Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

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Hibernaculum
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Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by Hibernaculum » Thu Aug 06, 2020 9:14 am

I'm wondering if many people here have made sparkling hydromel-type beverages. I made a mixed-ferm one a couple years ago that was aged on spent juniper berries, rosehips, and NY Muscat skins, and it turned out pretty nice. About 6% abv, and bone dry. I like the idea of a bone dry light drink that's similar to cider.

I'm prepping to do 2x 10L batches of this type of drink again, where I'll split a 3kg pale of Cosman & Whidden honey between the water volumes to achieve an approximately 6% abv end product. I'll add 2kg of fruit (raspberry in one, blueberry in the other) either right when I pitch my yeast, or perhaps the day after, to achieve a 200g/l fruiting rate. I'll likely let these go for 1-3 months to get a good complete fermentation, and get some nice colour from the fruit (raspberry is easy, but colour from the blueberry skins would be cool).

I've not yet determined how I'll treat my water, but I'm quite certain I will, since I'm first and foremost a beer brewer. I haven't decided my yeast yet either, but I'm leaning towards using a culture I harvested from a NS Chardonnay pet nat I made in the fall (this would make all of my ingredients from NS, as the ferment was spontaneous).

Anyway, just sharing a project I'm starting soon! Chime in if you've done something similar, would love to hear about your experience.
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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by LiverDance » Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:11 am

interested in hearing how this one turns out.
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by mumblecrunch » Thu Aug 06, 2020 8:23 pm

LiverDance wrote:interested in hearing how this one turns out.
Me too!

I think Melomel is the proper term; fruit addition overrules strength.

I’m pretty sure I’ve got a pretty good surplus of yeast energizer if you need some.

I’ve got a line on honey and have been meaning to make a hydromel or Melomel for a couple of years but haven’t gotten my ass in gear. I should do that.


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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by Hibernaculum » Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:19 pm

WRT fruit addition overruling strength, I mostly agree-- but I also find it very irksome when local breweries offer 5% fermented honey beverages and they call it mead. It's like calling a piquette a wine. Which I suppose it technically is, but it's typically sparkling (to my knowledge), and it's half the alcohol. Is my pedant showing?? Then again, one must realize that the greater public is going to have absolutely no clue what a "hydromel" is, so... I get it...
On Tap:
Janet's Brown Ale

Brewing Next / Now Fermenting:
Dry Stout

Slow Burners
3x Lambic-style batches
4 variants of 2023-harvest ciders

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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by ConanTroutman » Thu Aug 06, 2020 11:27 pm

I can empathize to some extent given that mead is something still unfamiliar to most people. And from what I've heard from local producers, something apparently foreign to people who handle licensing for the province at the NSLC.

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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by LiverDance » Fri Aug 07, 2020 8:18 am

i have a mead made with mumbles honey source if you'd like to sample it.
"Twenty years ago — a time, by the way, that hops such as Simcoe and Citra were already being developed, but weren’t about to find immediate popularity — there wasn’t a brewer on earth who would have gone to the annual Hop Growers of American convention and said, “I’m going to have a beer that we make 4,000 barrels of, one time a year. It flies off the shelf at damn near $20 a six-pack, and you know what it smells like? It smells like your cat ate your weed and then pissed in the Christmas tree.” - Bell’s Brewery Director of Operations John Mallet on the scent of their popular Hopslam.

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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by mumblecrunch » Fri Aug 07, 2020 1:52 pm

Hibernaculum wrote:
Thu Aug 06, 2020 10:19 pm
WRT fruit addition overruling strength, I mostly agree-- but I also find it very irksome when local breweries offer 5% fermented honey beverages and they call it mead. It's like calling a piquette a wine. Which I suppose it technically is, but it's typically sparkling (to my knowledge), and it's half the alcohol. Is my pedant showing?? Then again, one must realize that the greater public is going to have absolutely no clue what a "hydromel" is, so... I get it...
I did a bunch of reading last night (damn you!) and, in the name of both our pedantry, I may have to walk that back. Looks like you're making a "Raspberry Hydromel" and a "Blueberry Hydromel". I don't think you can work "hydro" into (or co-opt) "Rudamel" or "Bilbemel".
LiverDance wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 8:18 am
i have a mead made with mumbles honey source if you'd like to sample it.
There were two available at that time, I believe, one was a blueberry (lighter, more floral, slightly fruity) and the other a buckwheat (darker, sweeter, almost a little malty). Also I thought you made a braggot? Maybe you did both? :)

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Re: Sparkling fruited hydromel (hydromelomel??)

Post by Hibernaculum » Mon Aug 10, 2020 10:33 pm

LiverDance wrote:
Fri Aug 07, 2020 8:18 am
i have a mead made with mumbles honey source if you'd like to sample it.
Always interested in sampling-- I'll have to get you a couple bottles of this stuff once it's done as well. I think I may be able to seek out some local raspberries this weekend... seems to be about the right time. Something I'd like to get into more in the future is trying out different honeys (wildflower, buckwheat, blueberry, etc.). I had a coworker who brought in some buckwheat honey to work once, it was pretty neat to see how different it was in both colour and taste.
On Tap:
Janet's Brown Ale

Brewing Next / Now Fermenting:
Dry Stout

Slow Burners
3x Lambic-style batches
4 variants of 2023-harvest ciders

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