Mead/Melomel question on backsweetening

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btom2004

Wine On My Mind
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Hello:

Well I was just checking in on my 1st ever melomel. Today the SG is at 0.092, which means I should do something to it. I tasted it and it is a bit dry. I thought I liked dry wine, until I started making my own. Home brewed wine is just way to dry. The wine is very tasty and appears to have cleared up very well, this without even degassing or adding fining agents; other than the bentonite used in primary.

The melomel (made with 4 lbs. SueBee White Clover Honey- 1 lb. Blueberry & 6 oz. White Grape/Raspberry juice)
is on the left and to the right is the cloned Skeeter Pee using slurry.
DSC00467_zpsd07ea712.jpg


I did not taste any honey at all in the sample. Thus honey fermented to me, tastes like lemons without the citric acidity flavor.
I used that shot glass and about half of the contents of the testing tube there to sweeten some with sugar and some with honey.

I am really not a honey lover and did not like that extra honey taste in the wine.

Question: If honey is used for backsweetening, does the honey flavor stay strong in the wine after it ages or does it blend into something other than a honey taste?

I think I liked it better with sugar!

Question: Should I stay true to mead and only use honey to back-sweeten?

Question: What should I use for stabilizing and fining this wine? It looks and tastes so good I don't want to mess it up.

Question: If I use anything other than honey to backsweeten, will it every have a hint of honey after it ages?

Wow I'm a melomel lover for sure, as it packs a nice punch to it.

Thanks in advance for your imput.
 
Last edited:
I am really not a honey lover and did not like that extra honey taste in the wine.

Answer -Neither am I, as a matter of fact, before I tasted fresh Honey, the thought of store bought honey made me Ill.

Question: If honey is used for backsweetening, does the honey flavor stay strong in the wine after it ages or does it blend into something other than a honey taste?

Answer -The honey flavor does not stay strong, as it ages, it "marrys" into the wine, becoming an amazing wine.

I think I liked it better with sugar!

Answer -I highly recommend staying true to a true Melomel at least one time and using Honey to back sweeten, let it age for a few months, and come back to it....you will not be disappointed!

Question: Should I stay true to mead and only use honey to back-sweeten?

Answer -Absolutely, or it isn't a Melomel, and frankly, the honey will make it flat out amazing.


Question: What should I use for stabilizing and fining this wine? It looks and tastes so good I don't want to mess it up.


Answer - I used Sparkolloid on all of my Melomel, but Super Clear KC will work real well also.

Question: If I use anything other than honey to backsweeten, will it every have a hint of honey after it ages?

Answer - Yes it will, not only will it have a hint of honey, it will be very smooth, have nice body, great mouth feel and last, you will have to age it a few months, but my berry blend melomel is great even after 2 months and getting better everyday!



I hope that this helps!
 
Yes thanks a lot for the reply. I'll just use honey to backsweeten it then.
 

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