Batch 181: Strawberry Dark Solera Mead

Another solera melomel, since strawberries are wonderful. Two gallons or so: this should be too good, I hope, to stop with one.

I'm calling this brew Strawberry Dark Solera Mead because a better name never became apparent.

Ingredients in this batch

• Approx. 2 gallons solera mead, mostly fermented.
• 3 lb. frozen Safeway Select strawberries.
• 2 lb. Kirkland wildflower honey, added on 12 Feb. 2020.
• clarifying addition of 3 May 2020:
  • ⅖ pouch A1 of Durafine clarifier
  • ⅖ pouch A2 of Durafine clarifier

Procedure

Sanitized a two-gallon bucket. Pulled strawberries from freezer and dropped them into the bucket. Pumped mead over them. Popped on a top and filled an airlock.

Secondary fermentation began: 12 October 2019.
Bottling date: 17 May 2020
Final gravity: Not measured.
Estimated ABV: Not calculated. Likely 10

Yield:

• 11 x 500mL wine bottles

Total yield: 5.5 liters, or just over a gallon and a half.