First attempt at Mead, please critique my process/recipe

[Brew Skies]

Hello all!

I have been a member on this forum now for about 3 years... been homebrewing for about 4 years (approx. 25 batches), and recently came into some inexpensive honey from a local beekeeper.
Anyway... I made my melomel last Sunday, and I have listed all of the information I have gathered thus far from various sources including information from the NB forums (see below).
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Blueberry Pomegranate Melomel
Date: 11/1/2009

14 lbs Wildflower Honey (Unprocessed)
4 lbs Blueberries – Frozen/Thawed (Secondary)
64 fl oz 100% Pomegranate Juice - Old Orchard Premium (Secondary)
46 fl oz 100% Cherry Juice - Meijer Natural (Primary)
16 fl oz 100% Wild Blueberry Juice Concentrate (~ 12 lbs Blueberries) – FruitFast (Primary)
10 grams Lalvin ICV-D47
12 grams Nutriferm Energy (Starter)
Nutriferm Advance (Nutrient)
DAP (Energizer)
1/4 tsp Sodium Metabisulphite (Meta)
Bottled Spring Water to make 5.5 gallons

* Make yeast starter 1-2 days before with 10 grams yeast and 1 tsp Nutriferm Energy

Nutrient Additions:
Stage 1: 2 tsp Nutriferm Advance + 1 tsp DAP (Inoculation)
Stage 2: 1.5 tsp Nutriferm Advance + 3/4 tsp grams DAP (at 24 hours or active fermentation)
Stage 3: 1 tsp Nutriferm Advance + 1/2 tsp DAP (Fermentation Midpoint)

• Add ½ tsp Pectic Enzyme per gallon of fruit juice before adding to must.

* Prepare the Must by adding 2 gallons water to brewpot and bring to 190F.
* Remove from heat, and add 14 lbs honey to brewpot, and bring to 170F for 15 minutes
* Add warm honey mixture to your primary (6.5 gal carboy), and then add the Stage 1 Nutrients plus Meta and stir-in to dissolve.
*Add fruit concentrate/juice mixture (Blueberry and Cherry Juice only)
* Top up with Spring Water to 5.5 gallons.
* Reduce temp to 75F and pitch yeast.
* Add blow-off tube or lightly cover bucket with plastic wrap for first 24-48 hours.

Potassium Bicarbonate to reduce acid
Acid Blend to increase acid
(Honey = pH 3.9)

• Mead should be oxygenated every 12-24 hours up to the first sugar break (Stage 2).
o The first sugar break occurs when 1/3 of the fermentables have been fermented.
o Then it should be aerated one last time and fed nutrients. Again, correct proportions.
o At Stage 3 sugar break, it should be fed fermentation nutrients again.
o Gravity readings must be taken regularly to determine when these breaks occur.

• Rack mead after final gravity is between 0.995 – 1.025 to secondary onto 4 lbs blueberries and Pomegranate Juice (include ½ tsp Pectic Enzyme)
o Be sure to mix fruit juice and fruit with Pectic Enzyme for 1 hour prior to racking must to secondary onto fruit.

• Rack whenever you have 1/4 – 1/2 inch of lees or about every 45-60 days until no more lees fall, or more often if needed.
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So far so good... Followed all of the steps above and came out with a OG of 1.130 at 75F.

Fermentation started in 12 hours of inoculation.
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Date: 11/2/2009
Gravity reading at 1.090 at 70F
Added Stage 2 nutrients and oxygen for another 2 minutes
pH = 3.6
stirred lightly
Vigorous fermentation
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Date: 11/3/2009
Gravity reading at 1.060 at 70F
* Slight sulfur smell...
pH = 3.2
Added 3 tsp potassium bicarbonate (pH increased to 3.6/3.7)
Added stage 3 nutrients
stirred lightly
Vigorous fermentation still (added airlock and bubbling 60x/min)
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Date 11/4/2009
Gravity reading at 1.032 at 70F
* Sulfur smell gone...
pH = 3.6
stirred lightly
Vigorous fermentation still (bubbling 50x/min)
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This is where I am at now...

I am thinking about letting it ferment out to approx. 1.020 then rack it onto the 4lbs blueberries and 64oz Pomegranate Juice for 7 days (pectic enzyme added to fruit/juice for 1 hour prior to racking mead to secondary).

What recommendations do you all have for what step I might take next.

I tasted the mead so far, and it is yummy at about 13% ABV and still fermenting strong.

I keep hearing that adding fruit to secondary helps add more fruit flavor to the finished product, and juice in secondary does the same.

This way if it is fermented out mostly, the flavor from the berries and the little bit of pomegranate juice that I will be adding will be more pronounced in the finished mead.

I also think the yeast will stop fermentation at about 16% ABV or so at this rate, which would leave the mead slightly sweet with a good kick from the alcohol that is less detectable.

Any thoughts, criticisms, concerns, or advice are greatly appreciated!

Thank you!!!
Brew

[Brew Skies]

Forgot to mention... the gravity readings have been occuring each night at 9:00PM EST (or 24 hours after the previous reading).

[Brew Skies]

Well, I checked the gravity today (11/6/09) and it was at 1.010.

I added 1/4 tsp sodium metabisulfite (Meta) and 1 tsp pectic enzyme to the 64 oz Pomegranate Juice along with the 4lbs blueberries (frozen then thawed) in a course nylon bag.

Let the fruit and juice sit for about 1 1/2 hours in the pectic enzyme and Meta, then added to secondary (bucket).

Racked the 5 gallons of must, and checked the gravity once more. Gravity was at 1.012 at that time.

I will plan to leave the fruit in the secondary for 1 week, then rack to tertiary to get it off the leeds and fruit.

My question is, if the OG was 1.130, then 1.010 at racking (which would make it approx 16.1% ABV) what would the ABV be after it is completed fermenting in secondary?

Lets say for example, the FG is 1.008 after one more week in secondary, would I do the ABV calculation of 1.012 to 1.008 which is 0.5% ABV, then add this to the 16.1% ABV prior to racking?

I am just wondering what the ABV will be after adding more fermentables to the must.

Any thoughts or advice are appreciated!

Also, should I leave the friut in secondary for 2 weeks, or is 1 week sufficient?

Thanks!
Brew

[Medsen Fey]

You do have to take into account the dilution for the volume you just added. If you started with 5 gallons, and added 64 oz of juice, and 4 pounds of berries (about another quart of liquid), you've probably increased your volume to about 5.75 gallons. Is that about right?

So if you have a batch that started at 1.130 and got to 1.010 you get around 15.7% (multiplying .120 *131) using a rough estimate. Now you have increased the volume so the concentration will be (5/5.75)*15.7% which equal 13.7% ABV (or 14% if you use the 16.1% value). You can then add the increase that occurs as the gravity drops from 1.012 to the 13.6% number and you'll have your final gravity.

The dilution may allow the yeast to ferment down to a lower ending gravity, however the sulfite you added may prevent that from occurring by helping the yeast to stop leaving you with more sweetness. One tip to remember is that you don't need to sulfite juice and fruit added to the secondary in most cases. Racking an alcohol solution with 14-16% ABV on it will kill any wild critters in a hurry.

I usually find that after about a week the fruit looks bleached out, and that is when you know you are done.

I hope that makes sense.

Medsen

[Brew Skies]

Thanks Medsen!

Yes, the volume appeared to be right about 5.75 gallons after racking.

Your method of calculation once adding more liquid is very helpful.

I was unaware that I did not need to sulfite the fruit before racking. I had read several times that one should sulfite at each racking... so I guess this would be only when not adding more fruit or juice. Unless of course, the sweetness is a desirable addition.

The airlock has been bubbling away quite a bit since racking to secondary, so I am assuming it is fermenting down and not just degassing.

I might not have time to rack this to tertiary next Friday (which would be one week)... will it hurt to leave the fruit in there for a few more days or another week?

I would rather just open it up in two weeks and rack it, rather than checking to see if the fruit is bleached. I hate to mess with it too much...

Thanks!
Brew