Blackberry Mead: One Gallon Recipe (2024)

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Originally published onAugust 4, 2017. Last updated onMarch 14, 2022

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Hot summer days mean one thing to me: blackberries are ripening! It’s usually sometime in August that we start foraging for blackberries, and I always make sure to reserve some for making a gallon (or two or three) of blackberry mead. Of course blackberry cobbler and crisp will also be made, and they are delicious, but blackberry mead is really what it’s all about!

Simple Mead Making Ebook

Want to learn more about making mead? I have a Simple Mead Making for Beginners eBook just for you!

It has ingredient and equipment checklists and detailed instructions for brewing and bottling your mead, so be sure to check that out if you’re new to the mead making process!

Harvesting Blackberries for Mead

We recently went out and collected the first ripe blackberries of the season.

Sometimes blackberry brambles get a bad rap, and I can understand that concern, but you’ll never hear me complaining as I’m gathering bucket loads of tasty and sweet berries!

You only need about one cup of fresh blackberries to make one gallon of mead. I suggest harvesting a bit more, because you know you’ll want to eat some along the way!

Blackberry Mead Recipe

This blackberry mead recipe is a variation of my simple one gallon mead recipe.

For more detailed directions and photos of the basic process, head on over to that post.

If you don’t have access to fresh blackberries, frozen berries will work just as well.

You will need some special equipment and ingredients before you start making this recipe. To make things easier, I’ve created a page that has links to all of my favorite mead ingredients and equipment here:

I’ve made this recipe for several years now, and it’s always a favorite.

It comes together quickly, which is part of why I love making simple meads and wines, as they are so easy to make!

This blackberry mead is also so pretty while it’s fermenting, it makes it hard to wait!

This blackberry mead will be the perfect treat once fall is here.

I will definitely be making a few more batches of this one gallon recipe before summer is over!

More Mead Recipes

Ready to start brewing your next batch of mead? Here are 15 mead recipes for you to try including:

Dandelion Mead
Elderberry Mead
Elderflower Mead
Maple Mead
Wildflower Mead

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4.75 from 35 votes

Blackberry Mead

Make this simple and tasty blackberry mead recipe when blackberries are in season!

Course Drinks

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Fermenting Time 42 days days

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 32 servings

Calories 156kcal

Author Colleen @ Grow Forage Cook Ferment

Equipment

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

▢ water non chlorinated or filtered
▢ 2-3 pounds honey depending on how sweet you want to end product to be.
▢ 1 cup fresh or frozen blackberries
▢ 1/2 package champagne yeast

Instructions

Sanitize everything that will be used in the brewing process.
Heat about 1/2 gallon of non chlorinated water in the pot on medium heat. Once it's warm, but not boiling, add the honey and stir it so it all dissolves. Turn off the heat.
Put the blackberries into the one gallon jug.
Carefully pour the honey water mixture into the jug using a funnel.
Top off the jug with cold (preferably filtered) water, leaving at least 2 inches of head space on top. Put the lid on the jug and gently mix everything around a bit.
Make sure that the temperature of the must is below 90°F, then add 1/2 packet of champagne yeast. Put the lid back on tightly and this time shake the jug for a minute or two to distribute the yeast.
Put a little water in the airlock to the line, then put the rubber stopper end into the jug. Put the jug in a dark place. It should start bubbling within 12-24 hours.
After about 6 weeks of fermenting, or once the bubbling has completely stopped, the mead can be bottled and aged.

Notes

Equipment

1 gallon jug with airlock
Big metal spoon
Funnel
A large pot
Brewing sanitizer (I likeOne Stepbrand)

Nutrition

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Reader Interactions

Comments

Sydney says
November 7, 2023 at 8:26 am
How often did you stir?? And when going to bottle, how did you sift the liquid from the berries and stuff?
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  November 7, 2023 at 11:10 am
  I use a bottling wand to extract the liquid away from the sediment and berries left at the bottom of the jug. You can learn more in my guide to bottling mead here.
  Reply
Teddy Li says
October 4, 2023 at 4:56 pm
Hey how long do you recommend bottling mead, would you say that 6 months is enough time
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  October 11, 2023 at 3:32 pm
  As long as you want! Some people leave it in bottle for a year or more.
  Reply
Kimberly says
September 9, 2023 at 4:56 pm
I have blackberries that I removed the seeds from, do you think I could use those for the mead
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  September 11, 2023 at 12:23 pm
  I don’t see why not!
  Reply
Cat says
September 4, 2023 at 2:14 pm
Hi there – I noticed most melomel recipes call for anywhere between 1-4lbs of fruit per gallon of wine. What is your reason for only 1C of blackberries in this recipe? Is it just due to the inherent intensity of blackberries or will this recipe result in a lighter fruit flavor? Thanks for the article.
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  September 5, 2023 at 11:08 am
  It was definitely a lighter fruit flavor, but you can totally add more if you want it more intense!
  Reply
  - Cat U says
    September 10, 2023 at 10:15 am
    Ok, great thanks for the response!
Brooke says
August 31, 2023 at 8:00 pm
Would it be possible to ferment this recipe (or any other of your mead and/or wine recipes) using only the pickle pipes silicone airlock from Mason Tops?
I have two gallon glass jugs with a 4″ wide mouth, which I know won’t fit them, but I also have 4 wide mouth quart mason jars. I don’t have any narrow-necked containers, which I’ve seen people say are necessary for avoiding oxidation.
At this point, I haven’t procured airlocks of any type, and am trying to figure out the best (and most economical) way forward.
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  September 5, 2023 at 9:59 am
  Hi Brooke. The problem with pickle pipes is that too much evaporation may occur. These standard airlocks for mason jars are my pick.
  Reply
- Hannah Bassett says
  October 27, 2023 at 10:35 am
  
  Great recipe thank you. Followed it all and have left it for 9 weeks. Just stopped bubbling but on our hydrometer it’s 0.990 and not at the bottling stage. What would you suggest please?
  Reply
  - Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
    October 30, 2023 at 3:24 pm
    I would let it keep going until it’s ready to be bottled.
  - Don says
    November 4, 2023 at 11:49 am
    Wait a week or two and take another reading if the number is the same it is ready for bottling. If it reads even 2 points lower wait another week and check agian. Keep doing that unill you get the same reading.
Jim says
August 31, 2023 at 8:27 am
I’m picking wild blackberries from my garden. Obviously I can’t sanitise the berries, so what’s stops the berries potentially spoiling the mead – e.g. if fruit flies have been on the berries in the garden?
Thanks,
Jim
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  September 5, 2023 at 11:23 am
  As long as there isn’t obvious mold on the berries and fermentation takes place, there’s no need to sanitize the berries.
  Reply
Justin says
August 24, 2023 at 7:14 am
How long do you usually age it for best results? I have a batch bubbling away right right now.
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  August 25, 2023 at 9:24 am
  It really depends on personal preference, but I’ve aged for a year with good results.
  Reply
Ellen Miller says
August 1, 2023 at 9:54 am
How do you bottle and seal once mead is complete
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  August 2, 2023 at 11:41 am
  Hi Ellen. You can follow my instructions here for bottling one gallon of mead.
  Reply
Ashley says
July 30, 2023 at 3:55 pm
I’m not sure if things are going ok. It looks as though things have separated In out glass. We still have 3 weeks till we hit 6 weeks. Any thoughts?
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  July 31, 2023 at 5:48 pm
  Hi Ashley. It sounds like it’s just the yeast dying off and settling on the bottom. It’s totally normal and nothing to worry about.
  Reply
Tom says
July 28, 2023 at 1:07 pm
I like your recipe here and am looking at making my first batch of mead. Most of the recipe’s I’ve looked at until now add sulphates and stabilizers but yours don’t. Why is that?
Thanks!!
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  July 31, 2023 at 5:53 pm
  Mead has been made for thousands of years without those additions. This is a simple mead recipe for beginners.
  Reply
Angelique says
June 17, 2023 at 7:49 am

I just bottled my first mead! your blackberry recipe. it’s good straight from the gitgo! it sat for 7 weeks….was still bubbling like 1 per minute….but we bottled. I’m amazed at the flavor. only thing we did different was yeast choice. I don’t like dry wines, so the guy at Bew Hut helped us pick a “wetter” yeast, Lavin, 71B. used 3 lbs of honey, and glad I did. so excited, I’m gonna start another one tomorrow!
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  June 20, 2023 at 9:28 am
  Wonderful! I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
  Reply
Niki says
May 24, 2023 at 9:25 am
This sounds so good! I noticed for some of your other mead recipes you include raisins but not in this one. Is that because there are enough nutrients in the berries themselves?
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  May 25, 2023 at 9:00 am
  Yes.
  Reply
Lucas says
May 12, 2023 at 10:36 am
Hi, I’m really excited to try this recipe! I saw in your regular mead that you included an orange but not in this one. Is it helpful to add an orange to the blackberries?
Reply
- Grow Forage Cook Ferment says
  May 15, 2023 at 10:45 am
  I didn’t for this recipe, but you can if you want.
  Reply

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Blackberry Mead: One Gallon Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How much fruit for 1 gallon of mead? ›

A good starting point with most fruits is about 3 pounds of fruit per gallon of mead, though I have been known to use 5 or even 6 pounds of fruit. Fruit blends can produce some great-tasting meads.

How much honey do I need for 1 gallon of mead? ›

How Much Honey Should I Use? In this recipe, you can choose exactly how sweet you'd like your wine to be. We'll go over it in further detail later, but we recommend using between two and three pounds of honey per gallon of mead — 2 pounds if you want it on the dryer side, and 3 pounds if you'd like it to be sweeter.

Know More ›

How much mead yeast for 1 gallon? ›

Dosing Instructions. Generally, you will dose yeast nutrient at 1 tsp per gallon of must and yeast energizer at 1/2 tsp per gallon of must. I will address yeast rehydration later in the Basic Recipe section.

What is the ratio for making mead? ›

For a dry mead, the ratio is 4 parts water to 1 part honey; a sweet mead is 2 to 1.

Show Me More ›

What is the ratio of fruit to honey in mead? ›

It takes a lot of fruit and honey to make a mead in this style. My general rule of thumb is approximately 1.15 parts honey to 1 part fruit by weight. Honey obviously has a much higher starting gravity so in terms of overall sugar content, the honey provides approximately 80–90% of the fermentables.

Keep Reading ›

What happens if I add too much honey to mead? ›

If you put in a bunch of honey and you get enough yeast (the right kind of yeast where it ferments all the way out) then you'll have a really dry, high alcohol champagne-like mead.

Read On ›

Does mead need to age? ›

Traditional meads usually require six months to 2 years for the flavors to mellow and smooth and any off flavors to diminish. Melomels or fruit meads can take six months to 5 years for the flavors to fully integrate and the tannins and acids to mellow. Metheglin or spiced meads are quicker, six months to a year.

Discover More ›

Does more honey mean more alcohol in mead? ›

Use 1.5 to 5 pounds of honey per gallon, depending on your target for residual sweetness and alcohol content. The more honey, the more residual sweetness and the greater potential for a high, final alcohol content.

See Details ›

How much bentonite for 1 gallon mead? ›

Usage Rate. It is best to do bench trials to determine the proper usage rate. However, using 1-2 grams per gallon has often been found to be adequate when used post-fermentation.

What percent alcohol is homemade mead? ›

Mead or honey wine has an average ABV percentage of 7% to 20%, while the ABV of whiskey is about 40%. So, considering the ABV metrics, the whiskey is stronger than the mead. There are also distilled meads that are stronger than their counterparts, but whiskey is stronger than the mead.

Get More Info ›

How did Vikings brew mead? ›

In reality, nature likely spontaneously created mead by fermenting honey that got wet, and humans discovered and recreated the process. In it's most basic form, a Viking mead would have been honey diluted with water and then fermented to create alcohol.

See Details ›

What is the shortest time to make mead? ›

If you're using less honey to make more of a beer-like mead, those can be fully fermented and drinkable in under a month. Other types can take a few months. It just depends on the amount of honey. Amount of honey primarily is what it depends on, and some yeasts ferment honey faster than others.

See Details ›

How often should I mix my mead? ›

After initially shaking to stir and aerate your must, we recommend using a wine whip or similar tool (making sure to stir and splash your mead) every 12 hours for the first 3 days to make sure your yeast has plenty of oxygen to grow strong and healthy.

Know More ›

How much fruit do I add to a gallon of water? ›

Add two cups of fresh cherries, cut in half and one fresh lime, sliced thinly, to a gallon size jar. Add water to fill. Mix gently and store in fridge until ready to drink.

Find Out More ›

How much berries to add to mead? ›

The numbers above are for fruit in secondary, as a guideline, if you want a strong sweet melomel, add up to 4 lbs/gal of berries or stone fruits to primary fermenter. If you prefer a dry mead, reduce the levels to 1 to 1.5 lbs/gal and keep the alcohol content below 10% ABV to reduce the harshness of the final melomel."

Read The Full Story ›

How many apples are in a gallon of mead? ›

Want to make mead using apples? Here's what you need to do to make a delicious cyser: Then cut or press the equivalent of 3-6 sanitized, cleaned apples per gallon and/or add 1/4 to 1/2 gallon of your favorite cider or juice per gallon of expected volume.

Learn More ›

Blackberry Mead: One Gallon Recipe (2024)

Simple Mead Making Ebook

Harvesting Blackberries for Mead

Blackberry Mead Recipe

More Mead Recipes

Blackberry Mead

Equipment

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Nutrition

Reader Interactions

Comments

Leave a Reply

FAQs

How much fruit for 1 gallon of mead? ›

How did Vikings brew mead? ›