North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Ken Schramm <schramk@mail.resa.net>]

I make a lot of cherry mead, and the trick is not to mask the tart
cherry acidity with sweetness, but to balance it. I design my recipe and
yeast selection to end up with a finishing gravity between 1.015 and
1.025, depending on the tartness of the cherries.  It is a wonderful
interplay of honey character with honey complexity and sweetness, the
full mouthfeel of the cherries and the refreshing quench of acid bite on
the finish. 

The newer Balaton and other Hungarian varieties from Amy Iezzoni at MSU
are delightful for winemaking.  They have plenty of character but much
less acidity than the North Stars I had been using.  The color is stunning.

I make at least one five gallon batch every year, and often two, and
among all of the meads I make, it is my personal favorite.  And I can't
seem to add too many cherries.  The last two batches have had 24-26 lbs
of pitted cherries in 5 gallons, and they are dynamite. I pit and freeze
them in Ziplocs, and make the mead about a month or so later when Larry
Yates' first honey crop comes in.  

Ken Schramm
Meadmaker
Troy, MI