Blueberry Melomel (Mead)

Based on a recipe in Making Wild Wines & Meads, a book by Pattie Vargas and Rich Gulling.

(Yield – 3 gallons)

Blueberry Melomel (Mead)

First, prepare a yeast starter: 1 1/2 cups of orange juice at room temperature 3 teaspoons yeast nutrient 1 Packet Lalvin EC-1118 yeast

Mix the juice and yeast nutrient – the pitch the yeast into the starter.

Blueberry Melomel Ingredients

3 litres fresh or frozen blueberries

3 cups white sugar

3 teaspoons acid blend

3 teaspoons pectic enzyme

3/4 teaspoon grape tannin

Directions
Crush blueberries in a primary fermenter.

Put the honey into a large pot, and double BY VOLUME (not weight) with water. Boil honey and water and remove any foam that appears on the surface.

Pour the honey and water over the blueberries in the primary fermenter. Let this cool.

Add the acid blend and pectic enzyme, stirring the must well.

Add water to bring up to the 3 gallon mark in your primary fermenter (or over, allowing for the space taken by the solid fruit).

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Stir in the sugar, and test for specific gravity. You’ll want it between 1.075 and 1.095.

Add the yeast starter to the primary fermenter and then cover.

In one week, check the Specific Gravity, and when it is below 1.010, rack into a three gallon carboy. Fit with bung and airlock.

On day 21, check specific gravity – if at 0.098 or lower, add 1/4 teaspoon of sulphite (or three campden tablets) after racking once again.

Rack every three months (adding three campden tablets at each racking), which will aid in clearing your wine. You may bottle after one year, The Melomel should improve with another six months of ageing in the bottle.

Enjoy!