Easy & Delicious Fruit Mead Making: Melomels Simplified

[@williamcarswell1071]

made a few melomels,,, orange mead, lemon mead, blueberry mead with cinnamon, coconut cinnamon mead,, ginger mead, coconut almond orange mead, cinnamon mead,,, mango mead,, peach mead,, classic mead,,, I never use sulphites in any wines,, I back sweeten as necessary then pasteurize,,, I am like allot of people ,,, allergic to sulphites,,, I have also made at last 40 fruit wines,, a fun hobby,, my fav wines are Blueberry, Rhubarb, cherry, orange mead, ginger mead,,,,,, so often they transform into a great drink after 12 months in the bottle ! u have to wait,,,,, Bill

[@David.Isaac.147]

Just started my first-ever batch this afternoon with your kit and I'll be adding blackberries on day 15. Thank you for the great content, I look forward to seeing what else you put out!

[@Craftabrew]

Let us know how it turns out, cheers!

[@leerhodes947]

How did this turn out?

[@David.Isaac.147]

@@leerhodes947 It turned out okay... I should have waited a little longer though. It's shocking how quickly the yeast will eat up the aromas you give them

[@MatSmithLondon]

Why are these videos so good? Because they show the WHOLE process on video. Tiny little questions people have, and KZbinrs take for granted, like “how much sanitiser liquid should I shake around in the carboy to sanitise it” - might sound stupid to experienced people but just seeing it on video is very useful for beginners. Also the very clear instructions - superb stuff

[@kevinclingan5630]

We are working on our first fruited meads these past months, y'alls videos have been so helpful, we trying to work with back sweeting right now. Would y'all ever consider making a video about that? Benefits, best practices, etc.

[@Craftabrew]

Yes, we have a helpful video on this coming out very soon, subscribe to get notified of it's release.

[@kevinclingan5630]

@@Craftabrew already done, thank y'all for being so helpful on your videos!

[@sapphirII]

When I'll be able to buy one(or two!) kits, I want to make a strawberry-banana one(I think it's a classic pairing of fruits that I want to try in a mead).

[@Brewers_Haven]

I added whole blueberries that were never frozen. Im new to this and eventually learned you want the fruit frozen first. But my question is, will my batch be ok? And with the fruit not smashed or boiled, will I get flavor from that fruit?

[@dannytouchette4597]

been doing cut up apples with the skin on. will try back sweetening my next one.

[@user-z0mb13rsng]

So I just got the mead making kit for Christmas and this will be my first time ever making mead. what I intend to do is make the juniper berry mead from Skyrim

[@QuinlanAmmons]

I love my kit so far! It’s been a blast! Just at the point of adding fruit. If I left it to bulk age at the bottle point in this video, would I rack into new carboy or leave with fruit?

[@mattgerner2573]

How would you go about calculating the specific gravity of this before/after adding the fruit to determine %abv?

[@Craftabrew]

There are a few routes you can go -- but the simplest is to use an online blending calculator like the one at MeadTools.com and input the gravities and volume (when adding fruit, you may have to use a refractometer to check the gravity of the juice in the fruit). Adding fruit will generally dilute slightly, as fruit juice averages a gravity of between 1.04-1.05. Often this dilution isn't so much that it will knock off more than 1% from the final ABV.

[@ApollosRage991]

Did you happen to rack this mead before bottling?

[@unpredictabledice1011]

Is the heast natural foods heast?

[@sandplasma]

I mixed it but the honey is all settled at the bottom. Is this going to be a problem?

[@Craftabrew]

Youll want to keep shaking the carboy until the honey is dissolved. It is best practice to add about 1/3 of the water and 1/3 of the honey at a time, shake to mix then add more of both until you have a gallon of fully dissolved honey water (must). Cheers!

[@lt.waffle3202]

Do you use the same nutrients for day 2 and 5?

[@Craftabrew]

Yes, the same packet of nutrient blend is used, half at day 2 and the other half at day 5.

[@lt.waffle3202]

@@Craftabrew kiss me

[@zojirushi1]

Is that Babish? Lol

[@PaulM-d7k]

Just bottled a batch of meade thats been aging for about 2 years in a 5 gallon carboy. Holding out 2 gallons to make some Melomel. Most likely Blackberry and something else, maybe apricot.. Meade is so easy and rewarding. I have 1 bottle left from a batch I made when my wife was pregnant and my daughter is now almost 20. When she turns 21 we're going to celebrate and crack open that last bottle.

[@ESSwiftOfficial]

Do you stabilise before adding fruit in secondary?

[@ds065210]

I did 5 gallons of local harvest mulberries for my first ever mead. Around 4 years or so ago. Very happy how it turned out. I am getting ready to start another 5 gallons of mead using Bradford pears. If unfamiliar, don't think of store bought pears. Think more along large blueberry size. This time of year, (December), my large tree is raining down ultra ripe jammy squishy pears. Birds and squirrels love them. Pop one in your mouth, they taste like a regular pear but one that is way past ripeness and really soft and tangy sweet. Quite nervous as I am a total rookie and am taking my time and studying all tips tricks. Trying to decide to flash blanch the fruit, maybe boil. So that is why I stopped by.

[@TheTheking636451513]

Mulberry?!?! Yo nobody knows what those are!! That sounds fyre! Where do you get those though?

[@MACDADDY3HUNNUH]

​@@TheTheking636451513 I think it's a Oregon thing

[@markdenard7664]

Mulberry! Great idea, my father in law has mulberry. I have a Bradford pear but thought it was ornamental tree. Last year we got a ton of the little pears. Thanks for sharing

[@bodhi974]

I’ve been thinking a lot about making my own mead. This was the first video I saw. I saved a mead making kit in my Amazon cart. I’m thinking about making a blackberry and maybe a black cherry. Hope they come out. Thanks for the content!

[@metalheadmusic1994]

you should go for it, make the leap lol its such a fun hobby. just dont forget your pectic enzyme for any melomels you make so they clear up nice for you , i just started adding it to mine and it really does make a world of difference. best of luck with your brews, keep us updated on how they come out 🙂

[@ApollosRage991]

If you backsweeten and add fruit when would you do first the back sweeting or the fruit?

[@copperypuddle3858]

I’d just backsweeten first. That’s what I did and it turned out good

[@jessicaleighonthescene]

You explain things so well! Thank you!

[@iscariotpaladin5363]

really enjoy your videos and thinking of getting the kit and trying my hand at it but i have a couple of questions that i hope you or someone other user will answer. the first is simple question ive watched accouple of other mead making videos on youtube and most do a stabilizing phase i was wondering what that really is and why i don't see it in your videos is it not really needed??? second question is about the bottling section you mention 3 different types the flip tops like the ones i saw on the craft brew store, T corks, and the regular corks with a corker. Is there a limit to each's storing capability??? Was thinking of after making my first one attempt if its good see keeping it a side.

[@maksymhutsaliuk]

Don`t know how it possible to ferment honey in two weeks. Honey is a quite tough stuff for yeast to ferment it. I`ve just finished my strawberry-raspberry melomel. It took 6 weeks. I added berries in a very beginning. Now it smells just like Jaggermonster cocktail (Jaggermeister, orange juice and grenadine syrup).

[@PaulXerxen]

"Back Sweetening Kit" 😆 What is that? A bottle of honey. Is that joke? Also, one week is long enough to extract most of the fruit flavors, but not prolong the batch interminably. If you want to get the most out of your fruit, let it sit longer. Keep in mind, however, that flavor extraction decreases over time. Letting the fruit sit for two/three weeks will not give you twice as much fruit flavor as letting it sit for one week.

[@PinkDevilFish]

Should i put in the peaches 2 weeks after the day 5 nutrients or 2 weeks into the process? And fermenting after for at least 3 weeks. Any reason to go longer?

[@tpg5974]

6:16 although I can't fully see, looks like the bung is resting on the table. Was the table sanitized? I am DYING to make some mead. Got bump that up on my priority list. Wife didn't like the smell of brewing beer, so I imagine this would be more acceptable.

[@codyunderwood4993]

Question. How are you siphoning that off without getting all the residue at the bottom in you bottles?

[@marcgiudice6070]

In the other mead making video, he leaves about an inch between the bottom of the racking cane and the sediment at the bottom of the carboy and secures it with a chip clip so it doesn’t slip

[@kellymarkle7797]

There’s also a “filter” in the kit that keeps the bottom of the racking cane off of the bottom of the carboy

[@maxedoutdoors5865]

I’m fixin to make some prickly pear mead, but I’m wondering if I can put it in at the beginning since I’m using only the juice not actual fruit?

[@josejh-eb8st]

Its not a fruit but im currently almost finished with a vanilla mead that im letting the beans infuse for a bit bf backsweetening. Im planning on starting a pineapple mead in a week or so ( which is why im watching this video😂)

[@aarons9892]

Also, love to see the evolution of your beard throughout this video haha

[@thomas6537]

Do you degass your mead during primary or just let it sit until you come back to it in 2 weeks? I'm a first time brewer and I've read way to many different opinions on it.

[@loganfox9424]

It's not mead but I'm going to work on a blueberry pie maple syrup wine. I can't wait for that.

[@jackadkins2894]

I'm putting blackberries in mine, should I use pectic enzymes?

[@mdogmdog8943]

What will happen to my mead if I follow all the instruction but only leave the gallon half full with water and honey?

[@royaddinall8479]

Hi can one use sweet orange peel dried in there mead and how much will be to much there no video on using anything like that and suggestions will help

[@Salty-TX-Assholy-io]

6:15 well I guess it's a good thing I watch this cuz I didn't hear you say rinse the fruit in Star sand and then water😂

[@48blackshadowcafe32]

Honey Blueberry is fermenting. Using our fall flow honey with vanilla beans for my second carboy.

[@just_ledoux_it]

so after the 3rd week, the yeast will no longer continue to ferment once bottled?

[@Docholladay007]

If u add sugar to your honey mixture will that add more alcohole content to your mead

[@RPdante200]

When you add fruit after 2 weeks of fermentation will the yeast need more nutrients?

[@rel4998]

Thank you for the explanation! I'm wrapping up an apple mead currently, and hoping to start a strawberry batch and an apple cinnamon batch next

[@ajkincs839]

I would love to try to do a lychee melomel but I’ve got no idea how well it’ll work out

[@zoranuthewanderer7054]

ive never seen a good answer for this, but if you open one of those bottles, how long would it last. Not sure if thats a good or bad question

[@RPSpartan117]

Good question. Just like normal wine, it starts to oxidize when poured/exposed to air. A day or 2 there will be a slight difference in taste, but after a week, it will definitely taste different.

[@zoranuthewanderer7054]

@@RPSpartan117 thank you! This helps me a lot.

[@jakeramos5067]

When do you take a hydrometer reading during this process? At the beginning or after you add the fruit?

[@Craftabrew]

You would use your hydrometer to read gravity right before yeast pitch, and again to confirm fermentation has completed. Then the fruit addition will dilute the ABV slightly. You can use a blending calculator like the one at MeadTools.com to estimate the dilution if you know the brix/gravity of your fruit's juice and the approximate liquid volume. Cheers!

[@kellymarkle7797]

What stage do you check the abv at?

[@BorntoYeet]

Can you mix fruit? Can I mix strawberries with peach?

[@Craftabrew]

Yes you can mix any combination of fruit for your Melomel!

[@xXBurgman86Xx]

ok question when you leave the fruit for a few weeks do you stir the top of the fruit to stop mold or is there enough alcohol to stop it growing like you were saying or should i keep an eye on it

[@Craftabrew]

There is enough alcohol to stop anything from growing at this point in the fermentation process.

[@stonedtommy6363]

Does more honey make more alcohol? Like 80oz instead of 40oz

[@Craftabrew]

Technically yes but the nutrients and yeast provided with the kit are portioned for 40oz of honey, any more than this can stress out the yeast causing off flavors and a stuck fermentation. Higher alcohol meads are more complicated to make using more complex staggered nutrient additions as well as adding honey throughout fermentation to ensure a consistent fermentation. These types of high-alcohol meads also take much longer to mature, some even taking well over a year. Cheers!

[@dr.spacewalker2910]

Blackberry

[@bgthetruthsworld2941]

What do I do with the sanitized stuff when I have to wait?

[@Craftabrew]

You can lay it on a clean paper towel.

[@Amanda-wt8hb]

Does your mead ever explode in the bottles?

[@Craftabrew]

It shouldn't, provided it is properly stabilized or, in the case of sparkling mead, the appropriate amount of priming sugar was used to prime the bottles.

[@senorquehabla]

Soursop

[@danielcreta8012]

orange, clover, cinnamon, and vanilla

[@hddm3]

Strawberry

[@criticalthinker2477]

If I choose to use fruit in the primary fermentation, should I still use D47 yeast or are there other kinds that are better for this? If D47 works, do I still use same amount of nutrient when there is fruit? Just finished my second batch of mead (fruit in secondary) with your craft-a-brew kit. Loving it!

[@chrish3588]

Can adding fruit in your starter still be viable depending what your looking for? Doing my first batch and added blueberries on day 1 without realizing people sometimes recommend against it like you. Might try and backsweeten or add more later depending on how the flavor comes out.

[@EthenDeckerson]

I'm expaeremently with a three fruit mead with strawberry, blueberry, and bananas in one mead it may come out bitter or realy sweet I won't know untill it's done I hope it comes out well and hopefully I won't have to realy scrap the idea and stuff

[@jakeramos5067]

So how do you backsweeten a melomel to keep the fruity flavor?

[@Craftabrew]

The best way to get a "fruity" flavor is to also use fruit in secondary. But you can sweeten with a fruit syrup too, by macerating fruit with sugar or honey in the fridge for a few days, then draining off the syrup to use for sweetening. Just make sure it's properly stabilized prior to sweetening!

[@jakeramos5067]

@@Craftabrewif I wanted to try this macerating method? Would I still have to heat and mash the strawberries in a pot? And if so would I do that first and then add honey, or would I do that after? And if I wanted a medium sweet mead, how much honey would I use with the strawberries? I’m currently thinking of using a pound of strawberries for back sweetening, but if I do the macerating method, how much honey do I use?

[@kahwigulum]

If you have access to pectic enzyme, you should really be treating fruit with that first before adding it to the dry mead.

[@user-pc7ts6fc9l]

Can you make a video making an acerglyn/ maple mead brew, also I want to bring my ABV to 20% any advice on that

[@shawnbluml4860]

Did the fruit ferment again when You added it? I didn’t think you stabilized it before you added fruit. Unless I missed it

[@jeffreymoffitt4070]

I just started a blackberry mead (my first one) and i shouldve watched this first lmao. Can confirm the volatility of the ferment. Its pushed the pulp and seeds up to the airlock several times since yesterday

[@Hstewart99]

I followed this but having issues with keeping the fruit cap out of the neck. Any suggestion?

[@carlosjaramillo8100]

How do you stabilize to get it sweeten?

[@alexdelapena4872]

They have a kit or you have use chemicals that’s are food grade

[@metalheadmusic1994]

i just started a blueberry, blackberry, strawberry, peach and also a blueberyy, blackberry, strawberry, sweet and sour cherry melomels on 12/16 with a half tsp of pectic enzyme to clear it up. started out with 3 lbs of orange blossom honey and 3 lbs of fruit per batch in my 1.4gal fermenter. my strawberry peach mango just finished up a day or so ago and im super excited for the first taste of that one. love the videos, i bought a craft a brew kit of amazon to get started and now i cant stop, i always have at least 2 batches going at a time 😂i love this new hobby, but im going to need more bottles soon lol

[@ohara.]

he added the fruits later on but he did mention "delicate fruits" im trying to do this with apples, should i add them from the start or at the secondary ferment ?

[@metalheadmusic1994]

@@ohara. to each their own i guess, from all the research ive done you cant really tell the difference in flavor if you decide to add in your secondary instead of primary

[@con679]

I’m new to making Mead and I’m about to start, at what point should I add my berries and take them out?

[@samstepney8010]

Thinking about using mulberries and blueberries from my yard.

[@uncleslymaximus]

I'm all out of nutrients, I want to make more mead. Where can I find more nutrients?

[@destianpatrianagara1119]

Beginner question: Is it bad to have too many headspace? I only have 10 litre bottle lying around.

[@loneoakbbq3755]

going to be doing a Red grapefruit dry for the summer months. Glad i saw that we should add fruit during the second week, i was going to add it at the start and just mix the carboy around every morning to release the gas.

[@sid_balloney]

Did you defrost the peaches before to get room temperature? Or you straight up let them frozen?

[@monkeyboy8me]

How do you clean the glassware from all the fruit afterwards. I think a bucket or wide mouth jar might be the way to go but those 1 gallon jugs look nice with the fruit in it fermenting

[@thekris4378]

For my current melomel, my wife got a dozen pomegranates from a farmers market. The most tedious part was getting the Orioles out. I’m not sure if that’s the way it spelled. The 3 gallon batch is bubbling away right now. Also did a mixed berry sac mead a couple months ago. That one is delicious. 😋

[@davescearce799]

Great tip about adding the fruit later in the ferment, will try that next time. I recently bottled an aronia berry melomel, using berries I picked from my back yard.

[@nicholasengland6878]

I’m currently making a raspberry ginger mead. Hoping it comes out good!

[@omenix3400]

i am putting cherrys in mine you think that’s like tast good?

[@theovertyrant2620]

I've got Oranges I just separated from it and am waiting on it to clear, and I have apples, cinnamon and apple pie seasoning with Brown sugar I separated simultaneously. Both very dry when I tasted ha. can't wait to try again in a few months.

[@Thereader97]

Would you still degas ten days before bottling with the fruit?

[@Joseph1701-A]

I intend to use blackberries, and kiwi fruit.

[@selinarittenhouse1181]

Can you age mead in a drink barrel if its a large batch?

[@Caseywrestling]

I'm think about doing a strawberry kiwi

[@ghostofpoe9539]

If using the frozen fruit do you thaw first or pour in frozen?

[@user-pc7ts6fc9l]

Can you make a video of a 1 gallon honey maple mead recipe?

[@areallifewaifu]

but how do you get the large fruit piece out of the bottle afterwards?

[@Unknownhumans45]

Great kits cheers🍺

[@snakeoo7ca]

Great video I making my first mead this weekend! Would you add the fruit (apple) after 2 weeks for a cyser also? I saw you used a full yeast packet instead of half (2.5g). Is there a reasoning behind this?

[@metalheadmusic1994]

it tends to get more consistent results i believe? ive seen a different tuber say the same thing so i just always went with a full 5g packet. as for when to add your fruit i believe it shouldnt really make that much of a difference on taste? ive seen lots of different blind taste test videos from when they made the same batch but added fruit in 2 weeks later and it was their understanding they could barely tell the difference between them. i hope this helps you at least a little, best of luck with your cyser and let us know how it turns out 🙂

[@mohammadafshar3993]

thanks for shaing can we use suger with water rather honey for first phase? cause .honey is kinda super expensive in our country sooo

[@DeosPraetorian]

Wouldn't be the same. Flavor comes from the honey

[@larryabbott4633]

Black Currant is next for me, I've never tried it in a mead yet!

[@matthewcolon628]

Do you back sweeten before adding fruit or after removing it?

[@vinhit2nguyenitbjj]

I do after.

[@carlotobias6502]

I like to buy one set sir

[@paulkarns9016]

How would mangos work?

[@The_Chalv_94]

Cherry & blueberry 🤤

[@aarons9892]

Oof, I started my mead yesterday, and added my strawberry mash in already

[@David.Isaac.147]

I think you'll be okay, I don't think it'll make a huge difference based on some other videos I've seen

[@stephsc856]

merci pour votre recette,un meadmaker français.

[@Craftabrew]

Bonjour, de rien, nous sommes heureux de vous avoir comme hydromelier!

[@CiroAngelus]

Got this to make mead for me and my boy since we both love Viking culture and have it in our DNA (I’m an American Swedish-Finn and he’s from Norway American born) we usually buy and drink mead to celebrate Yule but this year we started making it. I have 2 kits one was brewed with blackberries and blueberries and raspberries the other is vanilla and peaches. They should be ready by the 21st will update on taste. Great video we learned a lot from your videos

[@roulettxxl9941]

I'm interested in how they'll turn out. The vanilla peaches combo sound awesome.

[@doctorcdub2413]

I'm ready for the update.

[@BrandenH-O051]

How were they?

[@fredwells7403]

Why do Americans talk about themselves like they're a dog breed?

[@selinarittenhouse1181]

That's so cool. I'm making mead for my upcoming wedding. I'm super excited really.

[@isaiahbraddock]

just started a blackberry mead as my first one ever

[@MACDADDY3HUNNUH]

I'm trying to do this

[@jackadkins2894]

Are you going to back sweeten it?

[@isaiahbraddock]

@@jackadkins2894 I've considered it a little bit, but I think im going to go for a rather dry mead for my first attempt. Although, I haven't had the chance to taste it yet so maybe I will.