Midsummer berries mead
A simple strawberry and blackberry flavored mead recipe perfect for summer. Traditionally a fruit or berry flavored mead is called Melomel.
Equipment:
- 5 l Demijohn
- 5 l stockpot
- 5 l fermentation bucket
- Hydrometer
- Thermometer
- Bung
- Airlock
- Funnel
- Spoons
- Siphon
I used yeast Lalvin ICV-D47 from Lallemand and vwp sterilizer.
https://shop.humle.se/jast/vinjast/torr/icv-d-47-vinjast-5-g
Ingredients:
- 4 l Water
- 1,5 kg Honey
- 5 g Yeast
- 200 gram Strawberries
- 150 gram Blackberries
Instructions:
-
Wash
Wash a demijohn.
-
Sterilize demijohn
Fill the demijohn with water and sterilizer.
-
Wait
Wait 30 minutes.
-
Wash stockpot
Wash the stockpot.
-
Sterilize stockpot
Pour the sterilized water from the demijohn in the stockpot.
-
Wash extra equipment
Wash a spoon, a funnel, a hydrometer, a bung and an airlock.
-
Sterilise equipment
Put the equipment in the stockpot with the sterilized water.
-
Wait
Wait 10 minutes and rinse the equipment thoroughly and put them in a dish rack.
-
Dissolve honey
Dissolve the honey with 2 l new fresh spring water in the stockpot. If nessesary heat the water to a max ~32°C to dissolve the honey completely.
-
Fill up with water
Fill up with water to desired amount of must.
-
Measure the gravity
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Fill the demijohn
Pour the must(honey water mix) in to the demijohn.
-
Oxidize the must
Swirl and shake the demijhon to oxidize the must.
-
Yeast instructions
If the yeast package have specific instructions follow them.
-
Add the yeast
Pour the yeast in to the demijohn.
-
Bung with an airlock
But on a bung with an airlock on the demjohn.
-
After 24h degas.
Oxidizing the mead can turn it into vinegar, do not shake, swirl lightly to degas the mead.
-
24h nutrients
After 24h add nutrients.
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Fermentation
Let it ferment for at least 3 weeks.
-
Measure the gravity.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Clean and sterilize
Clean and sterilize the fermentation bucket.
-
Fermentation bucket
Rack to fermentation bucket
-
Clean and sterilize
Clean and sterilize the filter bag.
-
Berries
Put the berries in the filter bag, tie it and put it in the fermentation bucket.
-
Rest
Let it rest for one week. If it rest to long it can get a strange flavour.
-
Measure the gravity.
Measure the gravity with a hydrometer.
-
Clean and sterilize
Clean and sterilize the demijohn.
-
Back to demijohn
Rack to the demijohn
-
Pasteurize
Heat the mead, prefarbly in a water bath, to 60˚c (120˚F) let it be so for 22 minutes to pasteruize it.
-
Cool down
Let the mead cool down
-
Rest
Let it rest for at least 1 more week.
-
Bottling.
Transfer into bottles.
-
Enjoy,
Drink, enjoy and scold in the company of good friends!
To calculate the ABV you can use the formula:
(OG - FG) / 7.5 = ABV
OG : Original °Öchsle
FG : Final °Öchsle
After fermentation my result: (115 - 12) / 7.5 = 13,7333ABV
Or this formula:
(OG - FG) x 131 = ABV
OG : Original Gravity
FG : Final Gravity
After fermentation my result: (1.115 - 1.012) x 131 = 13,493ABV
23-02-25 Prime fermentation
25-02-25 Swirl and added nutrients
16-03-25 Fermentation bucket and added berries
22-03-25 Back to demijohn and pasteurized
29-03-25 Bottled
