# 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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## ox45 (Jul 3, 2013)

You definitely did your homework, and you have a very solid plan!

The only thing to watch for is that 4184 is very finicky. I have never used it personally, but I have seen countless stories of incredibly slow starts and stuck ferments. A lot of time PH is the main culprit, so if you wind up stuck I would test that too. But I think if you keep up with with the SNA and degassing you should be OK.

Do you have any way to control temps? I finally built a fermentation chamber and my last few batches have come out so much better when I am able to keep them at the lower end of the temp range. Especially since from my experience melomels seem to ferment a lot more vigorously than traditional.


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## fatbloke (Jul 3, 2013)

ox45 said:


> You definitely did your homework, and you have a very solid plan!
> 
> The only thing to watch for is that 4184 is very finicky. I have never used it personally, but I have seen countless stories of incredibly slow starts and stuck ferments. A lot of time PH is the main culprit, so if you wind up stuck I would test that too. But I think if you keep up with with the SNA and degassing you should be OK.
> 
> Do you have any way to control temps? I finally built a fermentation chamber and my last few batches have come out so much better when I am able to keep them at the lower end of the temp range. Especially since from my experience melomels seem to ferment a lot more vigorously than traditional.


Finicky ? I'd call it a complete PITA. 

If you want to try a sweet mead yeast then try the White Labs one. I haven't heard of that being problematic at all.

If its honey you want to focus on then 71B might be good or if you want the fruit flavour as the focus then maybe RC212.....


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## CoastalEmpireWine (Jul 4, 2013)

I have read that it is a complete PITA also. What I am thinking is instead of smacking it, dumping the yeast in a starter solution of Go-Ferm rehydration nutrient. If not I will have a back up of the White Labs liquid yeast. No point in wasting it, if it doesnt start, or ferment the way I want, I'll add the White Labs. I have heard of it starting good though. I have had plenty of time to think about how to go about this and this is a recipe i made up off the top of my head. It enlightens me that you think it is a solid plan! I was just hoping for the 4184 to kick off as I have heard it leaves a nice fruit flavor in the melomel. I just ordered the white labs WLP720 sweet mead yeast just in case.


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## CoastalEmpireWine (Jul 4, 2013)

What should the pH be for this melomel? I have a Vinmetrica SC-300 that I can easily test and adjust with.


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## Bob1016 (Jul 4, 2013)

What is it currently? The problem is the pH drop, normally the yeast will force the pH into a range they like, but in meads (due to low buffering) it can drop too far. 
I normally add 1g/gal Potassium carbonate, both to add buffering and add potassium which is important for yeast health.


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## CoastalEmpireWine (Jul 5, 2013)

I havent started it yet.


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