I made lychee brandy from a lychee/mesquite blossom honey melomel. It is pretty good. The lychee melomel is waaaay better. The lychee flavor/aroma does not carry over into the distillate as well as hoped.
The fortified lychee melomel I made by adding lychee brandy to the melomel ROCKS!
No tree was just eating a bowl full with icecream and though it would be nice summer sipper on ice. I could just do an infusion and add some glycerin to make a liqueur??
I found a great Instructional recipe to make a melomel using just about any berries or stone fruit so may give that a go first then distill a couple gallon to see how much flavour carries over if no good ill just keg it and gas it and enjoy some mead.
I give the honey a three day headstart and then add the peeled, frozen, thawed and crushed lychee, seeds and all.
I do no-heat, no-sulfite meads with staggered nutrient additions until the fruit is added at three days. Then the fruit takes over the job of providing yeast nutrients.
I disagree with the BJCP author. Honey varietal is VERY important in all meads.
Except maybe that weird-ass spiced tea shit the SCA folks are so fond of making.
@Kapea said:
I give the honey a three day headstart and then add the peeled, frozen, thawed and crushed lychee, seeds and all.
I do no-heat, no-sulfite meads with staggered nutrient additions until the fruit is added at three days. Then the fruit takes over the job of providing yeast nutrients.
I disagree with the BJCP author. Honey varietal is VERY important in all meads.
Except maybe that weird-ass spiced tea shit the SCA folks are so fond of making.
Spoke with Michael Fairbrother (owner of Moonlight Meadery & best US mead maker for the last 3-4 years) last year when he was here in Oz. Great guy who makes some amazing mead - no affiliation - but try it if you can. incredible flavours.
He too believes variety is important & like you adds nutrients in a staggered manner. Can't recall now when he said to add fruit.
Comments
I made lychee brandy from a lychee/mesquite blossom honey melomel. It is pretty good. The lychee melomel is waaaay better. The lychee flavor/aroma does not carry over into the distillate as well as hoped.
The fortified lychee melomel I made by adding lychee brandy to the melomel ROCKS!
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
I don't recall reading about anyone fermenting and distilling them. Do you have a tree? They are very nice off the tree i meant to plant one.
StillDragon Australia & New Zealand - Your StillDragon® Distributor for Australia & New Zealand
No tree was just eating a bowl full with icecream and though it would be nice summer sipper on ice. I could just do an infusion and add some glycerin to make a liqueur??
I found a great Instructional recipe to make a melomel using just about any berries or stone fruit so may give that a go first then distill a couple gallon to see how much flavour carries over if no good ill just keg it and gas it and enjoy some mead.
Other Fruit Melomels – for Experienced Dummies by Curt Stock (PDF)
@Kapea is the link above pretty much how you make your Melomel??
I give the honey a three day headstart and then add the peeled, frozen, thawed and crushed lychee, seeds and all.
I do no-heat, no-sulfite meads with staggered nutrient additions until the fruit is added at three days. Then the fruit takes over the job of providing yeast nutrients.
I disagree with the BJCP author. Honey varietal is VERY important in all meads.
Except maybe that weird-ass spiced tea shit the SCA folks are so fond of making.
I'm more like I am now than I was before.
Spoke with Michael Fairbrother (owner of Moonlight Meadery & best US mead maker for the last 3-4 years) last year when he was here in Oz. Great guy who makes some amazing mead - no affiliation - but try it if you can. incredible flavours.
He too believes variety is important & like you adds nutrients in a staggered manner. Can't recall now when he said to add fruit.
best site ever for mead... I have put the link on here before to his spreadsheets
Hightest's Honey Haven
a specific great read with lots of detail is: Honey Fermentation Concerns (PDF)
Michael Cotherman - Certified Cicerone - BJCP beer and mead judge F0370