I'm all for using spring water didn't really think there would be much of a difference but moving forward I'll use spring water.
Thanks for the heads up.
Thanks for the heads up.
Make my blueberry mead better
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Something that I haven't seen mentoned. Use the juice of one lemon in it. It sounds crazy but it makes the blueberry taste more like blueberry. You wont regret it. I use a cup in a 5 gal batch and got great reviews. I had someone comment that you see the same effect when bluberry cake is made, they add lemon juice to it.
Other than that, everything else you have seen should be fine. Personally, I put the blueberry in the secondary. If you already have it in the primary a little more in the secondary would be good and make for a more complex flavor.
Oh, also, I personally like oaking. I would use a light toasted oak on this for a couple of weeks if using chips, if using cubes go a month. To taste always but the oak helps out big time on smoothing it out.
Hope it turns out well.
Matrix
Other than that, everything else you have seen should be fine. Personally, I put the blueberry in the secondary. If you already have it in the primary a little more in the secondary would be good and make for a more complex flavor.
Oh, also, I personally like oaking. I would use a light toasted oak on this for a couple of weeks if using chips, if using cubes go a month. To taste always but the oak helps out big time on smoothing it out.
Hope it turns out well.
Matrix
I note that you used OB honey. Don't get me wrong, I love that variety of honey and have made some really delicious show meads out of it. Also a wonderful ginger mead. Heck, I have a 60 lb pail waiting for me in the basement.
That being said, it has a very distinct aroma and flavor. So distinctive that sometimes it can compete with fruit flavors. I found this out recently when I made a cherry mead with this honey. It is very good, but if I make another batch in the future, I will probably use a mix of wildflower and clover honey so that the honey flavor is a little less in the forefront.
So just keep that in mind as you begin the tasting later on...
Thanks for the replies and information it's greatly appreciated.
The primary has only the honey, water and yeast. blueberries will go into secondary, is that when I should give it a shot of lemon juice??
The primary has only the honey, water and yeast. blueberries will go into secondary, is that when I should give it a shot of lemon juice??
Yes, secondary should be fine. I did my first batch of blueberry all in the primary. Had trouble getting it started due to the thickness of it. Now I put my blueberries in the secondary with a bit of lemon juice. Turns out great.
Matrix
Just made my second batch of JAOM this time with spring water and Clover honey compared to distilled water and Orange blossom.
Will be keeping an eye on the fermentation as well as diffrent taste.
First and original soon to be blueberry is winding down on fermenting. I'm think late next week it will get racked to secondary and blueberries added.
Will be keeping an eye on the fermentation as well as diffrent taste.
First and original soon to be blueberry is winding down on fermenting. I'm think late next week it will get racked to secondary and blueberries added.
Something that you may never have thought of for your blueberry mead...almond extract. Trust me, it just works with blueberries.
I've got a second batch starting soon. When would you suggest I add the extract..???
Also, should i wait until the primary is no longer fermenting or add the blueberries during the end..??? It's been in the primary for 17 days now.
Generally, using the method that you chose, you would put the berries in another vessel (secondary) and rack off the lees from your primary to your secondary... let it sit for a few weeks and remove the fruit. If you put your fruit into a mesh bag (like muslin or something similar), you can pull it out without making a big mess, or having to re-rack off the fruit... though some of us rack a few times before we are happy(ish) with the product.
I completely agree with this. After removal of the mesh bag it will settle a bit over the course of a month or two and then you can rack it again. Then it's just stabalizing, backsweetening to taste, and oaking is what I would do.
Matrix
Ok this batch is 3 weeks old and all yeast has sunk but yet it's still working as there are tiny bubbles still coming up to the top.
Do I need to wait until these tiny bubbles stop before racking to secondary and adding the blueberries or can I rack to secondary and add the BB now?
Do I need to wait until these tiny bubbles stop before racking to secondary and adding the blueberries or can I rack to secondary and add the BB now?
have you taken a gravity reading to confirm the the yeast is finished? If you rack to secondary without making sure that the yeast are finished, then you risk fermentation starting back up... remember, yeast are microscopic little things that can stay suspended in your must for quite some time. If you are sure it's done, or just can't wait for some reason (patience is your friend, along with a wine-thief and hydrometer), then I suggest you stabilize, wait a few days, then rack to secondary.
I have no idea what the FG should be an yas i have a hydrometer. I didnt realize this stuff would ferment so long.
You won't be able to do more than guess at what your final gravity will be, the hydrometer will tell you that the yeast is done because your readings will stay the same over the course of a few days or weeks. Days is usually all I'd give it to determine if it's time to rack.
I never would have guessed that mead ferments for so long....
Been over a month and my first batch is still bubbling thru the airlock and I see small bubbles rising to the top.
Now I see why mead takes months to get to the point of drinking it.
But with 2-3 lbs of honey in a 1 gallon jug that's a lot of sugar to eat for them yeasties.
Been over a month and my first batch is still bubbling thru the airlock and I see small bubbles rising to the top.
Now I see why mead takes months to get to the point of drinking it.
But with 2-3 lbs of honey in a 1 gallon jug that's a lot of sugar to eat for them yeasties.
Actually its likely to be some specific issue (not that it seems to be a problem) that's made it slow as fruit based batches often ferment quite quickly. As long as it doesn't stick, then there's no problem 
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