mgayer
Well-Known Member
This has won some gold medals and it is no wonder. It is worth having a couple batches going. I will be making this as soon as possible as my friend will not part with any more!!
18 lbs Strawberries
4 lbs Bananas
18 lbs Wildflower Honey
2 tsp Yeast Nutruents
1 tsp Yeast Energizer
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
Add all but one quart of water to the fermenter (3 gallons and 1 quart). Reserve one quart of water to boil - this is used to rinse the honey containers. Add all of the honey to the fermenter. Pour some of the hot water into each of the honey containers and shake to dissolve the remaining honey, and then add this to the fermenter. NOTE 1: Use caution when rinsing the honey containers, as pressure can build up in the containers.
Using the large spoon, wine degasser, or another sterilized tool of choice, mix the must until the honey is completely dissolved.
Add 2 teaspoons pectic enzyme, ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient, and stir well. Now, it is time to add the strawberries. NOTE 2: If you would rather add the strawberries to the secondary, feel free to do so. The recipe will work either way.
NOTE 3: The large amount of fruit will create a significant layer of sludge in the bottom of the fermentation bucket. This will make racking difficult later on. You can use a large grain bag (sterilized by boiling) to contain the sludge, or you can use a sterilized stainless steel scrubby stuck on the bottom of the racking cane to filter the sludge from the liquid during the siphon.
If you are using frozen strawberries, they should be thawed prior to adding to the must. If you are using fresh strawberries, they should be thoroughly rinsed and the caps and any bad spots should be removed. Cutting up the fresh strawberries may help with the flavor extraction. Add the thawed, room temperature strawberries to the mead must and stir well. Take your original specific gravity reading.
Re-hydrate the dry yeast if you have not already done so, by following the instructions on the packages. If you have an oxygenation system, put additional oxygen into the must. Once the yeast has been re-hydrated, make sure the must is between 60 and 70 degrees F, pitch the yeast and stir well; or, cover the bucket/pail with the lid and shake the fermenter vigorously to aerate. Attach the fermentation lock, and add liquid to the fermentation lock. Fermentation should begin within 24 hours.
Yeast Nutrient Schedule
Use the following schedule for adding the remaining yeast nutrient and energizer.
NOTE 4: When adding energizer and nutrient, stir slowly at first, as excessive foaming will occur. Once the foaming has subsided, stir vigorously to encourage aeration. Oxygen addition at this point in the fermentation is a good thing and will only help the final product. The degassing of CO2 from the must also helps with yeast health.
After 24 hours: add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
After 48 hours: add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
After 72 hours: Add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
Fermentation is best when kept at 70 degrees F or slightly lower.
The primary fermentation will last about 4 weeks. Buy the 4 pounds of ripe bananas before you rack to the secondary fermenter.
Transferring to the Secondary
When the activity in the airlock has pretty much stopped indicating the primary fermentation is complete, rack to a secondary fermenter (preferably glass). See NOTE 3 (above) for tips on racking from the primary to the secondary.
Now, its time to add the bananas. Trim off any stems that look moldy. Rinse the bananas before peeling them to remove molds and bacteria. Place a sterilized funnel in the carboy neck, and peel and place the bananas in the funnel. Use the end of the large spoon, or a racking cane or other sterilized device to mash the bananas into the carboy. This should break them up enough to extract the flavors and aromas. Attach a fermentation lock to the carboy and leave at 65 to 70 degrees F for 3 to 4 weeks.
After 3 to 4 weeks, rack to another carboy for aging and clarification. (See Note 3 for tips on racking.) Check the mead at this time for sweetness. If more sweetness is needed, add honey until you get the desired sweetness. To do this, add 1 pound of honey to 1 cup of hot water and gently mix this into the meaddo not aerate while mixing. Repeat until desired sweetness level is obtained. Some residual sweetness will be needed to balance the acid from the strawberries. You may want to add some potassium sorbate to inhibit any further fermentation.
This mead is nice either still or sparkling, but seems a bit better when sparkling. You can either carbonate in a keg, or bottle condition. If bottle conditioning, leave the mead at room temperature for a few months, but be sure to try one every few months so the carbonation doesnt get away from you.
This mead is drinkable after 3 months, very nice at 4 months, and continues to get better with age, peaking somewhere around 1.5 to 2.5 years.
18 lbs Strawberries
4 lbs Bananas
18 lbs Wildflower Honey
2 tsp Yeast Nutruents
1 tsp Yeast Energizer
2 tsp Pectic Enzyme
Add all but one quart of water to the fermenter (3 gallons and 1 quart). Reserve one quart of water to boil - this is used to rinse the honey containers. Add all of the honey to the fermenter. Pour some of the hot water into each of the honey containers and shake to dissolve the remaining honey, and then add this to the fermenter. NOTE 1: Use caution when rinsing the honey containers, as pressure can build up in the containers.
Using the large spoon, wine degasser, or another sterilized tool of choice, mix the must until the honey is completely dissolved.
Add 2 teaspoons pectic enzyme, ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient, and stir well. Now, it is time to add the strawberries. NOTE 2: If you would rather add the strawberries to the secondary, feel free to do so. The recipe will work either way.
NOTE 3: The large amount of fruit will create a significant layer of sludge in the bottom of the fermentation bucket. This will make racking difficult later on. You can use a large grain bag (sterilized by boiling) to contain the sludge, or you can use a sterilized stainless steel scrubby stuck on the bottom of the racking cane to filter the sludge from the liquid during the siphon.
If you are using frozen strawberries, they should be thawed prior to adding to the must. If you are using fresh strawberries, they should be thoroughly rinsed and the caps and any bad spots should be removed. Cutting up the fresh strawberries may help with the flavor extraction. Add the thawed, room temperature strawberries to the mead must and stir well. Take your original specific gravity reading.
Re-hydrate the dry yeast if you have not already done so, by following the instructions on the packages. If you have an oxygenation system, put additional oxygen into the must. Once the yeast has been re-hydrated, make sure the must is between 60 and 70 degrees F, pitch the yeast and stir well; or, cover the bucket/pail with the lid and shake the fermenter vigorously to aerate. Attach the fermentation lock, and add liquid to the fermentation lock. Fermentation should begin within 24 hours.
Yeast Nutrient Schedule
Use the following schedule for adding the remaining yeast nutrient and energizer.
NOTE 4: When adding energizer and nutrient, stir slowly at first, as excessive foaming will occur. Once the foaming has subsided, stir vigorously to encourage aeration. Oxygen addition at this point in the fermentation is a good thing and will only help the final product. The degassing of CO2 from the must also helps with yeast health.
After 24 hours: add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
After 48 hours: add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
After 72 hours: Add ¼ tsp yeast energizer and ½ tsp yeast nutrient and stir well.
Fermentation is best when kept at 70 degrees F or slightly lower.
The primary fermentation will last about 4 weeks. Buy the 4 pounds of ripe bananas before you rack to the secondary fermenter.
Transferring to the Secondary
When the activity in the airlock has pretty much stopped indicating the primary fermentation is complete, rack to a secondary fermenter (preferably glass). See NOTE 3 (above) for tips on racking from the primary to the secondary.
Now, its time to add the bananas. Trim off any stems that look moldy. Rinse the bananas before peeling them to remove molds and bacteria. Place a sterilized funnel in the carboy neck, and peel and place the bananas in the funnel. Use the end of the large spoon, or a racking cane or other sterilized device to mash the bananas into the carboy. This should break them up enough to extract the flavors and aromas. Attach a fermentation lock to the carboy and leave at 65 to 70 degrees F for 3 to 4 weeks.
After 3 to 4 weeks, rack to another carboy for aging and clarification. (See Note 3 for tips on racking.) Check the mead at this time for sweetness. If more sweetness is needed, add honey until you get the desired sweetness. To do this, add 1 pound of honey to 1 cup of hot water and gently mix this into the meaddo not aerate while mixing. Repeat until desired sweetness level is obtained. Some residual sweetness will be needed to balance the acid from the strawberries. You may want to add some potassium sorbate to inhibit any further fermentation.
This mead is nice either still or sparkling, but seems a bit better when sparkling. You can either carbonate in a keg, or bottle condition. If bottle conditioning, leave the mead at room temperature for a few months, but be sure to try one every few months so the carbonation doesnt get away from you.
This mead is drinkable after 3 months, very nice at 4 months, and continues to get better with age, peaking somewhere around 1.5 to 2.5 years.
