Peach, orange, and cantaloupe mead

[MajorJC]

So I stopped at the fruit stand on the way home today and bought two cantaloupes and a basket of peaches and a basket of oranges. Do I put the peach pits and cantaloupe seeds and orange peel into the must? Do I cook it or heat it first? Let it sit for 24 hours before adding the yeast?

 

[MajorJC]

So here is what I'm thinking:

15 pounds of my Mississippi wildflower honey
2 navel oranges - including peel?
2 cantaloupes - cubed, rind and seed discarded.
22 peaches - crushed, pits discarded.
Malic acid - how much?
Tartaric acid - how much?
Tannin - how much?
Pectic enzyme - how much?
Yeast nutrient - 5 tsp (do I need the yeast nutrient with all the fruit?)
5 Campden tabs, crushed
1 package Lalvin 71B-1122

Crush fruit into primary fermenter
Mix honey with 2 gallons of warm water
Mix in the additives and let sit covered for 24 hours.
Take SG reading and add water to get SG to 1.1
rehydrate yeast and add to must.
close fermenter with air lock.
stir daily, when bubbling stops and SG is 1.0 rack into secondary with air lock.
In 30 days, rack into clean carboy with air lock.
When clear, bottle.

Any advice or changes to this plan?

Thanks

 

[MajorJC]

Hello all,
It has been three years and eleven months since I made this mead and I just got around to bottling it today. I really don’t have the words to describe the flavor of this mead other than it is amazing. I’m going to start another batch in the morning and hope I can repeat this amazing melomel.

 

[homebrewer_99]

All in one batch? Weird. Looks great though.

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

So I stopped at the fruit stand on the way home today and bought two cantaloupes and a basket of peaches and a basket of oranges. Do I put the peach pits and cantaloupe seeds and orange peel into the must? Do I cook it or heat it first? Let it sit for 24 hours before adding the yeast?

Last time I tried making cantaloupe mead the foam from fermentation was like (orange) shaving cream; It filled the headspace, and lifted the cap off the airlock. What a mess! Maybe because I didn't know about pectic enzyme.

I'm getting ready to return to mead making, (Took a break from it, I was putting my wife through college. Expensive!) and that does sound good.

One difference today from when I did that, is that I now have a juicer for processing the fruit. Does a great job of separating out the solids.

 

[bernardsmith]

Best way to ferment meads and wines is in a loosely covered food grade bucket with gallons of headroom, not a carboy. Never a problem with airlocks or excessive foam filling the headroom. Wine ain't beer. and honey ain't grain. When gravity drops to about 1.005 then you rack into a carboy sealed with bung and bubbler.

 

[MajorJC]

All in one batch? Weird. Looks great though.

Yep, I got 5.75 gallons out of this 6 gallon carboy.

I’ve got two primaries going now.

 

[homebrewer_99]

No, no ,no...those are separate batches. The way you posted it it sounded like you blended all of the fruits together into 1 batch. Your labels state otherwise.

 

[MajorJC]

No, no ,no...those are separate batches. The way you posted it it sounded like you blended all of the fruits together into 1 batch. Your labels state otherwise.

No, my 2014 batch that I just bottled had the cantaloupe, peach, naval oranges, and 15 lbs honey all together in one 6 gallon batch.

I have two new batches going now. One with just watermelon and honey and the second is a copy of the 2014 batch.

 

[MT2sum]

So, from what I think I understand, a basic mead is just honey, water, and yeast, correct? Then you can add fruit pulp, juice, or almost anything else you wish to add. Am I understanding what mead truly is? As far as the honey and water, is there a certain proportion/ratio they need to be, or is the final outcome going to be varied ABVs due to no specific ratio between the water and honey? Just trying to get a handle on how mead is made ..... and what it is made up of. So far, I haven't found a recipe for a basic mead, but I'll keep looking.
TIA

 

[AkTom]

Typically 1 to 3# honey for a gallon batch. The higher the abc, the longer to age. 5-6% drinkable in weeks compared to months.

 

[MT2sum]

Thanks Tom,
I'm heading down to visit my son and family at the end of this month, planning to pick up a 5 gallon bucket of Tennessee Dark Mountain honey, so with your response above, I think I'll try making a gallon of mead - never made one before. 1 question, I've got a plethora of different ale yeasts, 1 or 2 different wine yeasts and 1 champagne yeast - what's your opinion on which yeast would be the best to use. It's over 200 miles to the LHBS, so if I can use some of the yeasts I have laying around here (in a refrige), I'd just as soon do that. I use honey for priming my beers before bottling, going to use some to make a bottle or two of sparkling wine - first time for everything! - so I need to replenish my stock of honey! Is there such a thing as sparkling mead, or is that not worth a try?

A bucket lasts us about two years - the wife uses it a lot for cooking, and I use it for beers and wines.
THX

 

[MT2sum]

View attachment 581111
Yep, I got 5.75 gallons out of this 6 gallon carboy.

I’ve got two primaries going now.

Hi majorjc,
I'm trying to figure out what's with the airlocks in the flask and in that little brown fire-hydrant looking thingy. Are these starters for another batch? BTW, do you wash the yeast from previous batches like washing beer yeast, or can you do that with wines and meads? Just curious - like the old saying, inquiring minds want to know!
TIA,
MT2sum

 

[Brett_Bellmore]

Hi majorjc,
I'm trying to figure out what's with the airlocks in the flask and in that little brown fire-hydrant looking thingy. Are these starters for another batch?
TIA,
MT2sum

Little batches matching the big batch, so you can see what's (likely!) going on in the closed bucket, without opening it?

 

[AkTom]

Thanks Tom,
I'm heading down to visit my son and family at the end of this month, planning to pick up a 5 gallon bucket of Tennessee Dark Mountain honey, so with your response above, I think I'll try making a gallon of mead - never made one before. 1 question, I've got a plethora of different ale yeasts, 1 or 2 different wine yeasts and 1 champagne yeast - what's your opinion on which yeast would be the best to use. It's over 200 miles to the LHBS, so if I can use some of the yeasts I have laying around here (in a refrige), I'd just as soon do that. I use honey for priming my beers before bottling, going to use some to make a bottle or two of sparkling wine - first time for everything! - so I need to replenish my stock of honey! Is there such a thing as sparkling mead, or is that not worth a try?

A bucket lasts us about two years - the wife uses it a lot for cooking, and I use it for beers and wines.
THX

I’d use ale or wine yeast. I try to stay away from 1118 in unless I’m making Skeeter Pee and don’t have anything else. Wine yeast is cheap. Get a few kinds and try them out. 1 gallon batches are fun and let you try different things. Once you get a plain honey mead down you should try fruit or spices in secondary. Practice on plain first. Then the rest will be better.

 

[MT2sum]

Little batches matching the big batch, so you can see what's (likely!) going on in the closed bucket, without opening it?

Thanks. Since I brew in BigMouth Bubbers, I can see all the action I need to, but I understand what you're saying. I used to use buckets, but my curiosity got the better of me, so now it's glass for me, no more buckets!

 

[MT2sum]

I’d use ale or wine yeast. I try to stay away from 1118 in unless I’m making Skeeter Pee and don’t have anything else. Wine yeast is cheap. Get a few kinds and try them out. 1 gallon batches are fun and let you try different things. Once you get a plain honey mead down you should try fruit or spices in secondary. Practice on plain first. Then the rest will be better.

Thanks Tom;
I've got a couple of wine yeasts, and I might as well use them before they get stale. When I'm at my son's, the LHBS is only about 125 or 30 miles away in Knoxville. Like you say, wine yeast is cheap, usually about 1/3 the price of ale yeast, and sometimes I can find it on sale for even less! The trouble with buying anything in TN is that 10% tax ..... we don't have a sales tax here.
MT2sum

 

[MajorJC]

So, from what I think I understand, a basic mead is just honey, water, and yeast, correct? Then you can add fruit pulp, juice, or almost anything else you wish to add. Am I understanding what mead truly is? As far as the honey and water, is there a certain proportion/ratio they need to be, or is the final outcome going to be varied ABVs due to no specific ratio between the water and honey? Just trying to get a handle on how mead is made ..... and what it is made up of. So far, I haven't found a recipe for a basic mead, but I'll keep looking.
TIA

Yes, your basic mead is just honey, water, and yeast. I usually add some tartaric acid, malic acid, and grape tannin also. Approximately 3 to 4 pounds of honey per gallon depending on how dry or sweet you want your mead to be.

When you add the fruit to it you are actually making a Melomel, and if you add spices or herbs to it then you are making a Metheglin.

Thanks Tom,
I'm heading down to visit my son and family at the end of this month, planning to pick up a 5 gallon bucket of Tennessee Dark Mountain honey, so with your response above, I think I'll try making a gallon of mead - never made one before. 1 question, I've got a plethora of different ale yeasts, 1 or 2 different wine yeasts and 1 champagne yeast - what's your opinion on which yeast would be the best to use. It's over 200 miles to the LHBS, so if I can use some of the yeasts I have laying around here (in a refrige), I'd just as soon do that. I use honey for priming my beers before bottling, going to use some to make a bottle or two of sparkling wine - first time for everything! - so I need to replenish my stock of honey! Is there such a thing as sparkling mead, or is that not worth a try?

A bucket lasts us about two years - the wife uses it a lot for cooking, and I use it for beers and wines.
THX

I used Lalvin 71B-1122, which is a white wine yeast, for the Melomel at the beginning of this thread.

Hi majorjc,
I'm trying to figure out what's with the airlocks in the flask and in that little brown fire-hydrant looking thingy. Are these starters for another batch? BTW, do you wash the yeast from previous batches like washing beer yeast, or can you do that with wines and meads? Just curious - like the old saying, inquiring minds want to know!
TIA,
MT2sum

I had rehydrated my yeast when I realized that I needed to add the Campden tabs and let sit for 24 hours before I pitched my yeast. So I put the yeast into the small jars with some honey water to keep it going until time to pitch it.

Little batches matching the big batch, so you can see what's (likely!) going on in the closed bucket, without opening it?

Good guess, but when I do that I use gallon jugs and that also gives me extra to top off my carboy when I rack to the secondary.

 

[MT2sum]

@majorjc - Thanks for the info. I mentioned to my wife that I was going to try making some mead and she said she won't drink it! Too many calories - looks like I'll be 'stuck' drinking it by myself -- I'm all broke up! The Little Big Mouth Bubblers are 1.75 gallons, and I don't know how much you have to worry about blowoff with mead, so I would guess I'll start off with a gallon for the first one, and if there's not too much blowoff, I'll move up to 1 1/2 gallons. I would want it to be dry, (don't like sweet stuff), so how do I make sure of that ... just let it ferment clear out? I'll start off with 1 or 2 lb/gallon like Tom suggests and see if mead is something I can stand to drink, and then if it's OK, I'll go with 3 or 4 lb/gallon as you mentioned. I don't want to buy commercial, becuz homebrewed is always better for some unknown reason ;>).
TIA

 

[MajorJC]

@majorjc - Thanks for the info. I mentioned to my wife that I was going to try making some mead and she said she won't drink it! Too many calories - looks like I'll be 'stuck' drinking it by myself -- I'm all broke up! The Little Big Mouth Bubblers are 1.75 gallons, and I don't know how much you have to worry about blowoff with mead, so I would guess I'll start off with a gallon for the first one, and if there's not too much blowoff, I'll move up to 1 1/2 gallons. I would want it to be dry, (don't like sweet stuff), so how do I make sure of that ... just let it ferment clear out? I'll start off with 1 or 2 lb/gallon like Tom suggests and see if mead is something I can stand to drink, and then if it's OK, I'll go with 3 or 4 lb/gallon as you mentioned. I don't want to buy commercial, becuz homebrewed is always better for some unknown reason ;>).
TIA

To get a dry mead, add enough honey to get your starting SG to 1.1, use a wine yeast that is tolerant to 15% alcohol and let it stay in the secondary until your SG is 1.0. Usually 3 pounds of honey per gallon will do the trick, but sometimes the bees will cap honey at a higher water content and sometimes they will wait to cap it until the water content is much lower. This will affect exactly how much honey you will need, so if you really don't want any residual sweetness then don't forgo checking your SG.

 

[MT2sum]

Do you use a different Hydrometer than I use for beer? 1.1 to me would be 1.100 and 1.0 might still be very high, depending on what number(s?) come after the zero (I was expecting something along the lines of .997 or 8). I might have to invest in a different hydrometer before I make my first mead! THX

 

[MajorJC]

Do you use a different Hydrometer than I use for beer? 1.1 to me would be 1.100 and 1.0 might still be very high, depending on what number(s?) come after the zero (I was expecting something along the lines of .997 or 8). I might have to invest in a different hydrometer before I make my first mead! THX

Nah, same hydrometer, I just left off some significant digits. I actually just bought a refractometer because I have trouble seeing the little lines on my glass hydrometer. My 1.1 is 1.100 and after checking my notes, that will be a little sweet. For dry mead starting SG should be around 1.080 to 1.090. Finishing could be as low as 0.990 I've heard but mine was 1.000. I guess that could be because I started mine at 1.100 and it is still a little, very little, sweet.

 

[MT2sum]

Thanks, I was worried about buying more stuff - If I can find a job down in TN, I'll be able to get more 'stuff.' Sometimes, it's hell to grow old, and then at some other times, it has it's advantages!!

 

[MajorJC]

I'm going to continue posting in this thread as my "Mead/Melomel Journal." I will be posting my recipe notes, pictures, aging, bottling and other info here. Even so, I welcome any conversation/questions/comments and such about my mead...

...Well, the original 2014 batch is almost gone and the 2018 batch, after bulk aging for four years, has an off flavor of wet cardboard/dirt and is not enjoyable. I attribute that to uncontrolled fermentation temperatures.

The 2018 batch of Watermelon Melomel is disappointing too with the same type of off flavors, and since these were fermented side by side on my dining room floor with the same yeast, that is to be expected.

Instead of dumping, I'm holding on to these two batches for a future project.

Now that I have a fermentation chamber to control temperatures I'm going to start a batch of elderberry melomel this weekend, since I have about four pounds of dried elderberries in the freezer. Then later this summer when local cantaloupes and peaches are available I'll make another batch of my cantaloupe melomel.

 

[Dan O]

I'm going to continue posting in this thread as my "Mead/Melomel Journal." I will be posting my recipe notes, pictures, aging, bottling and other info here. Even so, I welcome any conversation/questions/comments and such about my mead...

...Well, the original 2014 batch is almost gone and the 2018 batch, after bulk aging for four years, has an off flavor of wet cardboard/dirt and is not enjoyable. I attribute that to uncontrolled fermentation temperatures.

The 2018 batch of Watermelon Melomel is disappointing too with the same type of off flavors, and since these were fermented side by side on my dining room floor with the same yeast, that is to be expected.

Instead of dumping, I'm holding on to these two batches for a future project.

Now that I have a fermentation chamber to control temperatures I'm going to start a batch of elderberry melomel this weekend, since I have about four pounds of dried elderberries in the freezer. Then later this summer when local cantaloupes and peaches are available I'll make another batch of my cantaloupe melomel.

I'm curious. Did you ferment with the pits? I have always read (& been told), that any stone fruits should have the pits removed prior to fermentation.
Thank you, in advance, if you do reply.
Happy meading

Edit....I see that you discarded them.

 

[Miraculix]

Sounds more like an oxidation problem to me. Temperature problem would be esters or fusels.

 

[Maylar]

Sounds more like an oxidation problem to me. Temperature problem would be esters or fusels.

The "wet cardboard" wine fault is sometimes called cork taint.

 

[MajorJC]

Sounds more like an oxidation problem to me.

Very well could be. During bulk aging I sealed the neck with layered saran wrap and aluminum foil secured with a rubber band after I found that I had let the airlock dry out for an unknown period of time.

 

[MajorJC]

The "wet cardboard" wine fault is sometimes called cork taint.

I just googled cork taint. That's not it because I bulk aged it in a glass carboy with first an airlock and then saran wrap/aluminum foil seal. No corks were used.

 

[Miraculix]

Very well could be. During bulk aging I sealed the neck with layered saran wrap and aluminum foil secured with a rubber band after I found that I had let the airlock dry out for an unknown period of time.

That's not an air tight seal, this ruined your batch unfortunately.