Nectarine Blueberry mead

[Jayne]

It has cleared up and I'm waiting a few more weeks before bottling it. Made the move from primary to secondary in March 21st.


Equipment:

2 x 5 litre fememter (preferably glass)
2 x Airlock
Racking tube

Ingredients:

1 pummet of New-Zealand nectarines
4 x 500g jars of clover honey
1 pack of blueberries (about 200g)
Juice of one orange, strained
1 cup of Dilmah blackberry tea
Red Star champange yeast

Method:

Freeze blueberries in a ziplock bag.

Peel and slice nectarines, discarding the skin and stones, then freeze in ziplock bags.

Thaw fruit once frozen. This process helps break down the fruit and allows them to release their juices better.

In the fermenter, combine fruit, with 3 of the 500g jars of clover honey. Add water up to fill the fermenter, but leave a bit of space for the fermenting process. You don't want it to spew rotten fruit.

Take a few spoonfuls of the liquid out into a small bowl, and dilute it with water. Start your yeast in this. While the yeast is starting, brew a cup of blackberry tea.

Add orange juice into the fermenter, and keep stirring to aerate the mixture (must).

After 10 minutes of so, the yeast should be foaming in the bowl. Add the tea into the fermenter, stir, and add the yeast.

Seal the fermenter, put in the airlock, and set aside in a cool, dark place.

When fermentation slows down (6 days for me), rack into second fermenter, straining off the fruit and squeezing lightly. Top up the leftover space with a bit of honey from the last 500g jar mixed with water.

Nov 14 taste test: Clear, has a very sweet fruity/floral nose. Alcohol taste is still very harsh, as expected of a young wine. Waiting till nov 26 to bottle.

[soonann]

Hi Jayne, any pics? I have also been doing meads for some time now. Do drop me an email if u r interested to exchange notes

[Edgard]

How did it finally come out?

Did a mead a while back. Just honey and some citric acid.

Tasted a little bit iffy and gave me serious hangovers.