Cranberry Mead

[archthered]

I have decided to try to make a cranberry mead. I've seen a number of cranberry wine recipes where they cut the berries up and just throw them in the primary as well as a few where they cut them up and heat them before throwing them into the primary.

I was planning on putting them in a bit of water and boiling them till they burst like you do when you make cranberry sauce, then putting them in the primary. Is there some reason this would be a bad idea? If so why?

 

[Chris_The_Rogue]

I think boiling them does something undesirable to the sugars. Ive been told not to boil honey or sugars as it inverts them or some such. I'm sure someone on here knows more about that and can confirm or debunk that.
I would recommend you not boil them and instead use a campden tablet in your primary 24 hours prior to pitching your yeast.

 

[archthered]

I wasn't planning on boiling the honey, just warming it to 175ish. I was thinking of boiling the cranberries in a small amount of water to get them to explode and break down to get more juice and sugar out of them, as well as sterilize them. I'm skeptical of boiling destroying/ruining all sugar since wort is boiled for an hour or more when making beer, I think with more refined sugar, such as straight sugar or honey, you can negatively impact your sugars and flavor but I was under the impression with fruit etc it shouldn't be a problem. But please someone with more experience or knowledge please inform me.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

Boiling honey can be done and ferment. It's even it's own style "Bochet". But onto the question at hand; Yeah you can boil the cranberries just fine. It might even help with sugar extraction. However, one thing you should do is add pectic enzyme to your mead (after the ferment is fine, but you'll need to use a bit more) or in the cooled cranberry mush. Boiling fruit usually creates a pecitn haze in brewing.

Pectin is the goop that holds jam together, but it makes mead cloudy and no other fining agent will fix it. Pectic enzyme breaks down the pectin and it will then drop out of your mead.

 

[Chris_The_Rogue]

The pectin haze might have been why they told be not to boil. As for the bochet style, I was refering to boiling the honey in water not caramelizing it.

 

[MarshmallowBlue]

The pectin haze might have been why they told be not to boil. As for the bochet style, I was refering to boiling the honey in water not caramelizing it.

I've heated and done non-heat and it's really personal preference. I've never had an infection from no heat and still gotten extremely aromatic meads form heating the must for pasteurization, So it's whatever you're comfortable with.

 

[archthered]

I'll be sure to use the pectic enzyme. Thanks

 

[MNSmitty]

I did a cranberry mead last year. Still have a few bottles. Its wonderful

I boiled 4# of cranberries before adding them to the primary. Boiled, like you would if you were making cranberry sauce. Simmer until they all burst.
It gave me a nice cranberry hint and light pink color to 5 gallons of mead. Next time I make it I will probably add another pound or so of cranberries to the secondary to get a bit more tart flavor.

 

[SHvanBommel]

hey MN, Do you happen to have a recipe for the cranberry?

 

[MNSmitty]

It was nothing too extravagant.
5 Gallon recipe
15# Costco honey (its what I can readily get and its reasonably priced)
1# Buckwheat honey
Cranberries prepared like above
Standard nutrients

Boiled and cooled water to top up to 5.5 gallons.
Added 2 packets EC-1116
Standard SNA schedule.

I didnt add any spices or other flavors to it, I wanted the honey and cranberries to be the stars of the show.

 

[MarkKF]

Standard nutrients? Nutrients added before yeast or step fed throughout fermentation?

 

[MarkKF]

Starting my first “mead”. I’ve made cyzer before. One gal. water, 2-2 1/2 pounds of orange blossom honey and 2/3 a bag of frozen cranberries. Heated water, stirred in honey, added cranberries then squished them with a potato masher to break the skins. Did not boil.

 

[bernardsmith]

Does not look like you managed to resuscitate this long dead thread.

 

[MarkKF]

Not yet but I’ll be posting updates on this batch.

 

[Peter D Day]

I am totally interested to get updates on this batch as I plan to make a cranberry mead next.

 

[MarkKF]

Pinched the yeast tonight. 71b-1122 rehydrated in 2 oz. water 98 deg. F.

 

[MarkKF]

20 hours later it’s making ETOH & CO2

 

[Peter D Day]

Excellent. Can you tell us MarkKF why you picked 71b-1122 ? Trying to learn as much as I can about different yeasts. Thanks

 

[MarkKF]

I’ve been using 71b-1122 cause it’s clean, cheap and handles the malic acid well.

 

[MarkKF]

On 3/28 it was down to 1.052. Wasn’t home yesterday. This morning, 3/30, it was 1.040. I step fed 1/4 tsp. Nutrient.

 

[bernardsmith]

Have you tasted this yet? How does this taste. I have never made a successful cranberry wine or mead. They have always been too tart. Getting the right amount of cranberry in the wine /mead is a challenge for me.

 

[MarkKF]

No I haven’t. I don’t mind tart. But it’s my first time using whole cranberries. In the past I used craisins.

 

[bernardsmith]

Over the last two or three years I've tried to make a small batch in time for Thanksgiving but they have never been anything I want to share. I think this year I may simply look for a bottle of 100 % cranberry juice (from the supermarket) - and dilute this 1: 4 or even 1:8 with water and use that "tea" to mix with some local wildflower honey...

 

[Peter D Day]

So I just looked up Craisins. The name is a registered trademark of Ocean Spray. They are made with sugar and sunflower oil. I'm not sure how the oil would affect the mead. Any thoughts on this?

 

[MarkKF]

I didn’t have any problems the first time but since I’ve found generic dried cranberries (same thing) without the oil.

 

[MarkKF]

This morning, Apr. 1st, it’s down to 1.022. Step fed another 1/4 tsp. Nutrients.

The fruit is starting to loose its color. Smells good, no sulfur.

 

[MarkKF]

Today, April 7th. Racked into a clean jug. No activity for several days. 1.004

 

[MarkKF]

Nice color, too.

 

[Peter D Day]

Looking really good Mark. Did you use water to top up your jug?

 

[MarkKF]

No I started with more than a gal. So I plenty to fill the jug.