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MelomelIntermediateDevelopment

Passion Fruit Mead

An intensely aromatic tropical melomel built on wildflower honey and passion fruit pulp. Passion fruit contributes a distinctive floral-tropical aroma and bright acidity. A small amount goes a long way. Targets 12% ABV with a semi-sweet finish. 5-gallon batch.

By Modern MazerPublished Version 1.0.0

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Batch size

5 gallons

Target ABV

12%

Fermentation

3–5 weeks primary + 1–2 weeks fruit contact

Conditioning

3–6 months

Responsible use: These recipes produce alcoholic beverages. Ferment and consume responsibly. Verify all quantities, equipment, and safety procedures before beginning. Consult local regulations regarding home fermentation.

Ingredients

  • 12 lbsWildflower honey
  • 4.5 gallonsFiltered water
  • 2 lbsPassion fruit pulp (frozen)

    Add in secondary. Frozen pulp preferred for consistency.

  • 10 gFermaid-O
  • 5 gFermaid-K

Yeast

Lalvin Lalvin 71B — 1 packets

Enhances tropical fruit esters.

Nutrient schedule

TimingNutrientQtyNotes
Day 0 (pitch)Fermaid-O2.5 g
24 hoursFermaid-O2.5 g
48 hoursFermaid-O2.5 g
1/3 sugar breakFermaid-O2.5 g
Day 0 (pitch)Fermaid-K5 g

Process

  1. Sanitize all equipment

    Prepare no-rinse sanitizer. Sanitize all vessels and tools.

  2. Build honey must

    Dissolve honey in 1 gallon of warm water. Cool. Add to fermenter with remaining water to 5.5 gallons.

  3. Take OG reading

    Record original gravity. Target approximately 1.090.

  4. Pitch yeast and nutrients

    Pitch Lalvin 71B. Add Day 0 nutrients. Ferment at 65–72°F.

  5. Staggered nutrient additions

    Follow TOSNA schedule. Degas before each addition.

  6. Monitor primary fermentation

    Check gravity every few days. Primary typically completes in 3–5 weeks.

  7. Add passion fruit in secondary

    Rack onto thawed passion fruit pulp. Allow 1–2 weeks of contact. Taste regularly — passion fruit is intense.

    Passion fruit aroma is volatile. Add late in secondary and minimize exposure time to preserve aromatics.

  8. Rack to clean vessel

    Rack off fruit solids.

  9. Condition and clarify

    Condition for 3–6 months.

  10. Package

    Bottle or keg.

Packaging

Ensure fermentation is fully complete before packaging.

Safety notes

  • Never bottle a mead that has not fully finished fermenting.
  • Fruit additions can restart fermentation — confirm gravity is stable before packaging.
  • Sanitize all equipment that contacts the must or finished mead.

Scaling notes

Honey and water scale linearly. Passion fruit addition does NOT scale linearly — adjust to taste. Nutrient additions do NOT scale linearly.

Batch Scaling Calculator

Enter your desired finished batch size to scale ingredient quantities. Press Enter or tap away to apply.

Target ABV

12%

Original gravity

1.090

Final gravity

1.004

Sweetness

semi sweet

Finished volume

5 gallons

Gross starting volume

5.5 gallons

Expected loss

0.5 gallons(9%)

Ingredient quantities at original batch size
IngredientQuantityUnitScaling notes
Wildflower honey12lbs
Filtered water4.5gallons
Passion fruit pulp (frozen)2lbs⚠ review
Fermaid-O10g⚠ review
Fermaid-K5g⚠ review

⚠ Ingredients requiring review

  • Passion fruit pulp (frozen): Ingredient "Passion fruit pulp (frozen)" (id: passion-fruit) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
  • Fermaid-O: Ingredient "Fermaid-O" (id: fermaid-o) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
  • Fermaid-K: Ingredient "Fermaid-K" (id: fermaid-k) requires manual review before scaling. The original quantity is shown — do not use without recalculating.
Scaled quantities are mathematical estimates. Fermentation performance, yeast requirements, nutrient schedules, vessel headspace, temperature control, and legal requirements must be reviewed for the target batch size.

References & sources

Version history

  • v1.0.0— Modern Mazer

    Initial record. Phase 4C Batch 4.