# Blackberry Melomel Recipe



## CoastalEmpireWine (Jul 1, 2013)

Hello everyone! This is how I plan to make my melomel when I return home. Please feel free to leave advise or criticism. 

15lbs. of Clover Honey (artisan grade)
2 Cans of 96oz. Blackberry fruit wine base
2.5 tsp. of pectic enzyme
Fermaid K (staggering nutrient)
DAP (staggering nutrient)
4184 Wyeast Sweet Mead yeast (11% tolerance)
Distilled water to fill to 5.5 gallons

Of course first is first. Ensure everything is sterilized. Add both cans of blackberry base to ferment bucket (catching fruit pieces in mesh bag). Add the pectic enzyme. Heat one gallon of water to approx. 130 degrees (helps dissolve the honey). Add water and approx. 15 lbs of honey to bucket (enough to get 1.100 S.G.). Stir until honey is dissolved. Add distilled water until the level is right at 5.5 gallons (make enough room for headspace when fruit is removed). Mix in Fermaid K and DAP (remember I am staggering my nutrients so that the yeast stay healthy). Place cover on bucket and let sit until it cools down enough to add yeast. Aerate must with .5 micron air stone and medical grade O2 for 15-20 seconds (ensure yeast have oxygen to multiply, read it is essential when making mead/melomel). When at correct temperature add yeast (it is a smack pack so I'll start that roughly 3 hours before I begin). Stir daily to remove CO2 and add in nutrients (do this up until 1/3 sugar break). Let ferment up until roughly 1.020 (which is where I expect it to almost complete fermentation). Transfer to 5 gallon carboy and let finish fermenting and wait for the dropping of the gross lees. Then transfer to another carboy, add sorbate, flavor to taste if needed. Add french oak medium toast cubes ( I do not know how much to add due to never using oak before. if anyone has any suggestions, that would be greatly appreciated). Let sit on cubes until it acquires the taste I prefer, then transfer to another carboy and let age for approx. 3-4 months. Then bottle and hide from nosey family members and friends  Just kidding...

How does this sound? Anyone have any concerns or any ideas for this? I tried to make it as detailed as possible. This is my first time making mead and this is a recipe I made up one day. Thank you for your time


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