2015 Apricot Melomel

Target volume: ~6.5g

Target gravity: 1.122 (~15.7% abv)

Ingredients:

16g Lalvin 71B-1122 wine yeast

20# clover honey

2 canisters Vintner's Harvest Apricot Puree

2 litres strong black oolong tea

1 cup yellow raisins

1 oz pectic enzyme

? gal spring water

Instructions:

Dissolve honey into water. Add tea, pectic enzyme and 1 canister apricot puree. In a blender, pour boiling water over raisins and wait 15-20m for them to rehydrate. Blend, then add to must. Add spring water to target volume, roughly 6.5g but leaving adequate headspace for krauzen.

Rehydrate yeast as per instructions, make starter, pitch as per usual. Follow staggered yeast nutrient schedule -- I usually do three step feedings -- and allow fermentation to mostly subside.

At end of active fermentation, add second canister apricot puree to clean carboy. Transfer young mead into carboy, allowing the siphoning process to mix the ingredients. DO NOT STIR the mead into the puree.