I made a blueberry melomel with a target FG of around 1.025. What I got was a FG of .900. I used Wyeast's sweet mead yeast that should have stopped at about 12%...not even close when I started with an OG of 1.110. My question is how can I lower this rocket fuel to a more suitable ABV level? I know I can increase the volume but with just honey or can I mix in a little water. My fear with that is it might be like topping off wine with water.....it tastes watery. I have six gallons of melomel. I racked the mead into a secondary at 10% on to 9 pounds of (previously fresh, but frozen) blueberries.....wild yeast make it go dry maybe? It tastes okay except it is really dry and hot!
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ABV adjustment?
- Thread starter MarsBars
- Start date
First off, congrats on getting a yeast that fails almost every time anyone uses it (even experienced people) to not just perform, but over perform - you did something right!
You're not sitting at too high of an ABV right now really, what you just described is almost exactly how I make all my dry blueberry mel's in terms of starting SG versus final SG.
I would let it age for a while before making any decisions, you can always dilute and backsweeten, but you can't undo those changes. With this relatively small blueberry addition you should end up with a nice rose-like mead here, you might find you love it after it's aged for 6-12 months.
You're not sitting at too high of an ABV right now really, what you just described is almost exactly how I make all my dry blueberry mel's in terms of starting SG versus final SG.
I would let it age for a while before making any decisions, you can always dilute and backsweeten, but you can't undo those changes. With this relatively small blueberry addition you should end up with a nice rose-like mead here, you might find you love it after it's aged for 6-12 months.
I second AToE's suggestion; let it age, decide later. You'll be amazed how much sweetness returns once the alcohol mellows... haha, I should make that my signature.
I've had that happen too, a mead that was too dry, I ended up bottling some of it after backsweetening the rest, put the dry version away and forgot about it. It unearthed a few years later, I was pleasantly suprised that a thin and too dry tasting mead had taken on more mouthfeel and more perceived sweetness.
That's another thought also -- ethyl alcohol actually has a sweet taste to it. Emile Peynaud has written on this in his wine tasting book.
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That's another thought also -- ethyl alcohol actually has a sweet taste to it. Emile Peynaud has written on this in his wine tasting book.
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