings in a row the same, rack to the secondary onto the fruit. No I know that there are people out that that will say, "You can't go by that, only gravity readings will be a reliable judge when the primary is done." or some such. Fact is, Mead is pretty forgiving and it's a bit of an art. I go by instinct or rather my laziness level and when I can get to it. But I rack onto the fruit and yes sometimes fermentation does start up a little again. This is what happened with a strawberry I made recently. But I digress.

I usually wait until the bubbles are nearly imperceptible, then rack off on to the fruit, 2 weeks to a month later I am lifting the mesh bag out and spinning it slowly to get all the liquid out. Then dump the fruit. I then usually rack off of sediment in about 2 weeks to a month after I take out the fruit.

Then once racked again, I let it settle, sometimes I put in a clairfyer agent such as Sparkloid. I have a Bioclear one that is liquid too. But once it settles out and starts to unfog and looking clearer, I then put in my stabilizer agent (I use Potassium Sorbate) and wait 3 days and then back sweeten with a mix of 1/2 water, 1/2 honey. I usually mix up 6 pounds in 1/2 gal water ending up with 1 gal of volume. Then I rack onto that. From there it is just a matter of racking it every 2-3 months until you can read through it, or in this case until it looks a nice, uncloudy deep purple wine or close to that. Once it has reached that point, I bottle and age 6 months to a year. Usually testing once every month after about 7 months aging. Or if you prefer you can bulk age, which is just a fancy way of saying, leave it alone and in the cool and dark. I prefer my carobys full and doing something other than aging so I can continue to brew.

Matrix