Raspberry Melomel
Bright, pink, and aromatic. Raspberry stays fresh-tasting in mead better than almost any other fruit.
Raspberry Melomel is a semi-sweet melomel made with clover honey and Lalvin 71B yeast, fermented from an original gravity of 1.100 to 1.012 for about 11.6% ABV. It is drinkable in 4–8 months.
- Original gravity
- 1.100
- Final gravity
- 1.012
- ABV
- 11.6%
- Drinkable in
- 4–8 months
Ingredients
Amounts are for a 1-gallon batch.
| 2.5 lb | Clover honey |
| 2.5 lb | RaspberriesFrozen and thawed. |
| to volume | WaterTo 1 gallon total, not counting fruit. |
| 2.5 g | Lalvin 71B yeast |
| 3 g | Fermaid-OStaggered over four additions. |
| 0.5 tsp | Pectic enzymeHelps the fruit release juice and keeps the mead from hazing. |
Method
Prepare the fruitThaw the berries into a mesh bag in the fermenter and add pectic enzyme.
Mix and measurePour the dissolved honey over the fruit, top up, and read gravity after an hour.
Pitch and feedPitch at 64–68 °F. Add nutrients at 24, 48, and 72 hours and at the 1/3 sugar break, degassing gently each time.
Pull the fruitRemove the bag after a week. Raspberry seeds turn bitter if left too long.
AgeRack, clear for 2–3 months, then stabilize and backsweeten lightly if you like.
Brewer's note. For a stronger raspberry nose, hold back a pound of fruit and add it in secondary for a week.
Recipe by White Shed Meadery, Chehalis, Washington. ABV is estimated from gravity: (OG − FG) × 131.25. Scale every ingredient in proportion for larger batches.