Melomel yeast question

[Q2XL]

I posted this at GotMead too, but I have not received any replies. I might be a little impatient in posting this here, but what the heck, right.


I am planning on making a multi-berry melomel very soon. I want this melomel to end up dry to medium-somewhere around 1.006-1.010. I want the sweetness of the berries to come through without it being too dry. Here is the recipe.

+- 18 lbs wildflower honey
6 lbs blueberries
6 lbs blackberries
4 lbs strawberries
2 lbs raspberries
possibly a pound of cherries
All the usual yeast nutrients

I will be using the no-heat method. I am planning on fermenting just the honey, water, yeast and nutrients until primary fermentation slows down. Then transfer the mead to another fermenting bucket and then adding the fruit for at least 2 weeks.

I have a couple of questions.

1) The berries are in the freezer now. Since there are going to be a lot of seeds should I thaw out the berries and then strain most of the seeds out or just add the entire berry to the fermenter? I am not sure of all the extra work and possible contamination is worth getting rid of the seeds.

2) What type of dry yeast should I use? Again, I want this to end up on the dry side of a medium sweetness. Hope that makes sense. I am looking at around 1.006-1.010

3) What starting gravity should I be looking for to end up at the above FG? I know the fruit will add some residual sugar and it is difficult to know how much sugar the fruit will actuall add to the mead.

Any other thoughts are appreciated.

 

[fatbloke]

replied at Gotmead......

 

[Tread82]

You couldn't copy and paste?

 

[LightningInABottle]

I would use D-47. I just did a similar batch. 18lbs honey 8lbs of blueberries in primary. Used SNA and it was fermented dry in 2 weeks. I transferred to secondary in a 6 gallon carboy and topped off with 8 more pounds of blueberries. I racked that off into a 5 gallon carboy and had a liter left over to bottle. It is completely dry and blueberries are very acidic. So I will be stabilizing my batch with k-meta and k-sorb after the next time I rack and back sweetening with 1lbs of honey. From there I will probably have to balance it out more. Good luck with yours

 

[LightningInABottle]

To remove berries parts and seeds while racking just get a fine mesh nylon brew bad and place it over your siphon when you rack.

 

[Q2XL]

You couldn't copy and paste?

What are you talking about?

 

[Tread82]

replied at Gotmead......

I just figured it would be as easy to copy and paste his reply as it would be to type out that he posted the reply on another forum.

 

[biochemedic]

I know a lot of people like Lalvin 71B for melomels...I just did a batch of cherry melomel with this strain, and I'm impressed so far. The batch went from 1.115 to 1.014 in about 10 days...13.5% ABV but still semi sweet, whuch is what it sounds like you're looking for. While it's still very young (technically still in primary), it's already really nice. Check out the specs on 71B... I think it will meet your needs (I know I have a new go-to yeast for melomels....)

 

[bigjoe]

I've had similar results, as a few have noted, with 71B. 18 lbs honey and 8 lbs of berries. I only did 1.5 gallons but that's what is scales up to.

I took a reading at 1 week and it went from 1.126 to 1.020. I added fruit and a few days later its around 1.010. I only left the fruit in for 3 days. It picked up a lot of color and flavor in that short time.

I think I answered all your questions in a long winded fashion.

71B takes off like a bottle rocket. A friend of mine who has been brewing mead for quite some time suggested it. I've had several of his meads in the last 2 years and he definitely knows what he's doing, not to mention the wall of ribbons he has.

I ferment in a 2.5 gallon bucket and was going to use 1 gallon carboys to age. I don't know I need the 1 gallon carboys at this point.

When I add my fruit I do it frozen in a paint strainer bag. I don't have to worry about the seeds. I don't think its the wisest thing I could do adding all that cold fruit though. Both I've made have dropped crystal clear in about a month and are very drinkable at this point.

I've personally only used it twice but I've loved the results. Take what I'm posting with a grain of salt based on that info.

 

[2ndGenBrewer]

+1 on 71B-1122. I've used it now on 6 meads (melomel and metheglyn) and love the results. It always ferments relativley fast, drops clear quickly and seems to produce low fuesals. It's one of may fav's!

 

[LightningInABottle]

71b is also a great yeast to use. I use it for meads where I mix in fruit to the primary that are highly acidic. I have done a couple of batches of Blood Orange mead that I fermented dry then added a cup of honey to the 5 gallon batch right before bottling hoping that it would carbonate. People tell me that it is sweet to them even though it's gravity is 1.006. Non mead drinkers say it reminds them of a zinfadel. I'm willing to trade for something that you have bottled if you are interested in a swap.

 

[mrgoodcheese]

I agree that 71B-1122 yeast makes a nice, tastey mead that seems to clear faster than most others. However, while experimenting with a high SG strawberry/kiwi mead that yeast didn't die out until it hit 16.4% alcohol. That was doing the typical stepped nutrient addition, and nothing else special. And a different batch of high SG cranberry mead went to 15.6% alcohol with D47 yeast. I diluted each batch down to 14.5%, and they are clearing well (bottle soon), but I was really surprised how high 71B and D47 can go.