Name: Blackberry Melomel
Yield: 4.5 litres
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Light honey (acacia or clover); 1.2 kg Fresh or frozen blackberries; 3.5 l Filtered water; 1 tsp Lalvin 71B yeast; 1 tsp Yeast nutrient; 0.5 tsp Pectic enzyme; 1 item Campden tablet (crushed)

About this recipe

A rich, jewel-toned blackberry melomel is one of the most rewarding homemade meads you can brew. Combining the deep berry flavours of wild blackberries with the natural sweetness of honey, this blackberry mead recipe is perfect for autumn hedgerow picking season. It produces a beautifully coloured, full-bodied drink with an ABV of around 12%. Forage your own fruit or use frozen blackberries for a year-round brew.

Ingredients

Light honey (acacia or clover)1.2 kg

Fresh or frozen blackberries1.2 kg

Filtered water3.5 l

Lalvin 71B yeast1 tsp

Yeast nutrient1 tsp

Pectic enzyme0.5 tsp

Campden tablet (crushed)1 item

Method

1

If using fresh blackberries, freeze them first for 24–48 hours this breaks down the cell walls and releases more juice.

2

Crush the thawed berries in a sanitised fermentation bucket. Add the crushed Campden tablet and leave covered for 12 hours.

3

Add the pectic enzyme to help break down pectin and ensure a clear finished mead. Leave another 12 hours.

4

Dissolve the honey in 1 litre of warm water and add to the fruit. Top up to 4.5 litres.

5

Add yeast nutrient, oxygenate by stirring vigorously, then pitch the rehydrated yeast.

6

Ferment on the fruit for 5–7 days, stirring daily. The deep purple colour will develop quickly.

7

Strain off the fruit and rack to a secondary vessel. Discard the pulp.

8

Allow to ferment out fully over the next 4–6 weeks, then rack again to clear.

9

Once clear and stable, bottle. Age for at least 3 months.

Brewer's notes

Brewer's note: For extra depth, add a vanilla pod to secondary fermentation. A small amount of oak cubes (American light toast) adds lovely complexity.

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