more Mixed Fruit Melomel

So, yesterday I decided it was time to rack the mixed fruit melomel. It syphoned off the lees nicely as the yeast had flocculated nicely (I poured the bit that was in the 1 pint milk bottle in). This all went into a 2 gallon bucket and the last of the mixed fruit juice was mixed in. Then it was a case of adding sulphite (1 campden tablet in dissolved in a little water), sorbate to stop any re-fermentation and a couple of teaspoons of pectolase (pectic enzyme) to remove any pectin haze that might have been caused by the extra juice.

Once done, this was split into the 2 jars in the picture (a 1 gallon one and a half gallon one). I did a gravity check, as the mixed fruit steamed juice would have increased the gravity - and despite it being nearly half a gallon of juice added to just under 1 gallon of the melomel (1 gallon minus the bit lost during racking and left in the lees) I still had 1 and 3/8th's of a gallon. The gravity only showed as 1005 on the hydrometer. I didn't check the melomel before racking/blending with juice as it was below 1000 last time I checked it.

I then adjusted the levels in both jars so that they were proportionally the same (not so fussed about the actual measurements), and then topped them both up with 75% alcohol (Polish Vodka) that I had so it's fortified a little bit and won't suffer any drop in % ABV caused by mixing in the extra bit of mixed fruit juice.

I'm actually quite pleased how it's looking. As you can see from the photo, it's looking reasonably clear, and the extra juice will have given it a more fruity flavour.

I won't know until I taste it whether it's more of a "summer wine cooler" type drink or something a bit more "fruity" wine-like. I'll have to wait and see won't I......

TTFN!