Here goes...
Last night, I started a new melomel.
Here's my recipe
64 oz Welch's White Grape Mango Passion Fruit Juice
1 bag (16 oz) Great Value frozen Blackberries (no additives)
4 lbs honey (Sams brand... I'm assuming it's a mixed honey)
I realize that 4 lbs for a single gallon is a lot.
I'm hoping for sweet.
K1-V1116 yeast
Here's my procedure:
I started by sanitizing everything using one step (an oxygen based sanitizer). I love this stuff.
Once everything was sanitized to my satisfaction, I began the melomel. I started by heating the juice to about 150F. I then removed the juice from the heat and slowly added the honey while stirring.
Once the honey was incorporated, I removed the blackberries from their bag and placed them into a funnel with a strainer screen. I then poured the hot must over the frozen berries and into the original (plastic) juice container. I filled the 64 oz container and stopped. I then poured the contents of the container back into the remainder of the must. This cooled the must considerably. I repeated this procedure one more time. The must is already taking on a very nice reddish-purple tint. I took a quick taste and it was divine.
I then transferred the funnel to a one gallon glass carboy and poured about half of the must into the container (still pouring over the blackberries. I then removed the strainer and pushed the blackberries through the funnel. I added the yeast (K1-v1116) and added the rest of the must. I put a rubber stopper in the end and began the happy must shaking dance. After a few minutes, when I was convinced that the must was well mized and oxygenated, I stopped shaking, removed the rubber cork, and added an airlock (using cheap vodka instead of water). I placed this bottle into my unused bathtub with the rest of my creations.
I checked on it a few hours later and their didn't appear to be any activity yet, but I noticed that the vodka had been sucked into the first chamber (the wrong direction). I assume this is because the must cooled the air in teh bottle so that it contracted, thereby pulling the vodka into the first chamber of the airlock. When I checked it this morning, the vodka had moved into the second chamber (the proper one), but I didn't see any activity out of it. This could also be a function of internal air temperature. I figure I'll give it until tomorrow morning and if I still don't see any activity, I'll repitch the yeast (they may have gotten too cold). If that doesn't fix anything after a day or so, I'll see about adding some raisins for nutrient.
Unfortunately, my only hydrometer was broken about a week ago and I haven't rececived the replacement yet. I'll make another batch when it arrives (with some more airlocks) and give an estimated OG then. I realize that the OG can't include the balckberries, but I don't figure that they will change it that much. Also, I plan on making the next batch with D47 instead of the 1116
I'll post an update every few days (to a week) and respond to any comments, questions, or suggestions that require a response.
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
Last night, I started a new melomel.
Here's my recipe
64 oz Welch's White Grape Mango Passion Fruit Juice
1 bag (16 oz) Great Value frozen Blackberries (no additives)
4 lbs honey (Sams brand... I'm assuming it's a mixed honey)
I realize that 4 lbs for a single gallon is a lot.
I'm hoping for sweet.
K1-V1116 yeast
Here's my procedure:
I started by sanitizing everything using one step (an oxygen based sanitizer). I love this stuff.
Once everything was sanitized to my satisfaction, I began the melomel. I started by heating the juice to about 150F. I then removed the juice from the heat and slowly added the honey while stirring.
Once the honey was incorporated, I removed the blackberries from their bag and placed them into a funnel with a strainer screen. I then poured the hot must over the frozen berries and into the original (plastic) juice container. I filled the 64 oz container and stopped. I then poured the contents of the container back into the remainder of the must. This cooled the must considerably. I repeated this procedure one more time. The must is already taking on a very nice reddish-purple tint. I took a quick taste and it was divine.
I then transferred the funnel to a one gallon glass carboy and poured about half of the must into the container (still pouring over the blackberries. I then removed the strainer and pushed the blackberries through the funnel. I added the yeast (K1-v1116) and added the rest of the must. I put a rubber stopper in the end and began the happy must shaking dance. After a few minutes, when I was convinced that the must was well mized and oxygenated, I stopped shaking, removed the rubber cork, and added an airlock (using cheap vodka instead of water). I placed this bottle into my unused bathtub with the rest of my creations.
I checked on it a few hours later and their didn't appear to be any activity yet, but I noticed that the vodka had been sucked into the first chamber (the wrong direction). I assume this is because the must cooled the air in teh bottle so that it contracted, thereby pulling the vodka into the first chamber of the airlock. When I checked it this morning, the vodka had moved into the second chamber (the proper one), but I didn't see any activity out of it. This could also be a function of internal air temperature. I figure I'll give it until tomorrow morning and if I still don't see any activity, I'll repitch the yeast (they may have gotten too cold). If that doesn't fix anything after a day or so, I'll see about adding some raisins for nutrient.
Unfortunately, my only hydrometer was broken about a week ago and I haven't rececived the replacement yet. I'll make another batch when it arrives (with some more airlocks) and give an estimated OG then. I realize that the OG can't include the balckberries, but I don't figure that they will change it that much. Also, I plan on making the next batch with D47 instead of the 1116
I'll post an update every few days (to a week) and respond to any comments, questions, or suggestions that require a response.
Any comments or suggestions are welcome.
I figure if I put it in my bathtub and it overflows, I won't have a mess to deal with...
