Batch #263: Ravenna Blvd.
- Status
- Clarifying
- Batch Size
- 5 gal
- Starting Gravity
- 1.07
- Final Gravity
- 0.994
- Approximate ABV (before backsweetening)
- 9.98%
Another batch of blackberry mead based on last year’s. It was successful enough that I think it might be an annual thing.
- Blackberry Blossom honey from Shipwreck Honey
- Blackberries from Hayton Farms
Most Recent Update
Racked and added rosemary
- some dried rosemary leaves
Racked and sampled the mead, and measured the gravity as 0.994—exactly where last year’s batch ended up!
It’s amazingly good right now. Quite dry, but light and crisp. Barely any harsh edge at all. Good red fruit flavors.
I added some rosemary directly to the mead in a tea infuser, as opposed to trying to make a separate rosemary tea like last year. I’ll probably have to taste this in a week or two to make sure the balsamic notes don’t go too far. I might even try to sweeten it a little, but the more I think about that the less I’m inclined to do it. Why mess with what’s working?
Full Log
Mixed must
- 10 lbs blackberry blossom honey
- 10 lbs blackberries, frozen and thawed
- 2.91 gal bottled spring water
- 5 campden tablets
- 2½ tsp pectinase
Not much to say here. This is almost exactly how last year’s batch started, and that one turned out great. The one difference I’m planning is directly adding rosemary in secondary instead of trying to add that flavor through rosemary tea.
Pitched yeast
- 10g Lalvin 71B wine yeast
- 2½ tsp yeast nutrient
Measured the initial gravity to be 1.070 (so potential final ABV of 9.2%). Significantly lower than last year’s starting gravity. I considered adding some more honey, but the only Shipwreck Blackberry Blossom I have on hand right now is badly crystallized, so I’m just going to let this one be lighter. If I had to guess why this happened: I picked up the blackberries later in the season, and they have enormous tori. They may just be less sweet than last year’s berries.
Pitched yeast and nutrient.
Racked and added rosemary
- some dried rosemary leaves
Racked and sampled the mead, and measured the gravity as 0.994—exactly where last year’s batch ended up!
It’s amazingly good right now. Quite dry, but light and crisp. Barely any harsh edge at all. Good red fruit flavors.
I added some rosemary directly to the mead in a tea infuser, as opposed to trying to make a separate rosemary tea like last year. I’ll probably have to taste this in a week or two to make sure the balsamic notes don’t go too far. I might even try to sweeten it a little, but the more I think about that the less I’m inclined to do it. Why mess with what’s working?