The goal is to brew a melomel that closely resembles champagne in ABV and dryness but with a nice fruity flavor to make up for the relative mild flavor present in honey. I got 5Kg for 220 pesos ($11.96) in Tijuana and some frozen fruit from the grocery store.
5Kg Honey + a 2 cups extra I got from when I had bees
8lbs frozen strawberries
1.5lbs frozen raspberries
0.75lbs frozen cherries
I mixed the honey with room temperature water and brought it up to 1.100. Thawed the frozen fruit in the bags in a pot of water and then added it to the must, ended up filling a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket to the brim. Added a spoonful of pectic enzyme. Rehydrated an 8g sachet of QA23 yeast in 95F water for 20 min. I chose QA23 because it apparently ferments dry, tolerates 16% ABV, has low nitrogen requirements, has killer factor, has a wide temperature range, and results in nice fruit flavors. 24hrs later I stirred in 2.3g of Fermaid K. Punched down the cap a couple times a day and stirred to aerate, added another 2.3g Fermaid K 48hrs after pitching. Racked to carboy 5 days after pitching by filtering through a nylon paint strainer. The smell was amazing, most dominant was guava aroma, and general tropical fruit. Now a white scum on top with yeast activity. Fermentation the whole time has been in my bedroom, mostly between 68-75F.
Now we wait.
5Kg Honey + a 2 cups extra I got from when I had bees
8lbs frozen strawberries
1.5lbs frozen raspberries
0.75lbs frozen cherries
I mixed the honey with room temperature water and brought it up to 1.100. Thawed the frozen fruit in the bags in a pot of water and then added it to the must, ended up filling a Home Depot 5 gallon bucket to the brim. Added a spoonful of pectic enzyme. Rehydrated an 8g sachet of QA23 yeast in 95F water for 20 min. I chose QA23 because it apparently ferments dry, tolerates 16% ABV, has low nitrogen requirements, has killer factor, has a wide temperature range, and results in nice fruit flavors. 24hrs later I stirred in 2.3g of Fermaid K. Punched down the cap a couple times a day and stirred to aerate, added another 2.3g Fermaid K 48hrs after pitching. Racked to carboy 5 days after pitching by filtering through a nylon paint strainer. The smell was amazing, most dominant was guava aroma, and general tropical fruit. Now a white scum on top with yeast activity. Fermentation the whole time has been in my bedroom, mostly between 68-75F.
Now we wait.
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