My first mead - well, melomel...whaddya think?

[Brew_MU]

JV, it is bubbling.... I know I am a little late on the reply but after you added the ENERGIZER it is still steadily plodding along.

I swear it tastes just like Demotap or a myriad of cough syrups. Don't worry I am not drinking it, just when we took the gravity reading last time. Interested in tasting when it is finally ready.

 

[bob1852]

JV, it is bubbling.... I know I am a little late on the reply but after you added the ENERGIZER it is still steadily plodding along.

cool! only about 6 more months or so before it's ready to bottle age...

 

[bob1852]

well it's down to about 1.030 now - man this stuff takes a long time!

I know, I know -

beer = weeks/months from fermenting to drinking
mead = months/years from fermenting to drinking

 

[Tusch]

Well you're already at 10%, but as long as it keeps on going you've got nothing to worry about. Can't wait to see how this turns out for you, especially after finishing my blueberry apple wine.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

well it's down to about 1.030 now - man this stuff takes a long time!

Hey, I'm in the same boat, I hit 1.030 last weekend at 12% ABV, I hoping for 1.020 or below this weekend to rack to secondary. Then I can sit it into my storeroom and try to forget about it for 4 months at least.

 

[bob1852]

Thanks for the continued feedback and info...

Here's my next question - will I need gelatin or something else to help this thing clear eventually do to the use of raspberries (well, fruit in general)?

 

[Tusch]

Not necessarily, time will clear almost all meads and wines, but some may eventually need finings. I have used sparkaloid with great results.

 

[ruger12pk]

Not necessarily, time will clear almost all meads and wines, but some may eventually need finings. I have used sparkaloid with great results.

Is there a specific time to add sparkaloid?

 

[hightest]

... will I need gelatin or something else to help this thing clear eventually do to the use of raspberries (well, fruit in general)?

Whenever fruit is used, it can't hurt to use pectic enzyme.

Pectin is a type of carbohydrate found in fruits that serves as a structural member of the fruit.

In home brewing, pectin levels are usually kept low for two reasons. The first reason is clarity - a cosmetic issue. Pectin can cause haze. The second thing about pectin is that it impairs filtration. The reason for both is the large size of the molecule and the tendency for the molecule to form gels.

Pectic enzyme (pectinase) breaks the pectin molecule into smaller pieces.

It is possible to check for the presence of pectin by adding one part of the must to one part 70% alcohol in a clear glass container - iso-propanol (rubbing alcohol) works well and is cheap. The test will cause any pectin to gel - alcohol precipitates the pectin resulting in a jellylike substance. When this occurs, the sample will become cloudy, the pectin begins to precipitate, and will eventually settle on the bottom of the sample glass. The firmness of the precipitate is an indication of the amount of pectin present.

 

[bob1852]

Thanks for the info hightest (and others)

I'll be picking up some pectin enzyme and sparkaloid (and hell, probably a few other carboys to get some more mead experiments going.....)

 

[bob1852]

update:

I was bottling some beer (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f5/moose-drool-big-sky-brewery-81007/index3.html) and racking another (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/magic-man-pale-ale-91965/), so I figured I'd take a hydro to see where I'm at: down to 1.020, but I figured this would be lower by now. I know I'm fermenting at a lower temp (~60-65), and didn't follow all of the yeast nutrient/energizer addition protocols - but I figured after 1.5 months I'd be down to ~1.000. What shoud I do? I gave it a gentle stir tonight, but I'm guessing to just wait it out? Thx!

 

[flyweed]

do nothing...just wait. don't stir either..the last thing you want to do right now is introduce oxygen into your Must. It will also clear all on it's own..my raspberry melomel is crystal clear...you can see photos in my photo gallery here in HBT.

If you want..you can rack to a secondary now, if you haven't yet. Also, you could start taking weekly Hydro readings and see if your S.G. is still dropping yet. Your raspberry melomel will most likely never reach 1.000...I would think if you get it down to 1.010 you'll be lucky.

Dan

 

[northcountry]

you should carb up some moose drool real quick and have one, god, the pitchers of that I used to drink at charlies in missoula, that was a fine tasting room back in the day, free all you could drink tasters, just keep tipping the bar maid,,,,then hop on your bike and head to kettlehouse or bayern

 

[bob1852]

Thanks Dan,

I'll take another reading in a few days and rack and let her age for along while (and rack again if I get more than 1/4" of lees).

The moose drool clone I did is gonna be amazing in ~3 weeks! A little drier than the original, but very tasty...

 

[flyweed]

what is your Moose drool recipe....I'd love to try it.

 

[bob1852]

what is your Moose drool recipe....I'd love to try it.

All Grain Recipe - Big Sky Moose Drool ::: 1.058/1.019 (5.5 Gal) (mine was 1.054/1.011)

Grain Bill
9 lbs. - 2 Row Pale Malt
1 lb. - Crystal Malt (60L)
1/2 lb. - Crystal Malt (20L)
1/2 lb. - CaraPils Malt
1/2 lb. - Flaked Oats
1/3 lb. - Chocolate Malt
1/8 lb. - Black Patent Malt

Hop Schedule (19 IBU)
1 oz - East Kent Goldings (First Wort Hop)
1 oz - Liberty (30 min.)
1 oz - Willamette (5 min.)
1 oz - Liberty (0 min. - flameout)

Yeast
White Labs British Ale Yeast (WLP005) - 750 ML Starter

Mash/Sparge/Boil
Mash at 154° 60 min.
Sparge as usual

Boil for 60 minutes
Cool and ferment at 66° to 68°

 

[northcountry]

well,,,A little drier in my opinion would be a good thing in comparison to the original, I might have to try that one myself...

 

[bob1852]

Update - the mead is now at 1.016 and I racked off the lees, added some pectin enzyme and will let 'er sit for a couple months.

 

[bob1852]

Okay, the pectin enzyme and probably some more yeast dropping out left a ~1/2" layer of lees....

racked again and added some sparkalloid -- holy crap! In two days the thing goes from somewhat cloudy to crystal clear! What's in that stuff?

Anyway, should I rack again in a week or so to get it off the sparkalloid-induced lees, or should I just let it sit?

 

[hightest]

...added some sparkalloid -- holy crap! In two days the thing goes from somewhat cloudy to crystal clear! What's in that stuff?

Anyway, should I rack again in a week or so to get it off the sparkalloid-induced lees, or should I just let it sit?

The answers to your questions are in the Sparkolloid Fining FAQ, and in the general Fining FAQ you'll see that Sparkolloid is my preferred fining method...

 

[bob1852]

The answers to your questions are in the Sparkolloid Fining FAQ, and in the general Fining FAQ you'll see that Sparkolloid is my preferred fining method...

Oh Revvy, are you there? I didn't use the search feature come on Revvy - I know you occassionaly lurk in the mead forums!

thx hightest!

 

[bob1852]

p.s. hightest, just keep slapping me back to your mead FAQ's when I keep asking these questions!

 

[hightest]

p.s. hightest, just keep slapping me back to your mead FAQ's when I keep asking these questions!

I consider it a gentle reminder...

Even though someone might scan the FAQs, I understand that there's just too much information there to recall as vividly as the person who wrote them. It's much easier for me to point the way towards the appropriate FAQ when a question (one that I've seen in a myriad of forms over the years) is asked.

Of course, I could always write an in-depth reply to the question(s) posed; but then that's why I wrote the FAQs - to eliminate the repetition...

 

[bob1852]

I bottled this today; it was clear as a bell and had held steady at 1.010.

Tasted the sample and it's gonna take some time to age properly, but it's at about 12.5%.

I wish I had done a couple things differently. First, read hightests FAQs more in-depth, and read Schramm's book. Second, I wouldn't of added any lime/lemon juice at the beginning. Third, I would've been more diligent about my nutrient/energizer additions.

Regardless, I'm happy that my first mead (well, melamel) is in the bottle and look forward to crackin one around the summer soltice.

 

[Kauai_Kahuna]

Wow, AZ_IPA that is some sharp looking mead. I love the red tone to it. I'm assuming that is not just Arizona red dirt mixed up in it. I hope the final taste is as good as it looks like. Congratulations I think you have a winner there.
Now, don't forget to start up your next batch, your thank your self in a few years.

 

[bob1852]

Wow, AZ_IPA that is some sharp looking mead. I love the red tone to it. I'm assuming that is not just Arizona red dirt mixed up in it. I hope the final taste is as good as it looks like. Congratulations I think you have a winner there.
Now, don't forget to start up your next batch, your thank your self in a few years.

Thanks Kauai, and the color is all raspberry - no AZ red dirt!

I already have two more going - a JAOM and a plain ol' wild desert honey (=mesquite) mead.

I'm gonna do my best to resist cracking this first melamel until May at the earliest.

 

[viking]

That is beautiful! I have a 3 gallon batch of Raspberry Melomel in the carboy right now. The recipe that I used had more of everything in it and my OG was over 1.140 (my hydrometer only goes to 1.130). It was started Jan. 17th, and when I racked it from the primary on Jan. 28th it was at 1.060. It was still bubbling once every 15 seconds when I racked it on Feb. 11th, but forgot to check gravity. Mine is also clear right now, although very dark red (think jelly). I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

 

[bob1852]

That is beautiful! I have a 3 gallon batch of Raspberry Melomel in the carboy right now. The recipe that I used had more of everything in it and my OG was over 1.140 (my hydrometer only goes to 1.130). It was started Jan. 17th, and when I racked it from the primary on Jan. 28th it was at 1.060. It was still bubbling once every 15 seconds when I racked it on Feb. 11th, but forgot to check gravity. Mine is also clear right now, although very dark red (think jelly). I hope mine turns out as well as yours.

sounds yummy and give it the time it deserves! And be sure to post pictures when it's done!

 

[bob1852]

just tasted some of this wonderful nectar - the color is amazing, the aroma is great, and even though it's still young; it's a good mead. I can't wait till it's aged a year +!

I hope to get some pictures up soon.

 

[travestyofnature]

I say pictures from both of you. They both sound great.