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Sparkling Blackcurrant Melomel - DAW'S

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  • Sparkling Blackcurrant Melomel - DAW'S

    DAW’S SPARKELING BLACKCURRANT


    (Melomel blackcurrant mead)




    For 23 liters ( 6 US gallons, 5.1 Imperial gallons)


     20 lbs Fresh Blackcurrants
     1 pound of Evans frozen Sour Cherries
     1 pound Dried Apricots
     1 pound frozen Valliant Grapes
     17 lbs Honey
     5 teaspoonful Pectic Enzyme
     5 teaspoonful Yeast Nutrient
     5 Campden Tablets
     Lalvin – KIV – 1116 Yeast (for the higher alcohol tolerance and fruit enhancement).
     5 teaspoonful Tartaric acid - 1 gram/l of Tartaric acid – or Brew Heaven Prepared acid blend nutrient mixture – Add 5 teaspoons before fermentation which should bring the pH with most honey to around 3 then balance the mead with citric acid (0.9g/l adds 1.0g/l T.A) adjustments after fermentation is complete.
     2 ¼ tsp - 0.5g/l Bnnt slurry during primary fermentation, 0.5g/l Bnnt slurry after fermentation, Sparkeloid dissolved in hot water.
     1/4 teaspoon Tannin
     1 VANILA BEAN OR 2 CINOMEN STICKS, 2-3 thin slices of ROOT GINGER, 5-7 cloves per gallon, all spice, nutmeg or anise your choice or none?

    Procedure:

    1. Clean and sterilize the Primary fermenter. Put frozen currants into nylon bags and put them into the primary fermenter to thaw. Sprinkle the frozen currants with a 1 tablet of crushed campden dissolved in small amount of warm water. Let thaw overnight approximately 12 hours.

    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 the honey 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.
    2. Put chopped pitted cherries, dried apricots and valiant grapes into the primary fermenter – if the grapes and cherries were frozen add them at the beginning to let thaw overnight. When the honey and water has cooled sufficiently so as not to endanger the fermenter (if it is glass or plastic, for instance) approximately 100 degrees F, add it over the fruit. Stir for three or four minutes.

    3. Crush the Campden tablets and stir them into the primary fermenter. Stir in the pectic enzyme, Tartaric acid, tannin 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. Pour in the other14 liters of good room temperature water – stir in well. Add the yeast nutrient per gallon to the primary fermenter or the Brew Heaven prepared nutrient acid mixture. Let rest for 12 hours. Stir well and check the PH, Specific Gravity, Acid and temperature – adjust if necessary.

    6. 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 berries squeeze gently and discard them. Rack the Currant Must into the secondary fermenter (s). If necessary make up the volume with water. Install air lock (s). Add Vanilla bean and cinnamon sticks or your favorite spice (optional) and let continue fermenting for another fourteen to 24 days until the SG reaches 1.015 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 add 3 campden crushed, degas, bnnt, add finings stir and rack to clean glass carboy (s) and attach air lock (s). 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 bulk age for 1 year and bottle – check air lock sulphite water levels frequently.





    7. You can use Sorbate according to instructions prior to bottling when you are not going to go to the sparkling section.


    You may create carbonation by adding a quarter teaspoon of corn sugar to each bottle. This is called "priming," the remaining yeasts will enjoy a little more food and the result is tiny bubbles which are trapped in the bottle creating that delightful fizz. Be careful not to over prime, or store the bottles in too warm a spot, as bottles can explode


    • You can make your mead still, sparkling or both. Sparkling mead can only be sweetened with a sugar substitute and must be bottled in beer bottles - (grolic or E Z Cap for early use) or champagne bottles with special corks and wires.
    • Clean and sanitize your bottles, caps, siphon and bottle filling equipment. Gently fill each bottle but do not cap until all are filled.
    • When filling is complete you have the option of making some of the mead sparkling. To do this, add 1/4 teaspoon of corn sugar to each sparkling bottle. Remember the sorbate for the no sparkeling ones and this should be mixed in the primary with the young mead at the proper concentration – not to much- use recommendations on the package.


    I JUST PICKED UP 30 POUNDS OF BLACKCURRANTS FROM THE FARM. NICE LARGE SIZE OF A NEWER CULTIVAR. THE ABOVE RECIPE IS WHAT I PLAN TO DO WITH THEM. PLEASE CRITIC AND ANY IDEAS WELCOME. CHEERS DAW

  • #2
    Looks just Yummy Daw

    I have very little experience of mead making (Joes ancient orange is my limit) the only comment I would have is regarding addition of Tannin...wont the blackcurrants have lots of tannin?

    and that seems to be a lot of cloves per gallon, they are powerful little critters cloves.

    looking forward to hearing how it goes

    regards
    Bob
    N.G.W.B.J.
    Member of 5 Towns Wine and Beer Makers Society (Yorkshire's newest)
    Wine, mead and beer maker

    Comment


    • #3
      Originally posted by StockeyDAW View Post
      DAW’S SPARKELING BLACKCURRANT



       20 lbs Fresh Blackcurrants
       1 pound of Evans frozen Sour Cherries
       1 pound Dried Apricots
       1 pound frozen Valliant Grapes
       17 lbs Honey
       5 teaspoonful Pectic Enzyme
       5 teaspoonful Yeast Nutrient
       5 Campden Tablets
       Lalvin – KIV – 1116 Yeast (for the higher alcohol tolerance and fruit enhancement).
       5 teaspoonful Tartaric acid - 1 gram/l of Tartaric acid – or Brew Heaven Prepared acid blend nutrient mixture – Add 5 teaspoons before fermentation which should bring the pH with most honey to around 3 then balance the mead with citric acid (0.9g/l adds 1.0g/l T.A) adjustments after fermentation is complete.
       2 ¼ tsp - 0.5g/l Bnnt slurry during primary fermentation, 0.5g/l Bnnt slurry after fermentation, Sparkeloid dissolved in hot water.
       1/4 teaspoon Tannin
       1 VANILA BEAN OR 2 CINOMEN STICKS, 2-3 thin slices of ROOT GINGER, 5-7 cloves per gallon, all spice, nutmeg or anise your choice or none?

      I JUST PICKED UP 30 POUNDS OF BLACKCURRANTS FROM THE FARM. NICE LARGE SIZE OF A NEWER CULTIVAR. THE ABOVE RECIPE IS WHAT I PLAN TO DO WITH THEM. PLEASE CRITIC AND ANY IDEAS WELCOME. CHEERS DAW

      Bob is right, do not use that many cloves. I once did, and had to dump the wine after a year of aging, because it was to clovey. Personal experience would tell me to advise you to use about 1-2 cloves per gallon (and 2 cloves per gallon is too much for me....). I'd probably put in 8 or so for your batch.

      Cinnamon sticks : I've had luck with just 1 per gallon. But I've heard that people use more.

      Ginger - that's a little low for the amount you're making. I'd probably use 2-3 slices per gallon.

      Allspice and Nutmeg: Don't use them. They are not really spicy enough.

      Anise: use star anise. Gives a better flavor, I've been told.

      Vanilla bean: I have no idea. 1 per 6 gallons doesn't sound like enough, but if it smells strong, I guess I'd stick to 1 per 6 gallons.

      Rethink your acid. I'm not saying that it is wrong, but you might want to just rethink it. Black currants are already somewhat tart, so I'd check the pH before you add the acid and adjust accordingly.

      Virtual Wine Circle & Competition Co-Founder
      Twitter: VirtualWineO
      Facebook: Virtual Wine Circle

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by Danina View Post
        .

        Allspice and Nutmeg: Don't use them. They are not really spicy enough.

        I agree with that. I added loads of nutmeg to a couple of gallons of Rhubarb and, having just racked it, could neither taste or smell the stuff at all.
        Let's party


        AKA Brunehilda - Last of the Valkaries

        Comment


        • #5
          I also agree about the cloves. Other recipes say that this is what to use but cloves? I am not a clove user. I think that the ginger sliced into thing slices is much better - I guess the main suggestion I could find for the Ginger is 2 oz/ 5 gallons of mead - does that equal 2 thin slices? probably not. For the tannin I have use the 1/4 tsp for 5 gallons in the previous strawberry Mead's that I have made and it was OK there however I can see your point Bob with the tartness of the black currants I think less would be advisable.

          See comments below re tannin and mead:


          * 1 Teaspoon Wine Tannin

          My own bias is not to use this stuff, at all, never again, nosiree, been
          there done that didn't like it. But you may find that a traditional mead,
          especially from a light or processed honey, could benefit from a touch of
          tannin. The trouble is that "wine tannin" as you'll find it in a home
          brew/wine shop is not very nice stuff. Yes, it contains the tannins you'd
          like in a mead, but it is not "clean" or refined in any sense. It has a
          "dark" taste...I don't know how else to describe it. Again, if you don't
          know the characteristic, mix up an appropriate dilution and taste it.

          I have tried this stuff in various meads and a couple ciders. I don't use
          it. I keep a little container around because (a) I had it left over, (b)
          I can mix up a bit to let people taste it and thereby decide not to use it,
          and (c) I have some stupid hope that I might find a use for it.

          This type of tannin is not extracted from a second pressing of Mouton
          Rothschild, nor even Opus One. Rather, it is made from stems and/or
          pips (seeds) of whatever grapes are available.

          I recommend that you try your first mead without it. Then, if you're a
          wine drinker and you understand the effect of a lack of tannin, try no more
          than 1/4 tsp in 5 gallons of mead.

          > 5. Once the Mead has completely cleared, siphon it into a clean
          > container and add a second dose of Campden Tablets at the rate of 1
          > tablet per gallon. It is then ready to be bottled and aged.

          This latter dose of Campden tablets is way over the top. Realize that
          the number of people who -seem- to be sulfite-sensitive is much smaller
          than the number who actually -are- so sensitive...many of the wine-type
          reactions are actually to histamines or other problems. Nevertheless,
          some folks are sensitive, and one way to hit them is an addition of
          sulfites at the end of fermentation (where they won't be bound up).
          In the worst-case badly-formulated Campden tablets, 90 ppm at the start
          and 90 ppm before bottling is actually pushing the 200 ppm limit in the
          law--not that you worry about that law if you're not a commercial producer,
          but don't you think the legal limit on this point is something you don't
          even want to -approach- if you're trying to make a quality mead?

          A tiny addition of sulfite could help deter oxidation if a mead is going
          to be aged for a long time (say more than five years). But good handling


          I have also read many comments concerning the use of sulfites for mead the best one that I have see that I think is on the mark is one that says as same as wine but 1/2 the dosage? I think I will go that way.

          The old way of ageing mead was in oak barrels - 18 months one recommendation. No oak barrel in my small operation so I checked around and have posted a thread on oak in wine and mead. It indicates that Hungarian oak is suggested for use with mead. I think that I might just try to use some oak in some of the batches while the bulk ageing is going on and then possibly rack after two months with the oak contact.

          Cheers all; thank you for the feedback. DAW

          Comment

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