Blackberry Mead

(5 gallons/19 L)

OG = 1.154   FG = 1.045 ABV = 15.1%

Ingredients

16.7 lbs. (7.6 kg) blackberries
20 lbs. (9.1 kg) orange blossom honey
0.5 oz. (14 g) GoFerm
1.25 tsp. pectic enzyme
1 tsp. potassium bicarbonate
3 packages Lalvin 71B-1122 yeast
16 g Fermaid O
65 mL Super Kleer KC finings
0.28 tsp. potassium metabisulfite

Step by step

Slowly stir honey with 2 gallons (8 L) of warm water, making sure it all dissolves to create the must. Put fruit in a grain bag and mash it slightly, collecting juice as well. Add the whole fruit grain bag and residual juice to the must.

Prepare 150 mL of warm water with GoFerm addition in it and then slowly mix in yeast. Slowly add must to the yeast-GoFerm mixture until you get its temperature within 10 °F (5 °C) of the must. Aerate the must with oxygen and an aeration stone or wand if available. Pitch the yeast-GoFerm mixture into your must and add the pectic enzyme. 

When working with whole fruit it can take several hours to get an accurate gravity reading, so after some time has passed, check the gravity. If needed, add a bit more water or honey to get to your target starting gravity and volume. You can optionally aerate a second time at 12 hours using oxygen.

During active fermentation you need to degas the must twice a day using a wine whip or similar device. At each of these occurrences, make sure to also punch the cap down by immersing/rotating the fruit bag so the top of it does not dry out. Add 4 grams of Fermaid O nutrient at 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and the 7-day point. If you have a pH meter, monitor the pH daily and add a tsp. of potassium bicarbonate (more if needed) if the pH drops below 3.5.

Remove the fruit bag between 7–14 days or when you notice that it is beginning to blanch (turn white). After 2–3 weeks most of the fermentation will be over. At this point, transfer to a secondary to separate the mead from the sediment. Check the gravity with a hydrometer periodically. Which final gravity has been reached, transfer the mead again, and add the Super-Kleer. With fermentation complete, add 0.25–0.5 tsp. of potassium metabisulfite as an antioxidant.

Age for two months. Transfer the mead one final time once it is completely clear. At the 3-month point, the mead is usually quite pleasant to taste, and you can consider bottling or kegging.