Strawberry Melomel
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Just brewed this up last night:

    5 gal batch:
    15# clover honey
    8# diced strawberries (frozen and then thawed)
    Yeast Nutrient
    Yeast Energizer
    2 packets of 71B-1122 (rehydrated)

    OG came in at 1.120

    This was bubbling away this morning in my ferm chamber at 21C. I plan to aerate/agitate the must tonight as well as tomorrow and then add a small addition of nutrient and energizer (doing an SNA on this bitch).

    I have 4# of additional strawberries in the freezer that will be added to the secondary once it is transferred.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    21c? is that the apartment number for your ferm chamber?
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    21C is easier to type than 294.15K
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Or 529.47 Rankine ....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    69.8 degrees Fahrenheit





    way better
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    I'm hoping I can get this thing into drinkable shape in a couple of months. I'll let the bulk of it age more than a year, but is like it to be good sooner than that.

    It was cheap, too. Costco strawberries were $2.99/2#.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    a couple of months is really pushing it.... I would think about racking it in three months
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    where did you get the honey?
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Local? Costco?
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Costco honey.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    so it's corn syrup. That won't need as much age.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Pfffft! That costco stuff is the real deal. Seriously, read about it on the internet. They can't post stuff on the internet that's not true.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    So it's been two days now. I've had to clean out the airlock twice due to clogging, though I haven't had time to agitate and add more nutrients. Is my mead going to be okay if I never get around to adding additional nutrients?! IS IT?!?!
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    no, ship the whole thing to me for disposal.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,573
    frydogbrews said:

    no, ship the whole thing to me for disposal.



    Dont listen to this guy Ace. Fry is not licensed for melomel disposal. You'll need to send it to me for proper disposal.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Ace_Club said:

    So it's been two days now. I've had to clean out the airlock twice due to clogging, though I haven't had time to agitate and add more nutrients. Is my mead going to be okay if I never get around to adding additional nutrients?! IS IT?!?!



    All seriousness aside... It will be OK... it will just take longer to ferment, and will need to age more
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Its prolly too late to add the nutrients now.... but if you add a little green tea it might give the yeasties a boost.
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Took the bucket out to add nutrients tonight. Removed the lid and punched the fruit cap down with my stir wand. Then I decided to degas a little prior to adding the nutrients, so I hooked up the drill and turned it on.

    The resulting foam overflowed the bucket and I ended up with quite a bit of mead and strawberries on the floor. *ugh*

    Other than that, the nutrient addition went well and it's fermenting away in my ferm chamber.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    too early to de-gas.....oh, you found that out.....
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    Ace_Club said:

    I've had to clean out the airlock twice due to clogging,



    Ace_Club said:

    so I hooked up the drill and turned it on.

    The resulting foam overflowed the bucket and I ended up with quite a bit of mead and strawberries on the floor. *ugh*



    :-?
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    Next time you do something like that ace .... video .....
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    frydogbrews said:

    too early to de-gas.....oh, you found that out.....



    Yeah, I guess it was more agitating/aeration at this point. Same concept, bad result.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,573
    Ace_Club said:

    frydogbrews said:

    too early to de-gas.....oh, you found that out.....



    Yeah, I guess it was more agitating/aeration at this point. Same concept, bad result.


    oops.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    At that point .... just giving the carboy a good swirl and a little shake is good enough ..........
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Degassed a little more today, and then added some more nutrient. After that, I took the gravity reading.

    0.998. Guess I didn't need to add the nutrients. @-)

    This bitch went from 1.120 down to 0.998 in a little over a week! :O

    Ah well, the additional nutrients will keep the yeast happy until I transfer it to the secondary on top of more strawberries this weekend.

    Oh, and it tasted pretty damn good, too. \:D/
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947


    Hence the secondary addition of strawberries. With the mead already at 16%+ abv, and the yeast limit of 14%, the additional 4# of berries should backsweeten nicely.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    Ace_Club said:

    frydogbrews said:

    ceannt said:

    Ace_Club said:


    Oh, and it tasted pretty damn good, too. \:D/



    but.....You have girly tastes....


    that won't be girly at all. nothing sweet about .998


    Hence the secondary addition of strawberries. With the mead already at 16%+ abv, and the yeast limit of 14%, the additional 4# of berries should backsweeten nicely.


    haha....yeah...didn't you use 71-B? That'll eat those sugars up too. no problemo.
  • ThymThym
    Posts: 121,573
    just rack and sulphite before adding the strawberries methinks.
    The only thing between me and a train wreck is blind luck..... - Kenny
  • Ace_ClubAce_Club
    Posts: 1,947
    Racked this onto the 4# of additional strawberries tonight. Some pics.

    Transferring:

    image

    The old strawberries, devoid of all their berry goodness.

    image

    The new strawberries, ready to sacrifice their berry goodness for the benefit of the mead.

    image

    Transfer complete.

    image
  • ceanntceannt
    Posts: 53,828
    sweet
    Never attribute to malice, that which can adequately be explained by stupidity.
  • frydogbrewsfrydogbrews
    Posts: 44,679
    be real careful about mold growth in that secondary on the fruit cap.
  • FuzzyFuzzy
    Posts: 49,654
    frydogbrews said:

    be real careful about mold growth in that secondary on the fruit cap.



    just give it a shake urry day to keep the berries wet.
    The pinnacle of lame and awesome in one singular moment. -Lake
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