Elderberry Mead

[Taiin]

With my elderberry plants starting to come to life (greenery appears late in the great white north!), I am planning a batch of elderberry mead. It will be as simple as possible. White/golden raisins will be used for nutrients. Locally procured wildflower honey will be used. And maybe in the spirit of JOAM of BOMM meads, I'll just use bread yeast.

When elderberry syrup is made, it is simmered for at least an hour, sometimes more, to extract as much elderberryness as possible. I think I'd like to do this for the mead, rather than letting the whole actual berries stew in mead, at least during the primary fermentation. Though during secondary I think adding elderberries to the mead would help enhance the effect.

Seems like I'd need pectic enzyme so the cooked berry and honey mixture is able to clear. But that should be simple to procure!

I might also make a batch of mead with elderberries, ginger, and marshmallow root. Technically it would be a metheglin! But I bet it would be a mix that would absolutely bodyslam a winter cold or sore throat! Or you might not care about having a cold after drinking enough (doesn't any alcohol do that?!).

So my rough recipe plans for 1 basic 1 gallon:

3lbs honey
1lb elderberries
25 white raisins
Pectic enzyme for amount of mead
Enough water for a gallon
Yeast (variety to be determined)

I wouldn't cook all the honey with the berries. I feel heating all the honey would result in the loss of valuable flavors. Honey would be added once the berry mixture is taken off the heat and strained.

Any comments or ideas? Criticism? Suggestions to make it better?

I am only doing small batches. It is just me. Plus, if it turns out poorly, then I didn't loose much in the learning process! If it needs to sit around and age for a while, fewer bottles to take up basement space. Though if it turns out great, I'll be kicking myself and wishing I made more!

 

[Chris_The_Rogue]

Id recommend trying Lalvin RC 212 for your yeast. Its supposed to preserve the berry and fruit aromas quite well. From personal experience however, it does tend to throw up some big time foam. So be prepared for that.

 

[loveofrose]

Id recommend trying Lalvin RC 212 for your yeast. Its supposed to preserve the berry and fruit aromas quite well. From personal experience however, it does tend to throw up some big time foam. So be prepared for that.

+1 to this, but get some DAP and Fermaid K nutrients. This yeast tends to get stinky if it doesn't get proper nutrition.


Better brewing through science!

See my brewing site at www.denardbrewing.com

See my Current Mead Making Techniques article here:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/current-mead-making-techniques.html

 

[WVMJ]

A little more fruity elderberry mead could be made by first, harvest a few of the flowers when they open and are still nice and white, freeze them in an airtight bag to save for after your berries are ripe. When your berries get ripe freeze them and use the whole raw berries, tastes more fruity not cooked, and no need to heat any of the honey. Make a tea from the flowers, add it to your berries and honey when you rack to your secondary to add a bunch of nice nose. WVMJ

 

[Taiin]

Adding elderflowers to the elderberries would definitely make for an excellent combination! Best an elderberry bush has to offer! I wouldn't want to take too many clusters of flowers to freeze since I want as many berries as possible, but taking some would not hurt production too badly.

Sounds like nutrients would be the way to go to make sure it turns out well, rather than relying on the raisins. I know the ancients didn't have that nifty stuff to add, but I'd rather not lose a batch because it didn't turn out right.

Are raw elderberries a problem in mead or wine? Even fully ripe, uncooked berries are mildly toxic.