Please help me formulate with these ingredients!

[MVKTR2]

Guys i've made 4 or 5 batches of 1-gal meads. Generally using a mix of honey and various fruit juices, the frozen concentrate upper end stuff. However I'm wanting to make a 4-6 gallon batch... my first big batch. So could you, the brain trust of HBT help me with recipe formulation and process as I'm hoping to use cherries and haven't done this before.

What I've got:
15 lbs Clover Honey
14 lbs Fresh Cherries
10+ lbs Fresh local Pears - but no access to a juicer, only a food processor.
2 gal white grape juice (welches)
2 gal grape/cherry juice (welches)
Lalvin 71B-1122 Narbonne Yeast

The only thing I'm hoping for is as much 'fruit' influence as is possible... sort of. I'd rather have a good mead instead of bad fruity mead. Meaning my concern is the welches juices may not be the best choice. Any experience with using those juices? Also anyone experienced as to how high I'd need my original gravity to be so as to ensure some residual sugar with this yeast. I've only used D17 up till now.

That's it... what should I do?

Schlante,
Phillip

 

[fatbloke]

Well, decent cherries are hard to get here in quantity.

Pears are no problem....

I can't suggest any recipe or method, so its just suggestions/"food for thought".

So, with the pears, without a press (home built fruit mill from a garbage disposal unit is easy, as is pressing cloth and boards, with a workshop press from an auto tools supplier), so a freeze/thaw and then strain and wring should work (ascorbic acid/vitamin C to prevent oxidation).

I'd also split the fruit into separate batches, as its possible that the cherry can swamp the pear. You can blend the finished products to taste. Cherry alone can taste like robitusin if you're not careful.

The 71B should be fine, you just need to get the finished ferment off the lees promptly as it's not good for sure lie ageing...

As far as making the batches high gravity so you end up with residual sugar ? I'd suggest that you aim at a lower gravity and alcohol level, but ferment dry and back sweeten as its more managable that way.

Can't think of anything else ATM - its getting late here.

Good luck though. Sounds like you have some nice ingredients......