I have just put this one on - fermentation underway--- A little unusual but I have developed this from many old mead recipes and the use of coconut young juice is a result of previous success with coco nut and pineapple. Cheers - critiques welcome DAW ![Big Grin](https://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/core/images/smilies/biggrin.png)
DAW’S MELOMEL/Metheglin
(Tropical Fruit/Coconut, Spice Mead)
For 23 liters (6 US gallons, 5.1 Imperial gallons)
20.5 lbs Fresh then Frozen Tropical Fruit (Dragon Fruit – 3.5 lbs, Papaya 5 lbs., Mangos 6 lbs., Fresh Pineapple 6 lbs., 4 fresh Passion Fruit, 2 Fresh Persimmons, 2 Fresh Star Fruit.
1 100 oz tin of Tropical Fruit (papaya, guava, passion fruit and pineapple).
8 - 13.5 oz cans Young Coconut Juice
17 lbs Honey (1 gallon of honey weighs about 12 lbs – 8 fl oz or 1 cup of honey weighs 12 oz – ¾ of a pound
5 teaspoonful Pectic Enzyme
5 teaspoonful Yeast Nutrient
5 Campden Tablets crushed
Yeast Red Star Premier Cuvee (Davis #796)
5 teaspoonful Tartaric acid - 1 gram/l before fermentation Tartaric acid and balance the mead with citric acid – 0.9 grams/l adds 1.0 g/l T.A. – or Brew Heaven Prepared acid blend nutrient mixture and adjust after fermentation. If you use the Brew Heaven prepared mixture cancel the nutrient and Tartaric acid above.
1/8 teaspoon Tannin
1 VANILA BEAN, 3 CINOMEN STICKS, ROOT GINGER - three thin slices, cloves, nutmeg or cardomen or your choice or none
2 ¼ tsp of Bnnt -0.5 g/l slurry during fermentation, 0.5 g/l Bnnt slurry and at least one racking to remove settled crystals and 0.25 g/l Sparkeloid dissolved in hot water and stirred into the top of the mead after the Bnnt has settled.
Starting PH 3.00 – 4.00
Procedure:
1. Into the Primary fermenter at least 12 hours previously and after the cleaning and sterilizing of the primary fermenting vessel put in the frozen Tropical Fruit into nylon straining bags and let them thaw. Sprinkle the frozen tropical fruit with a 1 tablet of crushed Campden and mixed in warm water.
2. Heat 12 liters of good water to 155 -175 degrees F; keep the heat as close to that temperature as possible – do not boil. Mix in the 17 pounds of honey slowly until it all dissolves do not let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Skim the foam and scum on top of the heating honey as it develops – approximately 30 minutes – DO NOT BOIL. After off the heat pour slowly over the thawed tropical fruit and juice from the tropical fruit in the primary fermenter. Let cool to approximately 100 degrees F.
3. Crush Campden tablets stir then into the primary fermenter. Stir in the pectic enzyme, Tartaric acid, tannin and Bnnt slurry.
4. Make sure your Yeast is at room temperature – if it has been in the fridge take it out 12 hours prior to use.
5. Allow the mixture to rest for 12 hours at least until the temperature is at 70 degrees F. Mix in the other14 liters of good room temperature water and young coconut juice (not the milk or cream) – stir in well. Add the yeast nutrient per gallon to the primary fermenter. Let rest for 12 hours. Stir well and check the PH, Specific Gravity and temperature – adjust as necessary.
6. Stir well and check the PH, Specific Gravity and temperature – adjust as necessary.
7. Pitch the yeast (do not stir). Fermentation should be noticeable in 24 hours. Once fermentation starts stir twice daily until Specific Gravity reaches 1.030 – 1.020 (approximately 7 days). Remove the tropical fruit squeeze gently and discard them. Rack the Tropical Fruit Must into the secondary fermenter. Install air lock. Add Vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks or spices (optional) and let continue fermenting for another fourteen to 24 days until the SG reaches 1.000-1.005 (sweet mead) or lower depending on the yeast you are using (sweet or dry). When this SG has been achieved rack to a clean and sterilized primary. Check PH, and T.A (3.00 ph, .6 T.A.). Add 3 campden crushed, degas, add Bnnt, finings, adjust acid if necessary (citric –tartaric), stir and rack to clean glass carboy and attach air lock. Move to cool and dark storage for 2-3 weeks until clear. Rack again to clean carboy and again if necessary in two months. After 6 month’s bulk ageing bottle and cork. Or if necessary bulk age 1 year.
NOTE: This will make more than the 23 liters; I like to have a little extra for the toping-up. Cheers! Use the ideas; it worked for me but each to their own.
ADD Spices to a muslin or cheesecloth bag and tie it closed. Let the spice bag seep in the mead must during the primary part of the alcohol fermentation process. Check aroma and strength of the spice flavor for your particular flavor preference. After alcohol primary fermentation taste for spice flavor if OK discard the spice bag; if more spice flavor is desired let seep in the carboy during the secondary part of the alcohol fermentation process.
Passion Fruit cut and quartered. Removed the seeds and gelatinous substance and let seep and ferment in must during primary fermentation process. (Sharp tart flavor)? How they do in wine? A winery along the West coast has a Passion Flower Fruit Wine – will have to try that some day. As long as these plants grow in your particular Agriculture Zone I understand that the plant produces many fruits. The flowers are terrific – fragrance like licorice. If you have to purchase these tropical fruits in the store they are very expensive.
The Spices I Used
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 small chunks of Ginger root
3 cloves
¼ of a nutmeg bean
6 card omen seeds
All tied in a cheese cloth and seeped during Primary
![Big Grin](https://www.winesathome.co.uk/forum/core/images/smilies/biggrin.png)
DAW’S MELOMEL/Metheglin
(Tropical Fruit/Coconut, Spice Mead)
For 23 liters (6 US gallons, 5.1 Imperial gallons)
20.5 lbs Fresh then Frozen Tropical Fruit (Dragon Fruit – 3.5 lbs, Papaya 5 lbs., Mangos 6 lbs., Fresh Pineapple 6 lbs., 4 fresh Passion Fruit, 2 Fresh Persimmons, 2 Fresh Star Fruit.
1 100 oz tin of Tropical Fruit (papaya, guava, passion fruit and pineapple).
8 - 13.5 oz cans Young Coconut Juice
17 lbs Honey (1 gallon of honey weighs about 12 lbs – 8 fl oz or 1 cup of honey weighs 12 oz – ¾ of a pound
5 teaspoonful Pectic Enzyme
5 teaspoonful Yeast Nutrient
5 Campden Tablets crushed
Yeast Red Star Premier Cuvee (Davis #796)
5 teaspoonful Tartaric acid - 1 gram/l before fermentation Tartaric acid and balance the mead with citric acid – 0.9 grams/l adds 1.0 g/l T.A. – or Brew Heaven Prepared acid blend nutrient mixture and adjust after fermentation. If you use the Brew Heaven prepared mixture cancel the nutrient and Tartaric acid above.
1/8 teaspoon Tannin
1 VANILA BEAN, 3 CINOMEN STICKS, ROOT GINGER - three thin slices, cloves, nutmeg or cardomen or your choice or none
2 ¼ tsp of Bnnt -0.5 g/l slurry during fermentation, 0.5 g/l Bnnt slurry and at least one racking to remove settled crystals and 0.25 g/l Sparkeloid dissolved in hot water and stirred into the top of the mead after the Bnnt has settled.
Starting PH 3.00 – 4.00
Procedure:
1. Into the Primary fermenter at least 12 hours previously and after the cleaning and sterilizing of the primary fermenting vessel put in the frozen Tropical Fruit into nylon straining bags and let them thaw. Sprinkle the frozen tropical fruit with a 1 tablet of crushed Campden and mixed in warm water.
2. Heat 12 liters of good water to 155 -175 degrees F; keep the heat as close to that temperature as possible – do not boil. Mix in the 17 pounds of honey slowly until it all dissolves do not let it stick to the bottom of the pan. Skim the foam and scum on top of the heating honey as it develops – approximately 30 minutes – DO NOT BOIL. After off the heat pour slowly over the thawed tropical fruit and juice from the tropical fruit in the primary fermenter. Let cool to approximately 100 degrees F.
3. Crush Campden tablets stir then into the primary fermenter. Stir in the pectic enzyme, Tartaric acid, tannin and Bnnt slurry.
4. Make sure your Yeast is at room temperature – if it has been in the fridge take it out 12 hours prior to use.
5. Allow the mixture to rest for 12 hours at least until the temperature is at 70 degrees F. Mix in the other14 liters of good room temperature water and young coconut juice (not the milk or cream) – stir in well. Add the yeast nutrient per gallon to the primary fermenter. Let rest for 12 hours. Stir well and check the PH, Specific Gravity and temperature – adjust as necessary.
6. Stir well and check the PH, Specific Gravity and temperature – adjust as necessary.
7. Pitch the yeast (do not stir). Fermentation should be noticeable in 24 hours. Once fermentation starts stir twice daily until Specific Gravity reaches 1.030 – 1.020 (approximately 7 days). Remove the tropical fruit squeeze gently and discard them. Rack the Tropical Fruit Must into the secondary fermenter. Install air lock. Add Vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks or spices (optional) and let continue fermenting for another fourteen to 24 days until the SG reaches 1.000-1.005 (sweet mead) or lower depending on the yeast you are using (sweet or dry). When this SG has been achieved rack to a clean and sterilized primary. Check PH, and T.A (3.00 ph, .6 T.A.). Add 3 campden crushed, degas, add Bnnt, finings, adjust acid if necessary (citric –tartaric), stir and rack to clean glass carboy and attach air lock. Move to cool and dark storage for 2-3 weeks until clear. Rack again to clean carboy and again if necessary in two months. After 6 month’s bulk ageing bottle and cork. Or if necessary bulk age 1 year.
NOTE: This will make more than the 23 liters; I like to have a little extra for the toping-up. Cheers! Use the ideas; it worked for me but each to their own.
ADD Spices to a muslin or cheesecloth bag and tie it closed. Let the spice bag seep in the mead must during the primary part of the alcohol fermentation process. Check aroma and strength of the spice flavor for your particular flavor preference. After alcohol primary fermentation taste for spice flavor if OK discard the spice bag; if more spice flavor is desired let seep in the carboy during the secondary part of the alcohol fermentation process.
Passion Fruit cut and quartered. Removed the seeds and gelatinous substance and let seep and ferment in must during primary fermentation process. (Sharp tart flavor)? How they do in wine? A winery along the West coast has a Passion Flower Fruit Wine – will have to try that some day. As long as these plants grow in your particular Agriculture Zone I understand that the plant produces many fruits. The flowers are terrific – fragrance like licorice. If you have to purchase these tropical fruits in the store they are very expensive.
The Spices I Used
1 whole cinnamon stick
2 small chunks of Ginger root
3 cloves
¼ of a nutmeg bean
6 card omen seeds
All tied in a cheese cloth and seeped during Primary
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