Group Brew: Cherry Vanilla Melomel 2/22/09
- Thread starter Poobah58
- Start date
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You guys inspired me to make some cherry and cherry/vanilla mead. It's pretty basic tho.
1.75 lbs orange blossom honey
2 cups fresh smashed up bing cherries, depitted.
1/2 teaspon nutrient
Water to one gallon
1/2 packet Lavlin K1-V1116
For the cherry vanilla mead I will add a 7inch tahitian vanilla bean from the oraganic vanilla bean company. I bought 10 they were such a good price compared to whole foods.
One gallon cherry.
One gallon cherry/vanilla.
1.75 lbs orange blossom honey
2 cups fresh smashed up bing cherries, depitted.
1/2 teaspon nutrient
Water to one gallon
1/2 packet Lavlin K1-V1116
For the cherry vanilla mead I will add a 7inch tahitian vanilla bean from the oraganic vanilla bean company. I bought 10 they were such a good price compared to whole foods.
One gallon cherry.
One gallon cherry/vanilla.
I'm going to have to opt out of this group brew mostly because of lack of ingredients available to me up here in the frozen north. I'll be making a modified variation of this recipe within a month (hopefully). Thanks to everyone involved for organizing this and I'll be looking forward to everyones progress 
OP
OP
This post made me check my ingredients. I thought I had a full 1/2 gallon of concentrate in the freezer but forgot I used some. I still have enough for almost 3 gallons. Can't find my cherries! I think SWMBO is enjoying them in the nut mix! Oh well, back to TJ's today...
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
When you mix your concentrate can you tell me the gravity of just the juice?
I've got some cherry syrup that is just cherry juice and sugar, but i want to make sure that I mix it with enough water to have a proper gravity.
Thx!
OP
OP
16 oz concentrate + 96 oz water = 13.5 Brix (1.053)
thataintchicken
Well-Known Member
late to this thread...
will bash out a hardcore cherry vanilla mead so I can participate. I'll be using local Watsonvillle CA cherries.
will bash out a hardcore cherry vanilla mead so I can participate. I'll be using local Watsonvillle CA cherries.
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
Thanks!
I added 1oz of Cherry Syrup & 7oz of water and got 11.0 Brix. Added a second oz of syrup and ended up at 19.0 Brix.
This syrup comes in 33oz bottles and should end up right about $5/gallon of juice!
Here is some more info on the syrup. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/raspberry-syrup-72872/
OP
OP
Tony, No preservatives I assume?
OP
OP
Shawn, never too late!
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
Nope, just Tart Cherry juice and sugar! I've used the raspberry version in a Raspberry Melomel w/ Orange Blossom honey and I'm very happy with the results.
Here in Southern California we have a few Trader Joes where i got my ingredients. Later i found Whole Foods and Henry's marketplace both had 100% cherry juice much cheaper..... Oh well.
I'll be getting things ready tonight, maybe I'll take a few pics too.
I'll be getting things ready tonight, maybe I'll take a few pics too.
OP
OP
(My brewlog is at Post #23): I went with 3 cups of Cherry Juice concentrate @68 Brix (the equivalent of 15# of cherries) and 11lbs of honey. I added water to make 3.5 gallons. I may add more concentrate in secondary after racking and tasting. The Trader Joe's dried tart cherries had sugar and sunflower oil added, thus I will not be adding any cherries to primary. I will add the dark cherries (nothing added to these) to secondary so they can be in there for 2 months. I will try to get plain tart cherries in the next 2 weeks. Already tastes like Cherry/vanilla. Love that Meadowfoam!
Check out my 13L carboy. It's made of Pryex glass and is coated in PVC. Has a wide mouth (#12 stopper) and an aspirating port. Perfect for meads and melomels. Retails for over $400. I got 5 for nothing!
Mead porn...
Check out my 13L carboy. It's made of Pryex glass and is coated in PVC. Has a wide mouth (#12 stopper) and an aspirating port. Perfect for meads and melomels. Retails for over $400. I got 5 for nothing!
Mead porn...
Don't know how well we did with participation? Maybe people will be slow to update?
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
Got mine in the carboy and I updated my other post.
hightest
Well-Known Member
Well I'm not sure what to think... There were 7 brewers, and 2 dropped out in the past couple of days.
Based on my experience with other group brews, there should have been several posts in this topic by now (since a new group brew topic wasn't created) by the other 5 brewers stating any process deviations and OGs for other to see, and that I could use for the group fermentation chart...
OP
OP
Hmmmm, where is everyone?
Tusch
Well-Known Member
As I said, I'm not sure if I am going to be able to do it. But I knew I'd be late joining the party if I did.
hightest
Well-Known Member
Yes, I did get that note, but that leaves 4 others MIA...
Somehow I sense ingredient availability, and the cost factor, may have dampened some of the group's enthusiasm...
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
Somehow I sense ingredient availability, and the cost factor, may have dampened some of the group's enthusiasm...
I have to agree with this.
Had I known that the honey was going to be $60 and cherry juice would be $48 I would have passed as well. But once the honey was purchased there was no turning back.
wreckinball9
Well-Known Member
havent been able to get to Trader Joes until today- I am heading out to go now. i have 3 lbs (for 1 gal batch) raw clover honey from a small farm in MI, and madagascar vanilla beans just arrived. I Should be putting everything together Thursday. A little late, but better late than never.
I was updating my log today and caught that i am using CROSBY & BAKER FERMAX instead of Fermaid-K
The weight conversion is 5.1g/tsp which is slightly different from Fermaid-K. Don't think I've done any damage. Actually the chart recommends 5.1g per gallon. But here is a link to a conversion chart of various manufacturers additives. Use this at your own risk. I trust the conversions but the ratios to use in your must may not be reliable.
http://www.nys-homewine.info/PDFs/EQUIVWT.pdf
The weight conversion is 5.1g/tsp which is slightly different from Fermaid-K. Don't think I've done any damage. Actually the chart recommends 5.1g per gallon. But here is a link to a conversion chart of various manufacturers additives. Use this at your own risk. I trust the conversions but the ratios to use in your must may not be reliable.
http://www.nys-homewine.info/PDFs/EQUIVWT.pdf
Subject: Yeast Nutrient Composition
From: Mark Evenson <wine-hop at dnvr.uswest.net>
Date: Mon, 01 Dec 1997 13:04:56 -0800
For the person with the question on chemical composition of yeast
nutrient: Three of the largest homebrew/winemaking wholesale suppliers
use varying formulas in their "house brand". Your local homebrew shop
should be able to identify their source (especially if you're willing to
share your info).
L.D. Carlson (Kent, OH) food-grade urea and diammonium phosphate; white
in color with fairly large, rounded granules
G.W. Kent (Ann Arbor, MI) these folks have two types
- -"Nutrient" diammonium phosphate; white, small crystals similar in size
to sugar crystals (though more long than square)
- -"Energizer" diammonium phosphate, yeast hulls, magnesium sulfate,
thiamine, folic acid, niacin, calcium pantothenate; small tan grains
with some white particles visible. I believe this is from Lalvin.
Crosby & Baker (Westmort, MA) Fermax(TM) contains diammonium phosphate,
dipotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, autolyzed yeast.
also DLB Vineyards (Westlake, OH) diammonium phosphate; white grains.
Sorry for the delay in responding; I wanted to check with the suppliers
listed above to get official permission to post this info. Nobody said
"no" although if you want more detailed info (i.e., what percentage of
each chemical) you should contact your local homebrew shop.
my LHBS has Oregon Fruit Puree Cherry for 15.95 for 49oz(3# 1oz) can.
Depending on the cost and availability I will either use the puree or fresh local cherries.
I looked at the dried cherries after Poobah58 pointed out that one pack of dried cherries contains Sulfur Dioxide, and the other contains sunflower oil. Neither of which I want in the finished product.
Depending on the cost and availability I will either use the puree or fresh local cherries.
I looked at the dried cherries after Poobah58 pointed out that one pack of dried cherries contains Sulfur Dioxide, and the other contains sunflower oil. Neither of which I want in the finished product.
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
Just to note that trader joes carries two types of sweet cherries. The ones in the 8oz package contain sulfur dioxide. The ones in the 6oz packages do not.
wreckinball9
Well-Known Member
crap. i got the trader joes dried Bing cherries that contain sulfur dioxide. i was going to use them in the secondary. is this going to be a problem?
morebeer.com has the cherry puree cheaper than my lhbs and no shipping cost. Done and Done
another cheaper alternative to TJ cherry juice
Fine Vine Wines - Wine making, home wine making, making wine at home, wine making process, vintners
Fine Vine Wines - Wine making, home wine making, making wine at home, wine making process, vintners
OP
OP
Don't use anything with SO2. Might inhibit the yeast.
hightest
Well-Known Member
If you expect any secondary fermentation, then adding anything containing sulfur dioxide will be counterproductive...
wreckinball9
Well-Known Member
bummer. i thought Trader Joes didnt carry anything with preservatives. well at least I have plenty of time to get more cherries while this is in primary fermentation. since my basement is in the low 50s Im sure it will take a while.
OP
OP
Sweet! :rockin:
HarvInSTL
Well-Known Member
I haven't updated my log yet, but I will once I am sure that my refractometer is working properly.
Here are a couple pics.
Here are a couple pics.
OP
OP
My pH is going up. I thought the pH decreases as you ferment...
hightest
Well-Known Member
It can, and it does...
By what means are you measuring the pH? At what stages in the process did you take the readings, and did you add anything between the readings? If so, what?
What were the specific readings?
OP
OP
Thanks, My data is in Post #23...It can, and it does...
By what means are you measuring the pH? At what stages in the process did you take the readings, and did you add anything between the readings? If so, what?
What were the specific readings?
hightest
Well-Known Member
Hmmm, I guess I'm not used to this type of group brew format where the group brewers keep separate logs outside of the group brew post.
While it may be useful to the individual, it makes much more work for someone trying to observe, and comment on, the overall group performance as they have to locate & read those individual logs rather than read a linear report of the group's activities in one place...
Answering questions & resolving problems is also made more awkward as it becomes difficult to understand the underlying issues without "jumping" to someone's personal log, then looking for the specific information that relates to the issue at hand, and then back to the main post to read (or write) the responses.
OP
OP
Not quite sure why you think my post is outside the group brew, but I understand your other points. I guess I got a little lazy. Here is my data:
Equipment: Hanna pH meter calibrated on 2/22 with 4.01 and 7.01 solutions.
Feb. 22: OG=1.129, pH=3.84 (before yeast and nutrients)
Feb. 23: OG=1.117, pH=3.90 (after nutrients added)
Feb. 24: OG=1.090, pH=3.71.
Feb. 25: OG=1.079, pH=3.70
Feb. 26: OG=1.068, pH=3.80 (before nutrients).
Feb. 27: OG=1.050, pH=3.90
Feb. 28: OG=1.039, pH=3.94
Mar. 1: OG=1.032, pH=4.01
Mar. 2: OG=1.025, pH=4.05
Equipment: Hanna pH meter calibrated on 2/22 with 4.01 and 7.01 solutions.
Feb. 22: OG=1.129, pH=3.84 (before yeast and nutrients)
Feb. 23: OG=1.117, pH=3.90 (after nutrients added)
Feb. 24: OG=1.090, pH=3.71.
Feb. 25: OG=1.079, pH=3.70
Feb. 26: OG=1.068, pH=3.80 (before nutrients).
Feb. 27: OG=1.050, pH=3.90
Feb. 28: OG=1.039, pH=3.94
Mar. 1: OG=1.032, pH=4.01
Mar. 2: OG=1.025, pH=4.05
