GROUP BREW: Strawberry Mead

[saramc]

I will be starting this soon because I have 35# of local super sweet berries in the freezer and a huge bucket of raw wildflower honey coming my way. Think I will use 3-5 pounds of orange blossom or tupelo honey too.Though I will likely use D47 instead of K1-V1116, need to think about it. Aim for an OG of 1.120 and if it dies off around 1.015 I would still have an ACV of approx 14%..D47 or Cotes de Blanc(via a cool ferment) would come close . I just have bad experience when cold crashing, stabilizing and later bottling, every batch has always refermented. I could ferment to dry and allow to clear and then stabilize and backsweeten. Decisions, decisions.

 

[opus345]

I have used D47 and step fed a Blueberry mead until the yeast stopped. Took a number of rackings to get there.

Was the refermentation an ugly/messy scene?

 

[saramc]

I have used D47 and step fed a Blueberry mead until the yeast stopped. Took a number of rackings to get there.

Was the refermentation an ugly/messy scene?

opus345...I have also used D47 to achieve residual sugar by way of alcohol toxicity causing yeast death with great success. As far as cold crash failure it was indeed ugly. Lost at least one gallon in one fell swoop..heard corks popping and glass breaking..sticky mess that smelled great! I super chilled what was left and consumed sooner rather than later. They were at the year mark when they woke back up in the 50F wine cave.

 

[opus345]

opus345...I have also used D47 to achieve residual sugar by way of alcohol toxicity causing yeast death with great success. As far as cold crash failure it was indeed ugly. Lost at least one gallon in one fell swoop..heard corks popping and glass breaking..sticky mess that smelled great! I super chilled what was left and consumed sooner rather than later. They were at the year mark when they woke back up in the 50F wine cave.

Thanks for sharing, it is good to know that this could happen and it was interesting to hear that it took a year.

 

[JustinCider]

I have all the mats for this and plan on making it this weekend...with only one catch I'd like to use D47 yeast on this because i have several packets of it already. I have read through most of the posts and havent seen anyone really giving a thumbs up on it. Is there any reason not to on this particular recipe? Is it just problems with cold crashing opposed to pitching sorbate?

 

[opus345]

What are your goals? Dry vs SemiSweet vs Sweet? ABV? < 14% or > 14%

Keep in mind that I'm still learning, but I like to use previous HBT/GotMead posts to help educate myself:

Don't use D47 with a fermentation temp over 68*F
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/lalvin-d47-over-20-c-292239/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/best-lalvin-yeast-show-mead-305096/

GM
Overall experiences
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8633
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20408

Lalvin ICV D47
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/images/library/ICV-D47_Yeast.pdf

Lalvin Strains
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/strains.asp

 

[JustinCider]

What are your goals? Dry vs SemiSweet vs Sweet? ABV? < 14% or > 14%

Keep in mind that I'm still learning, but I like to use previous HBT/GotMead posts to help educate myself:

Don't use D47 with a fermentation temp over 68*F
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/lalvin-d47-over-20-c-292239/
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/best-lalvin-yeast-show-mead-305096/

GM
Overall experiences
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=8633
http://www.gotmead.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20408

Lalvin ICV D47
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/images/library/ICV-D47_Yeast.pdf

Lalvin Strains
http://www.lalvinyeast.com/strains.asp

Thanks for the reply my man....I'm aiming for semi-sweet. The D47 above 68 degrees shouldnt be a problem this time of year but that has always kinda confused me a bit. The blueberry mead recipe that i have used on this website used 3 packets of D47 and told me to keep it at 72 degrees. For what its worth its hovered around 70 degrees during initial fermentation and since has been holding around 64-62 with no foul notes that i can detect.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f80/blueberry-mead-34038/

 

[PintoBean]

I'm in as well, but going on Vacation to Wisconsin this weekend (going to stock up on New Glarus while there!) so I'll be a little behind.

 

[daugenet]

I will be getting in on this again this coming weekend. Just have to see if the local shop has the right yeast or if i need to order it. I am getting pumped.

 

[Booyacht]

Hey all-
I know I'm a few years late but I saw this and just had to try it. Here are my notes - I'm new so feel free to help if I did anything wrong. Main thing I noticed is that mine fermented much faster than I expected.

Notes:

5-21-13 Strawberry Mead started at 7pm. Added 18 lb whole fresh strawberries frozen then thawed, in mesh bag. Added 18 lb raw wildflower honey, water to 6 gal (ran out of room in bucket but left a few inches for foaming) and 1/4 tsp of potassium metabisulphite in ferm bucket. Stirred up well and set lid on bucket. Waited 24 hours.

5-22-13 added 1.75 tsp pectic enzyme, 2 tsp energizer, 4 tsp nutrient. Rehydrated 2 packets of K1V1116 and pitched on 69 degree must. Stirred a lot. OG is 1150 on 69 degree must with 66 degree air. Moved bucket to fermentation room which is 65 degrees. I'm doing staggered nutrient additions.

5-23-13 punched cap and added .5 tsp energizer and 2 tsp nutrient. Gravity is 1130 in 65 degree room. Punched cap again before bed, lots of foam.

5-24-13 punched cap in the AM and step fed .5 tsp energizer and 1 tsp nutrient. SG is 1114. Lots more foam, good aroma. Foamed up into towel, replaced towel with a fresh one after punching cap this afternoon.

5-25-13 punched cap and checked gravity of 1060.

5-26-13 punched cap and gravity was 1030 so I put on the lid and airlock.

5-28-13 SG of 1012 so I racked into 6 gallon secondary Carboy on top of a pound of orange blossom honey. Tastes pretty good but wasn't very sweet, which is why I racked on to the honey. Unmistakable strawberry flavor!


Thanks! Will

 

[timbudtwo]

Started making this about 8 days ago. I am pulling out the strawberries now. I didn't have a container large enough to hold all the fruit and fluids so I just put it all in my 15 gal pot and left the lid on. I made it with about 16 lbs of honey and 18lbs of strawberries.

The strawberries have probably reduced to 1/4 of their original mass and have turned rather grey. The fragrance this stuff gives off is unbelievable. My hands smells like strawberry jam and beer. I will be adding in some pectic enzyme and finings in a couple days and then racking off to a bucket to sit for about a month before I keg it up. Seriously can't wait.

 

[tuner240]

I want to apologize for waking a dormant thread, but this stuff is soooo good I had to post here again.

After opening my last one gallon carboy of this at christmas, I realized that I never should have touched this for a year. Now that strawberry season is in full swing here in florida, I decided to do two 5 gallon batches. One with semi ripe strawberries like I did least year, and another 5 gallon batch with ripe-overripe strawberries. Both brewed with local orange blossom honey and some sourwood honey from NC, strictly following Yomamma's directions on page 6 (double yeast, nutrients and energizer). I did this last year with great results. Anyway here goes my recipe...

12# orange blossom honey
2.5# sourwood honey
5 campden tabs
~ 16# strawberries
10 g dap
10 g fermaid k
10 g k1v 1116

Sg before fruit 1.100 (water still chilly, this will most likely rise as honey fully dissolves). Bagged frozen/thawed strawberries in a 5 gallon painter filter bag. Will take another reading before pitching of yeast.

While I don't expect huge differences in the taste between the berries, I'm hoping for at least subtle differences. Either way, I got ~10 gallons of some great mead!

 

[flyweed]

no problem keeping a dead thread alive, especially one that makes a good mead like this.

I am actually starting a new 5 gal. batch of this today, for my sons graduation party in June. Yeah it'll be young at 4 months, but it'll still be good!!

 

[Blasphemy168]

Speaking of reviving old threads... Racking onto strawberries in the secondary. How long do you leave it with the fruit before racking again and bulk aging? Or do you just bulk age with the fruit...

 

[AzOr]

Speaking of reviving old threads... Racking onto strawberries in the secondary. How long do you leave it with the fruit before racking again and bulk aging? Or do you just bulk age with the fruit...

I would say a couple of weeks on the strawberries should be good. You’ll see when it’s time. They’ll lose their color. Take a sanitized spoon and try one of them.
If they are absolutely flavorless, they’ve done their job and it’s time to rack off.

 

[CKuhns]

I would say a couple of weeks on the strawberries should be good. You’ll see when it’s time. They’ll lose their color. Take a sanitized spoon and try one of them.
If they are absolutely flavorless, they’ve done their job and it’s time to rack off.

Interestingly enough the recipe from this thread is pretty much what i do when doing Melomels. I would not go longer than 10 to 14 days with the fruit in secondary. My expierence has been fruit of any kind will pretty much give up all its flavor after about 14 days. Strawberries have small seeds on the outside of the fruit and if left too long give off some very sharp and for me unpleasant flavors.

 

[Blasphemy168]

Just started a batch. Fermentation is going strong. If the foam rises too high, is there any negative consequences to scooping out some of the foam? I feel like it's no different than spilling out the sides a little...

 

[Blacksmith1]

shouldn't hurt, next time use a bucket bigger than the batch so you have room for the foam. I would think that it contains a bit of your flavor and color, but not enough to worry about. and yeah spilled or scooped it's still gone. scooped should save on the mess.

 

[Blasphemy168]

shouldn't hurt, next time use a bucket bigger than the batch so you have room for the foam. I would think that it contains a bit of your flavor and color, but not enough to worry about. and yeah spilled or scooped it's still gone. scooped should save on the mess.

You were spot on. I scooped a little foam off the top that would have spilled out. I let it sit in a bowl and when the foam subsided, there was a little liquid with a strong honey and strawberry taste. I'm sure it's a negligible amount, but the OC side of me wishes that liquid was back in the primary. I was planning on leaving more head space but 12 lbs of strawberries ended up being more volume than I anticipated.

 

[mph8er]

I'd been planning this mead for awhile and as a lurker, saw this dead thread about a rather legendary mead. I then saw people adding to it this year and realized it wasn't really dead after all. Started a batch myself. This will be my second mead after a successful peach mead.

24 hours before
18lb Round Rock wildflower honey
17lb Walmart quick frozen strawberries in a nylon cheese cloth bag (thawed, normal frozen and thawed again)
5 campden tablets
~3.5g spring water (up to 6.5g)
7.9g bucket
S.G. ~1.140 (without strawberries)
Ferment Temp 70F

Day 0 6PM.
5g k1v-1116 re-hydrated with 50ml water and 10g go-ferm for 30 minutes
10g pectic enzyme
4.5g fermaid k
2g dap
Aerate
Airlock and top installed (temporarily. Wanting to see the ferment progress)

Day 1
6AM - Punched top and aerated.
12PM - Began seeing bubbling airlock. Bubbles at ~15 a minute.
6PM - Punched top and aerated.

Day 2
6AM - Punched top and aerated.
12PM - Bubbles increased to about 45 a minute.
6PM - Added 4.5g of fermaid k and 2g of dap. Punched top and aerated. Bubbling was up to 60+ a minute. Removed airlock and have cover lightly on top.
S.G. 1.095

Day 3
Aerated every 12 hours.
S.G. 1.070

Will add to this with my full notes when I rack and/or cold crash.

1. What are the chances of the foam overflowing in such a large bucket? I've got about 2 inches of headroom in the bucket for around 1.4 gallons of headroom.
A. Strawberries reach the bottom of the lid, but even at its most vigorous, it didn't shoot through the airlock. Removed it mostly to avoid CO2 buildup.
2. Would you recommend Fermaid k and DAP each SNA or does fermaid k have enough DAP for the rest of the ferment?
A. Never found a good answer other than that yeast can't use dap after a certain alcohol level and it can produce off flavors after that point. Went with 4.5g of fermaid k and 2g of dap for the first and second nutrient addition, then just did fermaid k after that point.
3. Would you do every other day nutrient additions or every day nutrient additions?
A. Been doing it every other day.

 

[mph8er]

Day 4
Fermaid k 1.5g
Aerated and punched top every 12 hours.
S.g. 1.050

Day 5
Degassed and punched top every 12 hours. Covered top and airlocked with vodka.
S. G. 1.030

Day 6
Checked gravity hourly. Reached S. G. 1.021 at about 7am of the 6th day. Cold crashed on 3 and a fourth teaspoons of potassium sorbate and a hair over 1/4th a teaspoon of potassium metabisulfate. Strawberries still have a little color to them. Probably let them stew in the fridge another few days before I rack. I'd read 10-14 days was enough, so probably go with 10. Smell is wonderful.

Day 9
Degassed twice a day up to now. Not much foaming at day 9 during degas, so I took a taste of the strawberries. They were flavorless and mostly mush. Drained them and squeezed nearly a quarter gallon of juice out of the bag and dumped that back in the fermenter. Racked into a carboy and airlocked. Time will tell whether I need another dose of potassium or if I should've kept it in the fridge for longer. So glad I bagged the fruit. I only have a 5 gallon carboy and my first mead, a peach mead, ended with nearly a gallon and a half of lees. Probably could've gotten nearly a gallon off the lees with what ended up being left at the bottom of the barrel. Time to age. Taste is already incredible despite being pretty hot. I hope I can keep some of this around til the holidays.
F.G. 1.021/15.61 abv

Day 10
Oh boy did I call it. It started fermenting again. I caught it before it did much however. We're at 1.020 now. Back in the fridge we go. Gonna wait a week, then give it some more potassium, then wait another week in the fridge.

 

[flyweed]

well it's been a few years, but I am just starting 10 gallons of this again, this time for my Sons Wedding reception (in 2 years)