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:
Blackberry Mead
Equipment
Ingredients
- 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
- 1 gallon jug with airlock
- Big metal spoon
- Funnel
- A large pot
- Brewing sanitizer (I like One Step brand)
How often did you stir?? And when going to bottle, how did you sift the liquid from the berries and stuff?
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.
Hey how long do you recommend bottling mead, would you say that 6 months is enough time
As long as you want! Some people leave it in bottle for a year or more.
I have blackberries that I removed the seeds from, do you think I could use those for the mead
I don’t see why not!
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.
It was definitely a lighter fruit flavor, but you can totally add more if you want it more intense!
Ok, great thanks for the response!
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.
Hi Brooke. The problem with pickle pipes is that too much evaporation may occur. These standard airlocks for mason jars are my pick.
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?
I would let it keep going until it’s ready to be bottled.
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.
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
As long as there isn’t obvious mold on the berries and fermentation takes place, there’s no need to sanitize the berries.
How long do you usually age it for best results? I have a batch bubbling away right right now.
It really depends on personal preference, but I’ve aged for a year with good results.
How do you bottle and seal once mead is complete
Hi Ellen. You can follow my instructions here for bottling one gallon of mead.
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?
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.
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!!
Mead has been made for thousands of years without those additions. This is a simple mead recipe for beginners.
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!
Wonderful! I’m so glad you liked this recipe!
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?
Yes.
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?
I didn’t for this recipe, but you can if you want.