Strawberry Rhubarb Melomel
The pie-filling pairing as a mead. Strawberry for sweetness and aroma, rhubarb for a tart, bright backbone.
Strawberry Rhubarb Melomel is a semi-sweet melomel made with clover honey and Lalvin 71B yeast, fermented from an original gravity of 1.095 to 1.014 for about 10.6% ABV. It is drinkable in 4–8 months.
- Original gravity
- 1.095
- Final gravity
- 1.014
- ABV
- 10.6%
- Drinkable in
- 4–8 months
Ingredients
Amounts are for a 1-gallon batch.
| 2.5 lb | Clover honey |
| 2 lb | StrawberriesHulled, frozen and thawed. |
| 1 lb | RhubarbChopped stalks only. Never the leaves. |
| 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 strawberries and rhubarb into a mesh bag in the fermenter and add pectic enzyme.
Mix and measureAdd the dissolved honey, top up, and take a gravity reading.
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.
AgeRack and clear. Strawberry color fades to orange-pink over time, which is normal.
Brewer's note. Rhubarb leaves are toxic. Use stalks only.
Recipe by White Shed Meadery, Chehalis, Washington. ABV is estimated from gravity: (OG − FG) × 131.25. Scale every ingredient in proportion for larger batches.