Mango + Peppercorn melomel recipe

[TandemTails]

I really enjoyed B. Nektar's NecroMangoCon and want to try my hand at reproducing it (since I can't my hands on any out here in New Mexico). I'm piecing together a recipe that I plan on putting together late next week.

Here's what I have so far:

Batch size: 2 gallons
Primary Fermenter: 2.5 gallon bucket
Target OG: 1.060

Ingredients
* 3 lbs honey
* 2 lbs frozen mango chunks
* 0.75 tbsp roughly crushed peppercorns steeped in 1/2 cup boiling water for 10 min
* Yeast nutrients/energizer
* Wyeast 1388 Belgian Strong Ale
* water to 2 gallons

During the first 1/3 of fermentation I plan on doing the following:
* Yeast Nutrient Additions:
- - Add ¼ of yeast nutrient/energizer mixture after 24 hours
- - Add ¼ of yeast nutrient/energizer mixture after 48 hours
- - Add ¼ of yeast nutrient/energizer mixture after ⅓ sugar break
* Aerate the carboy 3x a day for first ⅓ of fermentation
* Punch down fruit cap occasionally after ⅓ fermentation

After fermentation is complete I plan on stabilizing and back sweetening to 1.010-1.015

Do you think it's worth it to spring for orange blossom honey or should I just stick with a standard clover honey and save a few bucks? I've already got a 3lb jug of clover honey available.

I'm looking for a very subtle pepper bite on the end of your sip but nothing too crazy so I think 3/4 tbsp of coarsely crushed pepper should be ok.

Anyone have any suggestions?

 

[fuelish]

You could always add peppercorn during secondary a bit at a time until you get your desired "pepperiness" ....I have a mango mel going right now, have comtemplated adding peppercorns to a couple gallons in secondary....I've also thought about maybe just adding one whole peppercorn to a few bottles, see how that ages - might be nice, might be "too much," might not be enough exposed surface area left whole to even notice....the sky's the limit
As far as honey, I'd go with clover - my previous mango mead was very heavy mango, would be a waste of more flavorful honey, imho.....oh, and be prepared to either wait a LOOOOONG time for it to clear or accept to drink it slightly cloudy - my first one took many many many months to finally clear....consider adding pectic enzyme to your batch, is supposed to help when using actual fruit compared to clear juices

 

[TandemTails]

You could always add peppercorn during secondary a bit at a time until you get your desired "pepperiness" ....I have a mango mel going right now, have comtemplated adding peppercorns to a couple gallons in secondary....I've also thought about maybe just adding one whole peppercorn to a few bottles, see how that ages - might be nice, might be "too much," might not be enough exposed surface area left whole to even notice....the sky's the limit
As far as honey, I'd go with clover - my previous mango mead was very heavy mango, would be a waste of more flavorful honey, imho.....oh, and be prepared to either wait a LOOOOONG time for it to clear or accept to drink it slightly cloudy - my first one took many many many months to finally clear....consider adding pectic enzyme to your batch, is supposed to help when using actual fruit compared to clear juices

Thanks for all the suggestions! Do you remember how much mango you added? Did you prefer mango in your primary or secondary? I was planning on adding 2 lbs to primary and then maybe another pound at secondary.

The wait isn't too big of a deal. I waited nearly 6 months on my blueberry + hibiscus melomel and another 3 gallon batch is approaching 5 months of aging now haha.

 

[fuelish]

I added 3 lbs as primary slowed down, which reignited fermentation for a while, then racked off that a few times....I also included mango nectar and mango "juice" (Juicy Juice Mango - it has other fruits in it as well and was pretty clear....the mango nectar had some invert sugar in it) - 4 qts - in the initial primary ferment.....first one turned out tasting excellent, if you like mango, and the idea of peppercorn or hot peppers or something sounded like a good idea for the second batch

 

[HB_in_Subic]

Thanks for all the suggestions! Do you remember how much mango you added? Did you prefer mango in your primary or secondary? I was planning on adding 2 lbs to primary and then maybe another pound at secondary.

When I make Mango Wine with fresh fruit, I typically make it with 8lbs for a 5 gallon batch (=1.6lbs per gallon). I get a lot of sediment from the fruit pulp. Also, add 1/2 teaspoon of Pectic Enzyme to further help break down the fruit (freezing it was an excellent first step). I then add one Campden tablet (for a one gallon batch) to the solution and let it sit for 24 hours at room temp. This will kill of any wild yeast or bacteria. After 24 hours, then pitch your yeast.

A refractometer is a cheap investment (less than $30 http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ES6MOQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20) and will work better than a hydrometer in measuring your initial gravity with fruit pulp in it. Only use a hydrometer AFTER the yeast has been pitched as the alcohol produced skews the refractometer readings.