Denard Brewing

This recipe is loosely based on Curt Stock's Super Berry Melomel (which is in turn based on Ken Schramm's Mambo mead); however, I've made quite a few changes to make this mead the way I want. I'm using my own nutrient schedule and I've added pectinase to help with color and flavor extraction. I've adjusted various quantities and timings to balance the berry tartness and honey sweetness. The main addition is a wonderful summer berry varietal honey that pulls the berry flavors together in a big way. Lastly, I'm using Wyeast 1388 instead of 71B. The peachy flavors from Wyeast 1388 compliment this fruit bomb in a major way. Also, it wouldn't be a BOMM without it! 

The result is a massively complex berry flavor that begs for another sip. The tart and sweet balance perfectly. The combination of berries yields so much more flavor than any individual berry could achieve. This mead is truly exceptional.

Berry Death BOMM - 6 gallons

Starter 
1. Add 1 lbs of honey, 1 TBSP Fermaid O, water to 2 liters, and 1 activated smack pack of Wyeast 1388. 
2. Allow to ferment for 1-3 days. Works fine after 1 day. 

Mead
1. Begin by adding the following to the carboy. Fruit is added to a sanitized BIAB bag in the carboy:
-12 lbs frozen Triple Berry Kroger Private Stock Blackberry; Raspberry; Blueberry Mix (bagged)
-6 lbs frozen Strawberries (bagged)
-96 oz Black Currant Juice 
-1 TBSP pectinase. 
Allow the berries to thaw overnight. 
2. Next day, add the following to the carboy:
-16 lbs Summer Berry Honey
-2 liter Wyeast 1388 starter
-Water up to 6 gallons (~2 gallons)
3. Add 1.5 tsp K2CO3. One time addition. 
4. Add 1.5 TBSP Fermaid O + 2.5 tsp Fermaid K. Add Fermaid O again at 1.100 and 1.060.  
5. Mix well with a drill powered stirrer while holding the fruit bag out of the way. Drop in sanitized hydrometer. 
6. Degas and punch the fruit cap down daily; especially before nutrient additions. 
7. Remove the fruit bags after 5-10 days.  Taste daily after your gravity hits 1.030 and remove when the tannin/tart berry elements balance against the honey sweetness. 
8. Once the gravity is stable, allow the mead to clear.  
9. Bottle and cellar. Very tasty young, but ages well like a red wine. 

Fermentation Temperature: 68-72 F
SG: ~1.155
Target FG: ~1.03
Estimated ABV: ~16.5% 

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Crystal clear with a dark purple color. Beautiful color. 

Nose: Massive berry and currant profile. The summer berry honey comes through, but melds so well that it is hard to distinguish from the actual berries. 

Taste: Massive complex berry flavor that changes as you drink it. The tartness and tannins balance the 1.030 final gravity perfectly. It is perceived as semi-sweet. It has a lingering body and flavor that is wonderful.