Elderberry Melomel

[Cracked Cork]

We got a gallon of local honey and decided to make an elderberry melomel. I steam juiced about 40 pounds of elderberries and dissolved the honey in the hot juice. We didnt want to boil the honey and drive off its taste. We also added some sugar, fermaid and acid blend and pectinase just to be safe. Pitched K1-V116 last night while things were still warm along with some toasted oakmor on top. I am hoping that the fruity taste of the elderberries after they are steamed will mix well with the honey. OG is a little high at 1.140 but I think the K1-V116 can handle it.

Crackedcork

 

[NorthernWinos]

WOW...so many berries.....you have worked to get such a great harvest. So neat to try different wines, etc with all you bounty.

Do you get the 'GREEN GOO'</font> when you steam juice???

Keep us Posted on how this turns out.

 

[Wade E]

That sounds really good!

 

[Cracked Cork]

We got more berries than we can ever pick now and just got 30 more bushes started as a windbreak, our birds though are very happy

We went back to picking them off by hand, makes it a lot easier to pick out any unripe berries and with the many different varities that we have the window of picking is expanded so that not all the berries come out once which is a big factor in our being able to pick over an extended time. We get very little green goo now even when using whole fruit, steaming them seems to knock it all out.

Crackedcork

 

[Cracked Cork]

One day we made jelly from 100% elderberry juice and it was fruity and tasted great, we also made jam from the berries and it was great so we knew somehow we could use pure juice, we would just have to cook it first. Crackedcork

 

[NorthernWinos]

We are trying to grow elderberries up here in NW Minnesota....The plants Adams and York die to the ground every year....so they come very late...did have a few clusters this year.

I have seen elderberries growing around here...So have hopes as my plants get older that they will produce better. The plants are so pretty that our new living snowfence of elderberry plants will be attractive if not productive.

This spring we got some plants from the County Soil &amp; Water Conservation, they are probablya native variety, so may have better luck with them. I started 16 more cuttings under grow lights...I still might go out and get a few more cuttings...They sure root easily.

Keep us posted on your Elderberry Honey experiment...sounds great.

 

[Cracked Cork]

RATS, I did a newbie mistake, I calculated acid blend for 6 gallons instead of 5. Dont know wethere I should just add another gallon of juice to keep the mead from being overly acidic. We are planning on making this a very sweet mead. Crackedcork

 

[Wade E]

Not a big difference and most likely will be masked by the sweetness.