byathread
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2013
- Messages
- 223
- Reaction score
- 57
Well, it's long overdue, but I'm finally starting my first elderberry mead. It's a 3 gallon batch using 1 lb dried elderberries plus 3.5 lbs of frozen berries I harvested last fall. As my tastes have changed, I've gone from brewing 10-12 batches of mead per year to just a couple, often melomels from fruit I harvest. This batch is influenced by my kit winemaking hobby as far as yeast selection, and additives. I'm shooting for a fairly big, bold, oaked mead and I don't mind waiting a year or two to fully enjoy it.
PS - Special thanks to WVMJack whose posts and website have really informed my knowledge of Elderberry wines and meads.
Elderberry Mead, oaked, 3gal
6lb Desert Blossom honey (med-dark, rich butterscotch, toffee)
3+lb Wildflower honey (from my hives - medium, somewhat spicy)
1lb elderberries, dried
3.5lb elderberries, fresh/frozen/thawed (treated as above)
25g tartaric acid
1.5t pectinase
1/8t K-Meta
3g Opti-Red
3g Booster Rouge
8g Lalvin D254 yeast (rehydrated in 10g GoFerm)
3gal spring water (to 3.25 gal)
28g Medium French oak chips (in primary)
??g French/Hungarian oak cubes (in secondary)
SG=1.099. I soaked the dried berries overnight in water, thawed the frozen berries, combined and simmered them for about 10 minutes, then cooled, bagged, mixed up must and added pectinase, tartaric, K-Meta and left overnight. Pitched yeast this morning. I plan to remove the fruit in 3 or maybe 4 days.
Thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
PS - Special thanks to WVMJack whose posts and website have really informed my knowledge of Elderberry wines and meads.
Elderberry Mead, oaked, 3gal
6lb Desert Blossom honey (med-dark, rich butterscotch, toffee)
3+lb Wildflower honey (from my hives - medium, somewhat spicy)
1lb elderberries, dried
3.5lb elderberries, fresh/frozen/thawed (treated as above)
25g tartaric acid
1.5t pectinase
1/8t K-Meta
3g Opti-Red
3g Booster Rouge
8g Lalvin D254 yeast (rehydrated in 10g GoFerm)
3gal spring water (to 3.25 gal)
28g Medium French oak chips (in primary)
??g French/Hungarian oak cubes (in secondary)
SG=1.099. I soaked the dried berries overnight in water, thawed the frozen berries, combined and simmered them for about 10 minutes, then cooled, bagged, mixed up must and added pectinase, tartaric, K-Meta and left overnight. Pitched yeast this morning. I plan to remove the fruit in 3 or maybe 4 days.
Thoughts or suggestions are welcome!
Last edited: