Dried Elderberries for Mead Recipe??

[Brewkowski]

I'm thinking about making an Elderberry melomel because I have some dried elderberries, some honey, and not much time for brewing. So I was thinking something like 3lbs of honey, 1 gal of water, 4 oz dried elderberries (rehydrated and steeped), yeast nutrient, ale yeast. Should the rehydrated berries be added after a few weeks of fermentation? Is this too much berry?

 

[TipsyDragon]

the berries can be added right away or a few weeks down the line. its up to you. just pasturize them first. as far as that being to much berry i cant say.

 

[Brewkowski]

Ok, so I started a 1 gal batch with 3lbs of Sage Honey, 4 oz of dried elderberries (steeped with honey, 1/2lb sugar, yeast nutrient). I put in like a full pack of t-58, which is more than enough and this morning my airlock was already full of gunk and bubbling nicely. Does anyone know what specs to put in BeerSmith for Dried Elderberries? Do they change the gravity or is it mostly due to the honey/sugar?

 

[stromam]

You aren't going to get much sugar out of the elderberries. Especially out of 4 ounces.