I just bottled my two gallons today. Started Feb 3rd 23, then bulk aged for 1 year. With a little balancing, this was the best mead I've made. Thank you for the recipe.
Made this mead and my wife and I enjoyed a bottle tonight! It finished last week. Absolutely wonderful flavor! The smell of the blueberries with hint of cinnamon alone made it all worth it. Great recipe. Thank you!
Definitely making this for my next batch. Thank you so much for the tip about the pectic enzyme in the blueberries, I’ve never tried this but am sure going to now.
Just transferred from primary stabilized and will add more blueberries tomorrow. Mine is a month old. Slightly floral, very juicy, lovely color. Not tart, and syill tastes sweet, though it stopped at 1.002. I added some cinnamon to a taster. Its amazingly delish and it will be divine when done!!!
Oh I'm definitely making this one :) my town is in the middle of the forrest where there is plenty of wild blueberries around. Can't wait to have a go at it :)
I currently have both the blueberry cinnamon and apple cinnamon Mead's going and have made both before with your recipes. Delicious! I have certainly learned to make quality Mead by following you. Thank you.
Wow, this looks awesome! Definitely going to be making it this summer when blueberries are in season, and I go visit the blueberry fields in Michigan. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thanks for the heads up on the Cinnamon. I have an Orange/Ginger/Cinnamon in the works that I have on the back self that needs tasting before the Cinnamon becomes overpowering.
Cinnamon really is something you need to be carful with. I forget a year ago cinnamon in my Cyser. It’s really overpowering. I let it age now. Hopefully it blend in.
This is exactly what UA-cam was meant for! I really enjoyed the video, thank you very much. Now onto preparation for the brew 🥳 Allow me just one quick question, since 4x4 doesn’t appear to be available in small quantities anymore, what other yeast would yield closest results? I imagine a BM 4x4 to be quite different from let’s say the EC 1118? 🤔 RC 212 maybe? Edit: I have some experience with Port wine yeast, can you tell how that would compare?
Just finished this one, it turned out amazing! Hasn't even had a chance to age yet (1month or so) and it's already by far the best I've made. Definitely doing it again! Only downside is the yeast (BM 4x4) seems to be impossible to find right now, so I'll sub that for 71B... and clover honey cost me an arm and a leg, so I'll give it a go with wildflower or acacia. Really gotta go easy on that cinnamon if you're making it though, it can easily overpower the rest of the flavors. All in all this is definitely one worth always having in stock!
Blueberry brews are my favorite to make. I have a Blueberry/ Black Mulberry currently working. I like to get a few deep wiffs off the airlock to see how it's progressing or issues. I noticed an underlying funk to this one. Not quite eggy but definitely something up. Getting my copper wire ready just in case.
I never thought about the combination of cinnamon and blueberries. Maybe I need to give it a try. In the moment I wait for my blueberry mint mead. I also need to try to put the blueberries in primary and secondary.
Got a similar brew in secondary now..2 gallon..did three lbs of berries in primary, racked on top of a second 3 lbs of berries and a Tahitian vanilla bean soaked in vodka…then racked to secondary with a cinnamon stick.. about to yank out the cinnamon stick and add about 1/4 of a medium toast French oak spiral for a week or so
I saw this episode pop up and decided to watch and subscribe. Those are some great tips. I made a similar mead last year using 4 or 5 quarts of blueberry juice and B-71 yeast. It finished pretty light and lacked structure considering it started out looking like a red wine in the beginning. It's OK, but not as good as hoped. Your choice of oak and BM 4X4 yeast will get used next batch. Cheerz.
This mead look awesome! I'm definitely going to give brewing it a go. It'll possibly be the most complex brew I've tried, but fingers crossed it turns out well! Thanks for the recipe and all the great content.
Hey! Do you think you could make a updated video showcasing your 5 favorite meads that’s you have made? Would be interesting to watch. You have gotten me into making my first traditional Mead and soon to be this blueberry one! Thanks!
What a great video! Love how you explain your process. Really helps newbies like myself. Just one question, what temp do you keeps those blue berries at on those first couple days before brew day?
Ive actually pondered this combo but never really tried. Figured I would do it last December. If I had then about 25 gallons of mead still be aging. Life to hobby ratio is leading to unintended long term aging on what I have sitting. Explanation of Vanilla makes since, I used an extract once. A drop of it and my brew flavor profile vanished. Haven’t used it since.
a tip using spices like cinnamon - instead of calling for "1 stick," weigh it so you can have consistency/predictability in the future. also, I have started using them in primary - i think it gives it a more integrated quality --- for anyone who bakes, it's akin to using it in baked goods before baking, versus that tannic dry quality it can have if you eat it raw/uncooked. i also agree blueberry needs to be about 5-10 points sweeter than you'd anticipate to balance the tartness i LOVE blueberry mead, but haven't done it with cinnamon yet. will try soon
Regardless of amount of cinnamon I always suggest people taste test their brews to gauge the strength! Not all cinnamon is made the same. I’ve had small amounts impart more strongly than large amounts in the past!
@@ManMadeMead agreed. Ive had drastically different results even from the same container of cinnamon. I've moved to tinctures from sticks so I can replicate easier and not ruin a brew if life happens with a stick in there.
Pro-est tip I've got when it comes to cinnamon is to toast them in a dry pan for a few mins before putting them in your brew. They make the cinnamon pop so much more! I did a test with a big split batch and in 1 carboy I put non toasted and another toasted; the toasted batch had it's flavour extract better/quicker and tastes a bit more rounded compared to the other. Got the idea from Tank on the discord :)
@@TravisEvashkevich that's a great idea and makes perfect sense. The heat extracts the oils. It's why they typically pan roast spices like cinnamon in many countries like India. Will have to try it
I've done similar brews but if I did this specific one I think in the secondary I'd use dried blueberries instead of fresh (make sure they aren't soaked in oils or additives). The dried fruits in secondary add a whole different depth and character. Also I would use French oak cubes or spiral over chips which seem to give the worst oak flavors.
Where do you keep the 12 pounds of blueberries when you use the pectic enzyme? In a fridge or just in a closet? As they melt, and thaw, is there no risk of spoiling?
Hope I have time to try this during blueberry season. I'm 3 days into my first batch of mead, 10lbs of pine barrens honey and 2 gallons of water in a 3 gallon carboy with ec1118. Have you thought about blanching the blueberries instead of using pectic enzyme? It would soften them up and break the skins down as well as killing off any bacteria that might be on them.
I just watched this video a few times and have a few questions. 1) Do you add Campden tablets in the beginning before adding the yeast like most recipes call for? 2) How much Pectic enzyme should I use for 12lbs of blueberries? 3) Will the OG change after the berries break down. Sorry for asking but starting my brew in the next few days. TIA
I don't add that before. That's not really necessary in modern wine/mead making. I add 1 tsp of pectic enzyme per 3 lbs of blueberries (I normally add more than the recommended amount). The OG will change some but that's okay!
Sadly the small packs were discontinued and now the only thing you find are the large batches. I still on the hunt for an adequate replacement. Maybe the RC-212 will do it but I lack experience and knowledge to know for sure 🤷♂️
Could you do the pectin enzyme in the brew bucket with the fruit prior to adding the other ingredients rather than dumping them into another container?
I made a 1gal batch of blueberry demerara wine recently, when it had stopped fermentation and settling out I split the batch in half and bottled one half just blueberry wine and bulk aged in a 64oz mason jar, I then added spices and vanilla and stabilised and back sweetened with more demerara and added a half french oak stick, probably too much but I wanted it to age quicker, the blueberry wine I bottled got consumed quickly at christmas dinner and it was really nice but a bit dry. I should have kept some for comparison but oh well. I used 4.5lb of blueberries and 1.81lb demerara sugar. what I did was thawed the berries 2d before I used them, I put them in a brewing bag, (a sanitised clip works wonders with the brewing bags) and in a 11lt plastic food safe bucket and added the sugar, pectic enzyme and citric acid and boiling water, let it sit for 24hr to break down the berries, took a reading and then add the yeast, I used EC-1118 in half a glass of warm grape juice, leave it for 20m and added it in, added a blow off to the 11lt bucket and let it sit for several days, this is so it doesn't foam out of the bucket, with fruit and wine yeast this sometimes happens to me if I put it straight into the carboy, while adding nutrient, 24,48,72 hrs later and at 1/3 sugar break I siphoned into my carboy with a brewing bag attached to the racking cane end of the siphon then attach the stopper and airlock and cover with a towel or blanket and basically finish fermentation and bottle it or do what I did and stabilise and add more sugar and or more berries but if you add more berries make sure to rack into a wide mouth fermenter, makes it so much easier. Then eventually bottle it. Skol! 👌👍
That’s pretty crazy, I have almost the same recipe brewing right now! Here’s my recipe copied from my notes: Mixed Vanilla Berry Melomel 32oz blueberry juice 33.2oz blackberry juice 1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1/2 small cinnamon stick 1 cup strong black tea (2bags) 1lb local raw honey 2 cups sugar Filtered water to make 1 gallon 1 tsp yeast nutrient 1 pack premiere classique Looking forward to trying it!!
@@metalmulishaz123 to make sure I enjoy it and see if any changes are needed. For example, I learned that putting the cinnamon into primary overpowers the overall flavor profile. If I scale it up to 3 or 5 gallons, I would not put the cinnamon in at the beginning. 👍🏻
@@ManMadeMeadalso curious when would you recommend to add bentonite into your mead? at primary near the beginning of fermentation or racking into secondary?
Have you tried adding more blueberries in secondary? Maybe 8lbs instead of 4? Wonder if it would yield a stronger fresh blueberry character or just be a waste.
@@ManMadeMead hey, just thinking more about this.. if I increased the honey in primary to 15lbs to up the abv a little, would it throw things out of balance?
I'm already compiling ingredients to make this recipe in the next few weeks🤤 do you think a snowberry honey would go well with this recipe? The tasting notes from Flying Bee Ranch sound like they would pair nicely
@ManMadeMead thank you for your input I greatly appreciate it! The tasting notes were a candy-like toffee flavor with a lavender cherry finish so hopefully all those flavors tie together nicely!
I have a newbie question. I am making wines. Don't have plans to do meads. Can these recipes be converted to wine (sugar)? I know it would be different but would it still be good? I did convert your apple pie recipe to wine but have yet to start that one.
I have ~5 gallons of this coming out of primary right now at 0.998. Tomorrow would be 2 weeks. My SG, according to my notes, was a bit higher than 1.080 at 1.120. Not sure why, but here we are.
Have you thought about making a chocolate strawberry mead I have seen a lot of cherry chocolate mead videos but I can't find any chocolate strawberry mead
I have some questions that I hope you might make a video about: Would it be reasonabke to use a pure 100% Blueberry Juice that is already from a bottle, such as one from Antioxidant Solutions (that's a brand that boasts only juice, not from concentrate or additional water or sugar)? I would like to make a mead, but I don't want to deal with the process of juicing the berries if it isn't necessary. I am also curious if it's possibke to make a single bottle batch directly in the bottle the juice comes in, since they are very thick and easily reusable (transfer from one bottle to another for simplification)? Is there a way to make it a little stronger ABV at maybe 15%, since I find that ABV% to be just right for my preference? I'm asking this stuff as a complete noob to fermenting berries, so I might sound like an idiot for asking. Cheers my friend!
You can definitely do a juice based brew. Just use lots of juice and make it stronger with more honey to raise the gravity. I believe you could end up with a great brew!
You can but you will restart fermentation. Just be ready to let it set for quite some time! This recipe is best with some backsweetening.. so you’ll want to use a non fermentable sugar to backsweeten
@@ManMadeMead okay I just finished primary and then transferred it. I'm letting my blueberries thaw and adding them to the secondary I don't think it will take too long to ferment out it probably won't raise the gravity too much. I will probably back sweeten and then pasteurize in the bottles this is possible for me but just not the blueberries because they need to sit in a large container. Thanks for your suggestion and recipe!
Thanks for the great content! Really been enjoying your videos and your back catalog as someone starting out! (4-5 batches so far) I was thinking of trying this one out next time I have a free carboy, and just wanted to ask a couple things. When you backsweeten it in secondary, do you also use clover honey or go with regular honey (wildflower is what's most readily available around here)? On a more unrelated question about scaling recipes in general... when converting to different quantities, is it safe to assume every ingredient follows the same ratio? As in let's say, downsizing to 1 gallon from a 5 gal recipe would mean cutting everything (honey, berries, etc) to 1/5 of the original? Once again, thanks for the great content!
I normally use clover for this recipe because I want a brighter honey to counter the darker blueberry side! You can definitely use wildflower if you prefer that though. You can definitely scale this recipe down or up by multiple or dividing to whatever size! Let me know if you end up making this one!
@@ManMadeMead I'm definitely trying this one! You seemed pretty excited about it compared to your more composed demeanor in other videos, and that's always a good sign in my books lol xD I'll just have to get some 10L buckets first (which I was planning to anyway), since with this volume of blueberries I wouldn't have much mead at the end if I did it in my current 5 liter carboys. Clover honey seems relatively tough to get in Europe - most honeys are actually other than wildflower. It's either small pots (250grams) that cost a fortune cuz of the low volume, or ordering 20kg in bulk, which doesn't lend very well to experimentation. Even Amazon is very lacking. I did find some reasonably price clover one that I'll use for this one though. I'll post an update when it's ready!
This Mead looks epic! Just a few questions. At what stage do you add the oak? And how much Vanilla extract did you add? Thank you so much! Love you page, killing it!!
I normally add mine after all the cinnamon and other ingredients. It's one of the last things I add. I normally add mine to taste honestly... so it really depends! I just add a little ad a time and taste it.
I'm just starting out making meads and made a couple batches using craft-a-brew kit with included D47 yeast. I'm anxious to try your blueberry recipe now. I'm curious though -- a basic recipe with D47 requires yeast nutrient for optimal fermentation. Do I need a nutrient if using BM 4x4 and blueberries?
@@ManMadeMead one more question. How much and how long did you oak this recipe? Will be taking a batch of secondary in a week..thank you for the help new to this..
Quick question in the general terminology that you use when explaining your recipes. 😊 do you add the 12 pounds of honey and then fill it with water to the 5 gallon mark and then add the 12 pounds of fruit on top of that? Making the final amount in the bucket closer to 6 gallons? Sorry for the complicated question i just think I need a little clarification because I don’t want to mess up my starting gravity when I try this😂 keep up the great content!
Yeah! I always fill my total volume to whatever my target is with water. I don't factor that 12 pounds of fruit into the total volume because they take up a fair amount of space. I normally have to do these recipes in a big bucket!
I’m thinking of using blueberry juice in secondary instead of the fruit, to get a similar effect of 3lbs in primary and 1lb of blueberries in secondary how much juice should I use in 1 gallon?
It really depends on what strength abv if you want. If you want a higher abv brew, go 3/4 to all juice as your base. For a lighter abv brew you will want 1/2 blueberry juice.
@manmademead could you please clarify if you add 5 gallons of water to the 12lb of honey and 12 lb blueberries, making up approximate 8 gallons in volume? Or do you add enough water to the honey and blueberries to make 5 gallons in total?
Anyone know where I can buy Lalvin BM 4x4? I'm in Ireland and can't find anywhere that can deliver to me. I can however, find the alternate yeasts that are mentioned in the video/recipe. Anyone know which yeast would be best since I can't find the Bm 4x4?
Question. I made 2 batches of the blueberry cinnamon mead. I pasteurized one gallon and not the other. The pasteurizes one is better, the fruit is bright and the mouth feel is better. I am allergic to stabilizers to either pasteurize or just let sit for a long time. Have you noticed this?
Pasturizing mimics aging in a way. (It is by no means a substitute for aging However) the heat acts to help break free any volatile compounds, causing off flavors. As well as helping to meld flavors together. I don't remember a lot of the specifics. But this is the jist of it as I understand.
Question about the pectic enzyme. I'm about to make this recipe but scaled down to about 1.4 gallons. I will be using 3 lbs of blueberry in primary. My pectic enzyme says 1/2 tsp per gallon. Should I just use 1/2 tsp?
I started this one around a week and a half ago - it seems to be chugging along nicely! I do have a question though, an issue i've had with this one in particular but is kinda general for whenever you add fruits - how to you take a proper gravity reading? My OG read at 1,18 - which in theory shouldn't be possible since running a calculation, it should be 1,10 , or 1,12 at the very most. I'm guessing that's due to the fruit matter I might have sucked along into the test tube with the turkey baster. I'm kind of afraid this will make it a bit tricky to take a proper FG reading and determine when it's done. is there some trick I'm not aware of to taking readings when you have solids and fruit matter floating around?
Good evening. After watching this, we have two questions please. Being new to making mead, I don't think we're ready to jump into the full five gallon batches yet. So, looking at your recipe, is it a matter of simply halving the recipe to make a 2.5 gallon batch? Secondly, my wife is very allergic to sulfites, is it possible to halt the fermentation and stabilize it by only using the potassium sorbate, or do you also have to use the metabisulfite. If so, I think that I am going to be locked into pasteurizing it. Thanks for the advice. Best regards, Don
You can definitely half the recipe if you want to make less. As far as sulfites goes - you need to stabilize this brew somehow. Sorbate alone won’t be enough. You will want to pasteurize your brew before backsweetening
Working on trying this recipe out. Did you add the oak chips when you placed the blueberries and cinnamon in secondary, or did you rack onto them when you backsweetened? Just trying to keep my transfers to a minimum to reduce the change of oxidation. Thanks
@@ManMadeMead I am a little late to the party here but wanted to confirm. After waiting a bit and letting the blueberries and cinnamon set, you backsweetened and added the additional 2 lbs. of honey and oak chips at the same time to the bottom of carboy, and than racked onto both the honey and oak chips? Thanks a bunch!
Can I combine any of the steps? Like adding the the honey and blueberries together after backsweetening? Also, since I am planning a smaller 1 gallon batch first, could I just fish out the oak and cinnamon with tongs instead of doing 2 full racks for each?
@@ManMadeMead thank you! 1 more question! when you say to open the lid to push the blueberries down during the fermentation stage how often should we open it to push them down? I did it today after 2 days of fermentation... planned on doing it every 2 days until the 2 weeks is up.
@@ManMadeMead so we have stabilized the mead and added 4 more lbs of blueberries. Do they stay in there for the rest of the brew? It looked like you had them in a cheese cloth bag to take out at some point.
Wait…“We have landed on this penultimate, final recipe” means “the next to last, last recipe.” I am not sure if you are making a clever pun here (like, there is never a final recipe) or if you misspoke. Is THIS the FINAL recipe or is there another one coming after this?
@@ManMadeMead I get that, just thought it was 1.5g or so per gallon. Is it because of the added fruit? Currently making this recipe, I’m excited to try it!
a couple things i noted in the video that i typically do that you did not? I like to freeze fresh fruit to break up the cell walls to get more juice. I also like to add K-meta to the fresh fruit and sit for 24 hours to kill off any wild yeasts.
Dear ManMadeMead and/or DoinTheMo(i)st, On Reddit people believe using TOSNA is the only way to make mead and are throwing shade on people who don't I know its a lot to ask but have you done or will do an experiment comparing TOSNA, just chucking everything in and no nutrients at all?
I just bottled my two gallons today. Started Feb 3rd 23, then bulk aged for 1 year. With a little balancing, this was the best mead I've made. Thank you for the recipe.
I’m super glad it worked!! Thank you for brewing it 😁
Do you have the recipe for only making 2 gallons of this??
Made this mead and my wife and I enjoyed a bottle tonight! It finished last week. Absolutely wonderful flavor! The smell of the blueberries with hint of cinnamon alone made it all worth it. Great recipe. Thank you!
That's awesome! I'm super glad it turned out great!!
Definitely making this for my next batch. Thank you so much for the tip about the pectic enzyme in the blueberries, I’ve never tried this but am sure going to now.
beautiful mead, with a bluish color
Just transferred from primary stabilized and will add more blueberries tomorrow. Mine is a month old. Slightly floral, very juicy, lovely color. Not tart, and syill tastes sweet, though it stopped at 1.002. I added some cinnamon to a taster. Its amazingly delish and it will be divine when done!!!
Oh I'm definitely making this one :) my town is in the middle of the forrest where there is plenty of wild blueberries around. Can't wait to have a go at it :)
I agree about BM4x4 it and RC-212 are my go to yeasts.
I'm using this as an idea bump for huckleberries we picked in Idaho. Thank you
I currently have both the blueberry cinnamon and apple cinnamon Mead's going and have made both before with your recipes. Delicious! I have certainly learned to make quality Mead by following you. Thank you.
I love it!! I’m glad they have turned out well!
pectic enzyme, wow that's a great short cut. Ty for the tip!
Happy to help!
My first blueberry melomel finished primary before seeing this XD Hopefully i can try this recipe next time. Sounds great
Wow, this looks awesome! Definitely going to be making it this summer when blueberries are in season, and I go visit the blueberry fields in Michigan. Thank you so much for sharing.
You should give it a shot and let me know how you like it!
Thanks for the heads up on the Cinnamon. I have an Orange/Ginger/Cinnamon in the works that I have on the back self that needs tasting before the Cinnamon becomes overpowering.
Cinnamon really is something you need to be carful with. I forget a year ago cinnamon in my Cyser. It’s really overpowering. I let it age now. Hopefully it blend in.
I'd like to see how you would make
a elderberry/blueberry mead..
This is exactly what UA-cam was meant for! I really enjoyed the video, thank you very much. Now onto preparation for the brew 🥳 Allow me just one quick question, since 4x4 doesn’t appear to be available in small quantities anymore, what other yeast would yield closest results? I imagine a BM 4x4 to be quite different from let’s say the EC 1118? 🤔 RC 212 maybe?
Edit: I have some experience with Port wine yeast, can you tell how that would compare?
I would suggest RC212 if you can get it! EC-1118 is okay for this recipe too. I haven't tried a port wine yet before though!
Just ordered 1 pk from Amazon...a bit pricey @ $7.95, but the recipie & comments sounds like it's worth it.
Fantastic!
I made some of this last November. It is so tasty.
Just finished this one, it turned out amazing! Hasn't even had a chance to age yet (1month or so) and it's already by far the best I've made. Definitely doing it again! Only downside is the yeast (BM 4x4) seems to be impossible to find right now, so I'll sub that for 71B... and clover honey cost me an arm and a leg, so I'll give it a go with wildflower or acacia. Really gotta go easy on that cinnamon if you're making it though, it can easily overpower the rest of the flavors. All in all this is definitely one worth always having in stock!
How did 71B work for you? I can’t find 4x4 anywhere either but I have 71B on hand
Blueberry brews are my favorite to make. I have a Blueberry/ Black Mulberry currently working. I like to get a few deep wiffs off the airlock to see how it's progressing or issues. I noticed an underlying funk to this one. Not quite eggy but definitely something up. Getting my copper wire ready just in case.
As a newbie to the game, please forgive me my lack of understanding, but what is the purpose of that copper wire?
I never thought about the combination of cinnamon and blueberries. Maybe I need to give it a try. In the moment I wait for my blueberry mint mead.
I also need to try to put the blueberries in primary and secondary.
Blueberry & mint sounds really good!
Got a similar brew in secondary now..2 gallon..did three lbs of berries in primary, racked on top of a second 3 lbs of berries and a Tahitian vanilla bean soaked in vodka…then racked to secondary with a cinnamon stick.. about to yank out the cinnamon stick and add about 1/4 of a medium toast French oak spiral for a week or so
I would really like to make this, my mom has blueberry bushes, she been getting a good crop for many years now
I saw this episode pop up and decided to watch and subscribe. Those are some great tips. I made a similar mead last year using 4 or 5 quarts of blueberry juice and B-71 yeast. It finished pretty light and lacked structure considering it started out looking like a red wine in the beginning. It's OK, but not as good as hoped. Your choice of oak and BM 4X4 yeast will get used next batch. Cheerz.
I love this!
This mead look awesome! I'm definitely going to give brewing it a go. It'll possibly be the most complex brew I've tried, but fingers crossed it turns out well! Thanks for the recipe and all the great content.
You should definitely give it a shot!! Thanks for watching!
Now I am thinking about adding vanilla extract in secondary. Perhaps some cinnamon as well.
Should I use both Potasium sorbate & Potassium Metabisulfite together?
Yes you should!
Hey! Do you think you could make a updated video showcasing your 5 favorite meads that’s you have made? Would be interesting to watch. You have gotten me into making my first traditional Mead and soon to be this blueberry one! Thanks!
I can definitely make a video like that in the future!
Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠
Thanks for watching!! 🤘🏻
What a great video! Love how you explain your process. Really helps newbies like myself. Just one question, what temp do you keeps those blue berries at on those first couple days before brew day?
This recipe sounds delicious! I just started my very first batch of traditional last night but this recipe is high on my list!
This look great! One thing I don't think was mentioned was bucket size for primary. Would this fit in a 7 gallon fermonster?
I believe it would!
Ive actually pondered this combo but never really tried. Figured I would do it last December. If I had then about 25 gallons of mead still be aging. Life to hobby ratio is leading to unintended long term aging on what I have sitting. Explanation of Vanilla makes since, I used an extract once. A drop of it and my brew flavor profile vanished. Haven’t used it since.
Where are you getting your bulk clover honey? I’ve got a solid source for wildflower but still need to find a clover.
I don't normally buy bulk clover honey! I've been buying mine in 3 - 5 lb containers locally!
a tip using spices like cinnamon - instead of calling for "1 stick," weigh it so you can have consistency/predictability in the future.
also, I have started using them in primary - i think it gives it a more integrated quality --- for anyone who bakes, it's akin to using it in baked goods before baking, versus that tannic dry quality it can have if you eat it raw/uncooked.
i also agree blueberry needs to be about 5-10 points sweeter than you'd anticipate to balance the tartness
i LOVE blueberry mead, but haven't done it with cinnamon yet. will try soon
Regardless of amount of cinnamon I always suggest people taste test their brews to gauge the strength! Not all cinnamon is made the same. I’ve had small amounts impart more strongly than large amounts in the past!
@@ManMadeMead agreed. Ive had drastically different results even from the same container of cinnamon. I've moved to tinctures from sticks so I can replicate easier and not ruin a brew if life happens with a stick in there.
Pro-est tip I've got when it comes to cinnamon is to toast them in a dry pan for a few mins before putting them in your brew. They make the cinnamon pop so much more! I did a test with a big split batch and in 1 carboy I put non toasted and another toasted; the toasted batch had it's flavour extract better/quicker and tastes a bit more rounded compared to the other.
Got the idea from Tank on the discord :)
@@TravisEvashkevich that's a great idea and makes perfect sense. The heat extracts the oils. It's why they typically pan roast spices like cinnamon in many countries like India. Will have to try it
How much do you have to modify the nutrition if using RC212 Instead ?
I've done similar brews but if I did this specific one I think in the secondary I'd use dried blueberries instead of fresh (make sure they aren't soaked in oils or additives). The dried fruits in secondary add a whole different depth and character. Also I would use French oak cubes or spiral over chips which seem to give the worst oak flavors.
Love watching your videos. We have 6 meads going right now. What is the bright pink mead in the background?
It's just a traditional but the light behind it makes it look pink!
@@ManMadeMead oh okay. It looked super cool!
is the water up to 5 gal prior to adding the 12lbs of blueberries.
Correct!
CAN I USE ALUM INSTEAD OF BENTONITE FOR CLEARING WINE?ACTUALLY IT WORKS EXTRORDINARY FOR WATER CLEANING .
Not sure what that is!
Where do you keep the 12 pounds of blueberries when you use the pectic enzyme? In a fridge or just in a closet? As they melt, and thaw, is there no risk of spoiling?
You could add some K meta to reduce the risk of contamination while thawing
Hope I have time to try this during blueberry season. I'm 3 days into my first batch of mead, 10lbs of pine barrens honey and 2 gallons of water in a 3 gallon carboy with ec1118. Have you thought about blanching the blueberries instead of using pectic enzyme? It would soften them up and break the skins down as well as killing off any bacteria that might be on them.
I just watched this video a few times and have a few questions. 1) Do you add Campden tablets in the beginning before adding the yeast like most recipes call for? 2) How much Pectic enzyme should I use for 12lbs of blueberries? 3) Will the OG change after the berries break down. Sorry for asking but starting my brew in the next few days. TIA
I don't add that before. That's not really necessary in modern wine/mead making. I add 1 tsp of pectic enzyme per 3 lbs of blueberries (I normally add more than the recommended amount). The OG will change some but that's okay!
@@ManMadeMead Thank you!!
Can you do a simple Braggot?
I've done one! ua-cam.com/video/Gg2tG4jeRjM/v-deo.html
This recipe/mead sounds wonderful. Where can I find Lalvin BM 4x4 in small amounts in the US? Thanks
I would say amazing but I haven't been able to find some for a good price. Do you have a local brew shop?
HighGravity in Tulsa doesn’t carry it but I did find 8g packets at Homebrewers Outpost out of California.
Sadly the small packs were discontinued and now the only thing you find are the large batches. I still on the hunt for an adequate replacement. Maybe the RC-212 will do it but I lack experience and knowledge to know for sure 🤷♂️
Could you do the pectin enzyme in the brew bucket with the fruit prior to adding the other ingredients rather than dumping them into another container?
You definitely can!
I made a 1gal batch of blueberry demerara wine recently, when it had stopped fermentation and settling out I split the batch in half and bottled one half just blueberry wine and bulk aged in a 64oz mason jar, I then added spices and vanilla and stabilised and back sweetened with more demerara and added a half french oak stick, probably too much but I wanted it to age quicker, the blueberry wine I bottled got consumed quickly at christmas dinner and it was really nice but a bit dry. I should have kept some for comparison but oh well. I used 4.5lb of blueberries and 1.81lb demerara sugar. what I did was thawed the berries 2d before I used them, I put them in a brewing bag, (a sanitised clip works wonders with the brewing bags) and in a 11lt plastic food safe bucket and added the sugar, pectic enzyme and citric acid and boiling water, let it sit for 24hr to break down the berries, took a reading and then add the yeast, I used EC-1118 in half a glass of warm grape juice, leave it for 20m and added it in, added a blow off to the 11lt bucket and let it sit for several days, this is so it doesn't foam out of the bucket, with fruit and wine yeast this sometimes happens to me if I put it straight into the carboy, while adding nutrient, 24,48,72 hrs later and at 1/3 sugar break I siphoned into my carboy with a brewing bag attached to the racking cane end of the siphon then attach the stopper and airlock and cover with a towel or blanket and basically finish fermentation and bottle it or do what I did and stabilise and add more sugar and or more berries but if you add more berries make sure to rack into a wide mouth fermenter, makes it so much easier. Then eventually bottle it. Skol! 👌👍
That’s pretty crazy, I have almost the same recipe brewing right now! Here’s my recipe copied from my notes:
Mixed Vanilla Berry Melomel
32oz blueberry juice
33.2oz blackberry juice
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 small cinnamon stick
1 cup strong black tea (2bags)
1lb local raw honey
2 cups sugar
Filtered water to make 1 gallon
1 tsp yeast nutrient
1 pack premiere classique
Looking forward to trying it!!
That’s awesome!
Technically not a mead bc majority of these sugars are not honey, but sounds delicious!
What's the point of going through all that for one gallon? Food grade 5 gallon buckets are pretty cheap.
@@metalmulishaz123 to make sure I enjoy it and see if any changes are needed. For example, I learned that putting the cinnamon into primary overpowers the overall flavor profile. If I scale it up to 3 or 5 gallons, I would not put the cinnamon in at the beginning. 👍🏻
How do you recommend “punching the cap” for primary? Should I use a brewbag for the fermentation to make taking out the blueberries easy?
I’d definitely punch the cap if you don’t use a brew bag! A brew bag makes this easier to clean up!
@@ManMadeMeadalso curious when would you recommend to add bentonite into your mead? at primary near the beginning of fermentation or racking into secondary?
Have you ever made this sparkling? Curious what you use to back sweeten, etc.
I haven’t! I’d be curious to see what it’s like too
Have you tried adding more blueberries in secondary? Maybe 8lbs instead of 4? Wonder if it would yield a stronger fresh blueberry character or just be a waste.
I think that could definitely help!
@@ManMadeMead 🫡
@@ManMadeMead hey, just thinking more about this.. if I increased the honey in primary to 15lbs to up the abv a little, would it throw things out of balance?
I wonder if lavender might be a good alternate to cinnamon
I'm already compiling ingredients to make this recipe in the next few weeks🤤 do you think a snowberry honey would go well with this recipe? The tasting notes from Flying Bee Ranch sound like they would pair nicely
I love it! I actually don't know the answer to this questions... I haven't had snowberry honey before but it sounds great! I would give it a shot
@ManMadeMead thank you for your input I greatly appreciate it! The tasting notes were a candy-like toffee flavor with a lavender cherry finish so hopefully all those flavors tie together nicely!
I have a newbie question. I am making wines. Don't have plans to do meads. Can these recipes be converted to wine (sugar)? I know it would be different but would it still be good? I did convert your apple pie recipe to wine but have yet to start that one.
Of course they can! They might require some other adjuncts to get some flavors - but it can be somewhat similar!
I have ~5 gallons of this coming out of primary right now at 0.998. Tomorrow would be 2 weeks. My SG, according to my notes, was a bit higher than 1.080 at 1.120. Not sure why, but here we are.
I bet it will still turn out great!
Have you thought about making a chocolate strawberry mead I have seen a lot of cherry chocolate mead videos but I can't find any chocolate strawberry mead
I haven’t thought about one but it sounds like it could be fun!
Could you replace the blueberries with cranberries also? I kind of want to make both now!
Sure! I'd be curious to hear how that turns out!
I have some questions that I hope you might make a video about: Would it be reasonabke to use a pure 100% Blueberry Juice that is already from a bottle, such as one from Antioxidant Solutions (that's a brand that boasts only juice, not from concentrate or additional water or sugar)? I would like to make a mead, but I don't want to deal with the process of juicing the berries if it isn't necessary. I am also curious if it's possibke to make a single bottle batch directly in the bottle the juice comes in, since they are very thick and easily reusable (transfer from one bottle to another for simplification)? Is there a way to make it a little stronger ABV at maybe 15%, since I find that ABV% to be just right for my preference?
I'm asking this stuff as a complete noob to fermenting berries, so I might sound like an idiot for asking. Cheers my friend!
You can definitely do a juice based brew. Just use lots of juice and make it stronger with more honey to raise the gravity. I believe you could end up with a great brew!
Do you test your ph levels before fermentation?
I don't normally. I don't worry about it too much
I want to make this, but in a 1 gallon batch. Do you have the numbers for 1 gallon of all ingredients??
Could you add the blueberries to secondary without pasteurizing? I don't want to add chemicals and I can't really pasteurize 6 gallons of wine
You can but you will restart fermentation. Just be ready to let it set for quite some time! This recipe is best with some backsweetening.. so you’ll want to use a non fermentable sugar to backsweeten
@@ManMadeMead okay I just finished primary and then transferred it. I'm letting my blueberries thaw and adding them to the secondary I don't think it will take too long to ferment out it probably won't raise the gravity too much. I will probably back sweeten and then pasteurize in the bottles this is possible for me but just not the blueberries because they need to sit in a large container. Thanks for your suggestion and recipe!
Is there a difference between letting it age in the bucket vs in the bottle?
I’ve actually got a video on that! ua-cam.com/video/I8harShU4pI/v-deo.htmlsi=W2pqxLjhyr_gCvXk
Is there a way we can get an exact list of what you use? What clover honey did you purchase?
I used frozen blueberries, clover honey from Walmart and then everything else on the recipe card!
I did not catch or missed the way you added the yeast nutrients. Did you front load or do additions in schedule?
I normally front load!
How often should you puch the cap?
I try to do it every day!
Is there a trick to not losing to much must when racking off the used-up berries? I've used a sieve but it aerates it to much I think
Unfortunately it’s just part of the game…
Thanks for the great content! Really been enjoying your videos and your back catalog as someone starting out! (4-5 batches so far)
I was thinking of trying this one out next time I have a free carboy, and just wanted to ask a couple things. When you backsweeten it in secondary, do you also use clover honey or go with regular honey (wildflower is what's most readily available around here)?
On a more unrelated question about scaling recipes in general... when converting to different quantities, is it safe to assume every ingredient follows the same ratio? As in let's say, downsizing to 1 gallon from a 5 gal recipe would mean cutting everything (honey, berries, etc) to 1/5 of the original?
Once again, thanks for the great content!
I normally use clover for this recipe because I want a brighter honey to counter the darker blueberry side! You can definitely use wildflower if you prefer that though. You can definitely scale this recipe down or up by multiple or dividing to whatever size! Let me know if you end up making this one!
@@ManMadeMead I'm definitely trying this one! You seemed pretty excited about it compared to your more composed demeanor in other videos, and that's always a good sign in my books lol xD
I'll just have to get some 10L buckets first (which I was planning to anyway), since with this volume of blueberries I wouldn't have much mead at the end if I did it in my current 5 liter carboys.
Clover honey seems relatively tough to get in Europe - most honeys are actually other than wildflower. It's either small pots (250grams) that cost a fortune cuz of the low volume, or ordering 20kg in bulk, which doesn't lend very well to experimentation. Even Amazon is very lacking. I did find some reasonably price clover one that I'll use for this one though.
I'll post an update when it's ready!
Could I half this? Never done this before and I don’t want to go that big 😂😂
You can make it any size you want to!
This Mead looks epic! Just a few questions. At what stage do you add the oak? And how much Vanilla extract did you add? Thank you so much! Love you page, killing it!!
I normally add mine after all the cinnamon and other ingredients. It's one of the last things I add. I normally add mine to taste honestly... so it really depends! I just add a little ad a time and taste it.
Excellent! Ypu said you added your oak for 2 weeks, would that be macerated after the cinnamon comes out?
Pectic enzymes work best if first dissolved in water and then added to the fruit
I'm just starting out making meads and made a couple batches using craft-a-brew kit with included D47 yeast. I'm anxious to try your blueberry recipe now. I'm curious though -- a basic recipe with D47 requires yeast nutrient for optimal fermentation. Do I need a nutrient if using BM 4x4 and blueberries?
Yes you do! Maybe only 50% of what you normally use though
@@ManMadeMead Can I use the same nutrient I use for D47? (The nutrient for D47 was Diammonium phosphate, fermade K, potasium carbonate)
Wow 🤯
did you use any clearing agents on this recipe?
I didn't!
@@ManMadeMead one more question. How much and how long did you oak this recipe? Will be taking a batch of secondary in a week..thank you for the help new to this..
@@edgrice355 I believe I oaked it for a little less than 2 weeks with oak chips. It really depends on what kind of oak you're adding.
Quick question in the general terminology that you use when explaining your recipes. 😊
do you add the 12 pounds of honey and then fill it with water to the 5 gallon mark and then add the 12 pounds of fruit on top of that? Making the final amount in the bucket closer to 6 gallons?
Sorry for the complicated question i just think I need a little clarification because I don’t want to mess up my starting gravity when I try this😂 keep up the great content!
Yeah! I always fill my total volume to whatever my target is with water. I don't factor that 12 pounds of fruit into the total volume because they take up a fair amount of space. I normally have to do these recipes in a big bucket!
I’m thinking of using blueberry juice in secondary instead of the fruit, to get a similar effect of 3lbs in primary and 1lb of blueberries in secondary how much juice should I use in 1 gallon?
It really depends on what strength abv if you want. If you want a higher abv brew, go 3/4 to all juice as your base. For a lighter abv brew you will want 1/2 blueberry juice.
@manmademead could you please clarify if you add 5 gallons of water to the 12lb of honey and 12 lb blueberries, making up approximate 8 gallons in volume? Or do you add enough water to the honey and blueberries to make 5 gallons in total?
For this recipe you will make the total volume 5 gallons. That includes everything you listed!
@@ManMadeMead thanks!
Anyone know where I can buy Lalvin BM 4x4? I'm in Ireland and can't find anywhere that can deliver to me. I can however, find the alternate yeasts that are mentioned in the video/recipe. Anyone know which yeast would be best since I can't find the Bm 4x4?
Any ajustments I need to make for a 1 gal batch? besides dividing by 5
I would just divide everything by 5! You shouldn't have to do any more adjustments
Question. I made 2 batches of the blueberry cinnamon mead. I pasteurized one gallon and not the other. The pasteurizes one is better, the fruit is bright and the mouth feel is better. I am allergic to stabilizers to either pasteurize or just let sit for a long time. Have you noticed this?
I haven't really done a ton with Pasteurizing to be honest... so I don't really know the A vs B tastings!
Pasturizing mimics aging in a way. (It is by no means a substitute for aging However) the heat acts to help break free any volatile compounds, causing off flavors. As well as helping to meld flavors together. I don't remember a lot of the specifics. But this is the jist of it as I understand.
Do you have a 1 gallon recipe?
Divide the main recipe by 5!
Question about the pectic enzyme. I'm about to make this recipe but scaled down to about 1.4 gallons. I will be using 3 lbs of blueberry in primary. My pectic enzyme says 1/2 tsp per gallon. Should I just use 1/2 tsp?
1/2 tsp should still be fine!
@ManMadeMead Thanks! I did have one more question, do you leave the fruit at room temp after adding it?
I started this one around a week and a half ago - it seems to be chugging along nicely! I do have a question though, an issue i've had with this one in particular but is kinda general for whenever you add fruits - how to you take a proper gravity reading? My OG read at 1,18 - which in theory shouldn't be possible since running a calculation, it should be 1,10 , or 1,12 at the very most. I'm guessing that's due to the fruit matter I might have sucked along into the test tube with the turkey baster. I'm kind of afraid this will make it a bit tricky to take a proper FG reading and determine when it's done. is there some trick I'm not aware of to taking readings when you have solids and fruit matter floating around?
So I just try my best to get as little bits out of my gravity readings as possible... it's a little tough to be honest!
Good evening. After watching this, we have two questions please. Being new to making mead, I don't think we're ready to jump into the full five gallon batches yet. So, looking at your recipe, is it a matter of simply halving the recipe to make a 2.5 gallon batch? Secondly, my wife is very allergic to sulfites, is it possible to halt the fermentation and stabilize it by only using the potassium sorbate, or do you also have to use the metabisulfite. If so, I think that I am going to be locked into pasteurizing it. Thanks for the advice. Best regards, Don
You can definitely half the recipe if you want to make less. As far as sulfites goes - you need to stabilize this brew somehow. Sorbate alone won’t be enough. You will want to pasteurize your brew before backsweetening
Working on trying this recipe out. Did you add the oak chips when you placed the blueberries and cinnamon in secondary, or did you rack onto them when you backsweetened? Just trying to keep my transfers to a minimum to reduce the change of oxidation. Thanks
I added my oak after racking off the blueberries, stabilizing and back sweetening!
@@ManMadeMead I am a little late to the party here but wanted to confirm. After waiting a bit and letting the blueberries and cinnamon set, you backsweetened and added the additional 2 lbs. of honey and oak chips at the same time to the bottom of carboy, and than racked onto both the honey and oak chips? Thanks a bunch!
@@Moana_the_sunshine_queen That is correct!
Can I combine any of the steps? Like adding the the honey and blueberries together after backsweetening? Also, since I am planning a smaller 1 gallon batch first, could I just fish out the oak and cinnamon with tongs instead of doing 2 full racks for each?
How do I know how much Potassium Metabisulfite to use?
I use .6 grams per gallon generally but my buddy Larry has a mead calculator that can also tell you! meadtools.com
How can mold grow in the absence of oxygen?
I accidentally added an extra tablespoon of yeast nutrient. How is this mistake going to effect the mead?
You should be fine! I don’t believe you’ll have any side effects!
@@ManMadeMead thank you! 1 more question! when you say to open the lid to push the blueberries down during the fermentation stage how often should we open it to push them down? I did it today after 2 days of fermentation... planned on doing it every 2 days until the 2 weeks is up.
@@raph11spd I normally do it every other day!
@@ManMadeMead so we have stabilized the mead and added 4 more lbs of blueberries. Do they stay in there for the rest of the brew? It looked like you had them in a cheese cloth bag to take out at some point.
@@raph11spd they should stay in there for a week or so and then you will want to take them out!
This sounds fantastic! I’m just curious do you happen to have a 1 or 2 gallon equivalent to this recipe? I would greatly appreciate it!!
I would just take the recipe card and divide it by 5 in that circumstance!
Wait…“We have landed on this penultimate, final recipe” means “the next to last, last recipe.” I am not sure if you are making a clever pun here (like, there is never a final recipe) or if you misspoke. Is THIS the FINAL recipe or is there another one coming after this?
The last recipe!
where do i get 16 lbs of blueberries for sub $700
I get mine frozen (in 4 lb bags) from Walmart or Sam's for way cheaper!
Penultimate means next to last... But irregardless, love the recipe. ;)
17.2 g fermaid o?! Sounds like a lot.
This is for a 5 gallon batch!
@@ManMadeMead I get that, just thought it was 1.5g or so per gallon. Is it because of the added fruit? Currently making this recipe, I’m excited to try it!
Skøll!
a couple things i noted in the video that i typically do that you did not?
I like to freeze fresh fruit to break up the cell walls to get more juice.
I also like to add K-meta to the fresh fruit and sit for 24 hours to kill off any wild yeasts.
Edward Norton makes mead now?!
I'd like to try your Meads Mayne.
Mead Stampede is months away though.
He says he doesn't know what he's talking about
Dear ManMadeMead and/or DoinTheMo(i)st,
On Reddit people believe using TOSNA is the only way to make mead and are throwing shade on people who don't
I know its a lot to ask but have you done or will do an experiment comparing TOSNA, just chucking everything in and no nutrients at all?