Small Berry Melomel

[brian1947]

I have been making melomel for a number of years.

My basic recipe is:
3lbs of honey to about 6 pints of water (I make a gallon with 3 lbs)
1 tsp of acid blend per gallon for blackberry of raspberry melomel
2 tsp of acid blend for blueberry
3 tsp for Saskatoon berry

2.5 lbs of blueberries per gallon,
or 3 lbs of Saskatoon Berries or
4 lbs of blackberries or raspberries

1/2 tsp of tannin
1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme
1 tsp of yeast energizer
1/4 tsp of metabisulfite
Lalavin EC 1118 Champaign yeast.

I do not boil I just use warm tap water to dissolve the honey and chemicals.

I also freeze my berries so they break down easier.

I put the berries in nylon bags for ease of extraction.
Starting S.G. 1.095 to 1.100 finishing S.G. 1.000 to 0.994
Alc % 13 to 14
I keep the fruit on for 1 week or till the must reaches 1.030 And I transfer to the secondary fermenter after two weeks. I leave it in the glass carboy as long as I can. Then when I bottle I keep 6 bottles to drink now and set 24 away for a year. ((Ok I attempt it.))

 

[fatbloke]

I have been making melomel for a number of years.

My basic recipe is:
3lbs of honey to about 6 pints of water (I make a gallon with 3 lbs)
1 tsp of acid blend per gallon for blackberry of raspberry melomel
2 tsp of acid blend for blueberry
3 tsp for Saskatoon berry

2.5 lbs of blueberries per gallon,
or 3 lbs of Saskatoon Berries or
4 lbs of blackberries or raspberries

1/2 tsp of tannin
1/2 tsp of pectic enzyme
1 tsp of yeast energizer
1/4 tsp of metabisulfite
Lalavin EC 1118 Champaign yeast.

I do not boil I just use warm tap water to dissolve the honey and chemicals.

I also freeze my berries so they break down easier.

I put the berries in nylon bags for ease of extraction.
Starting S.G. 1.095 to 1.100 finishing S.G. 1.000 to 0.994
Alc % 13 to 14
I keep the fruit on for 1 week or till the must reaches 1.030 And I transfer to the secondary fermenter after two weeks. I leave it in the glass carboy as long as I can. Then when I bottle I keep 6 bottles to drink now and set 24 away for a year. ((Ok I attempt it.))

Personally, I'd not add any acids in the initial must, I'd just brew it as a traditional, then rack it onto the fruit for secondary.

I certainly wouldn't use EC-1118. It blows too much of the aromatics and some of the more subtle flavouring elements of the honey straight out the airlock.

A traditional, with added berries, that way you can adjust the level of flavour/colour you wanted, then either stabilise and back sweeten, or just use a little acid too taste. Plus I'd probably leave out the tannin, as there'd likely be enough in the fruit.