Observations placeholder

Mead - Melomel

• 3lbs honey [and any honey extraction and bottling left overs]
• ½ lb blackcurrants
• ½ lb red currants
• ½ lb green gooseberries [must be fairly acid]
• ¼ tspn grape tannin [or grape skins]
• 1 slice of toast or 1 nutrient tablet
• Bordeaux or Pommard  yeast or general purpose yeast if not available
• 6 pints warm [NOT hot] water

Wash fruit and crush [or liquidise].
Dissolve honey in warm water in fermenting bucket, add all other ingredients except yeast
Let cool slightly to room temperature
Add actively fermenting yeast placed on toast, or if toast not used add the actively fermenting yeast and the nutrient tablet crushed.
Cover with clean cloth
Leave for at least one week, preferably longer in a warm place.  There will be a lot of frothing, foam and bubbling
Once very very active fermentation has subsided,  pass liquid through sieve to remove  solids, but allow yeast etc to filter through.  Press solids to extract all goodness into liquid
Place in fermenting jar[s] with bung.
Leave in warm place for at least three months to finish fermentation.
Bottle as normal, carefully using siphon to ensure no solids from the bottom get into the bottles.
Leave for at least one year