Adrenalized
Member
So.. Well I was gonna make a small batch of blackberry melomel, but I had only about 1.7kg (3.7 pounds) of berries in my freezer and the grapes in my greenhouse were about to be overly ripe.
So I thought I'd do grape - blackberry mix.
But once I started picking grapes I realized that I had alot more grapes than I thought. About 15kg (33 pounds).
Well here's my recipe.
6.8kg (15 pounds) Of white grapes unknown sort.
8.8kg (19.4 pounds) Of red grapes unknown sort
1.7kg (3.7 pounds) Of Black berries.
5Kg of autumn honey.
(this honey was not meant to be sold, this is some leftovers from when th beekeepers steamed out the wax!?! So I was told. I dont know how it works? It was given to me for free, But they told me that they cannot sell this honey as it contains to much water.)
I ran all of my berries through my juicer. All pulp from the white grapes were discarded.
The pulp from the red grapes + blackberries went into the fermentation bucket.
Juice + fruit pulp = 12 Liters mark (3.17 gallons)
I dumped in the honey and filled up the bucket to about 28L (7.4 gallons) with water.
My plan is, Ferment on skins about 2 weeks. Daily push down of pulp.
Rack to new carboy let sit about 3 months.
Rack to new carboy with some toasted american oak. maybe even chared?
let sit for about 1 year.
Does it sound about right?
Now to my question. My hydrometer showed 1.080 OG. I do feel that this is really low? Could all the fruit pulp be making my hydrometer show some funny values?
I do live in Sweden, so I realize that my grapes dont have the same amount of sugar that from some warm and sunny country. But only the amount of honey should make about that same gravity?
Maybe I'ts my "feeling" that is off. I have no idea how to calculate what it should have been. As both honey and fruit are unknown sugar value to me.
What do you guys think? Should I trust my hydrometer? And add some honey?
My goal is somewhere around 14-15% ABV and dry character. I dont want like 18% ABV.
My Yeast are from some DIY wine making kit, dont know it's ABV Tolerance,
This is my first attempt of a colored full bodied mead. I have only made some white one's before. (Neutral meads, and Elderflower-citrus ) And they did turned out great.
This whole batch, it's kinda lol'd as there was no planning at all. But in the end it has been somewhat labor intence, and now I feel that I do want to make the best of it.
So all help is very much welcome.
So I thought I'd do grape - blackberry mix.
But once I started picking grapes I realized that I had alot more grapes than I thought. About 15kg (33 pounds).
Well here's my recipe.
6.8kg (15 pounds) Of white grapes unknown sort.
8.8kg (19.4 pounds) Of red grapes unknown sort
1.7kg (3.7 pounds) Of Black berries.
5Kg of autumn honey.
(this honey was not meant to be sold, this is some leftovers from when th beekeepers steamed out the wax!?! So I was told. I dont know how it works? It was given to me for free, But they told me that they cannot sell this honey as it contains to much water.)
I ran all of my berries through my juicer. All pulp from the white grapes were discarded.
The pulp from the red grapes + blackberries went into the fermentation bucket.
Juice + fruit pulp = 12 Liters mark (3.17 gallons)
I dumped in the honey and filled up the bucket to about 28L (7.4 gallons) with water.
My plan is, Ferment on skins about 2 weeks. Daily push down of pulp.
Rack to new carboy let sit about 3 months.
Rack to new carboy with some toasted american oak. maybe even chared?
let sit for about 1 year.
Does it sound about right?
Now to my question. My hydrometer showed 1.080 OG. I do feel that this is really low? Could all the fruit pulp be making my hydrometer show some funny values?
I do live in Sweden, so I realize that my grapes dont have the same amount of sugar that from some warm and sunny country. But only the amount of honey should make about that same gravity?
Maybe I'ts my "feeling" that is off. I have no idea how to calculate what it should have been. As both honey and fruit are unknown sugar value to me.
What do you guys think? Should I trust my hydrometer? And add some honey?
My goal is somewhere around 14-15% ABV and dry character. I dont want like 18% ABV.
My Yeast are from some DIY wine making kit, dont know it's ABV Tolerance,
This is my first attempt of a colored full bodied mead. I have only made some white one's before. (Neutral meads, and Elderflower-citrus ) And they did turned out great.
This whole batch, it's kinda lol'd as there was no planning at all. But in the end it has been somewhat labor intence, and now I feel that I do want to make the best of it.
So all help is very much welcome.