Orange Group Mead 2002

Boysenberry Melomel (Yield: ~5.5 gallons)

Brewed by Janis Gross on Saturday March 16, 2002

Original Gravity: 1.082 (at 75 F)

Secondary Gravity: 1.030 (at 68 F)

Tertiary Gravity: 1.002 (at 56 F)

*Final Gravity: 1.018 Kegged: 8/26/02

Primary Fermentation: 71 days

Secondary Fermentation: 64 days

Tertiary Fermentation: 5 days

7.5 gallon pot with about 3 gallons filtered tap H2O

13.5 # Madhava Wildflower honey

4 # Orange Blossom honey

~4.5 cups frozen boysenberries for color, and ~4.5 cups frozen boysenberries for flavor

3 tsp yeast nutrient

2 TBS XLDME

1 tsp Irish moss

1 vial WLP001 White Labs California Ale yeast

6 tablets Sodium Benzoate

3/16/02: Heated water to ~170 F and stirred in 13.5 pounds of honey. Hold temp at ~160 F for 20 minutes. Cool to ~85 F and add 1.5 gallons pre-boiled and chilled H2O. pitch yeast at 75 F, and aerate vigorously. OSG =1.082, T = 75 F

5/26/02: The mead was still very cloudy, so I boiled 1 cup filtered tap H2O for 5 minutes, then added 1 tsp Irish Moss and boiled 5 minutes more. Cooled to room temp and poured into secondary carboy. Racked mead on top of Irish moss mixture. SG = 1.030, T = 68 F On 7/15/02: Measurement taken: SG = 1.020, T = 70 F

7/29/02: (For Color) Boiled 2 quarts filtered tap H2O with 4.5 cups boysenberries in a hop bag for 15 minutes remove bag of berries and throw the berries out away/compost them, whatever. Cool mixture and pour into carboy. (For Flavor) Add 4.5 cups loose berries to carboy and rack mead on top. SG = 1.014, at T = 71 F [Note: On 8/11/02, put carboy into fridge and lower temp to ~42 F to drop out yeast.]

*8/21/02: Heat 4 cups (1 quart) filtered H2O to boil and then reduce to warm setting. Stir in 3 cups Orange Blossom honey and dissolve in 6 crushed Sodium Benzoate tablets. [Note: 3/4 cup =~ 1 pound honey, so 3 cups =~ 4 pounds honey] Prior to honey addition, SG = 1.002, T = 56 F [Note: 1 # honey gives about 35 gravity points per gallon, so I estimate the gravity to be ~1.021 after the addition of the honey.] Est SG = 1.021, T = ~70 F

8/26/02: Kegged the mead. Set at 25 psi for ~2.3 volumes CO2 at T = 68 F, agitated; added more CO2, repeat several times and then put keg in fridge.

8/27/02: ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!