Lemon Balm Wine

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Tau

Landlord.
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I'd bought this two years ago for 10p stuck in the garden and it's grown well. At the time I didn't know what it was, but quite a useful herb, reduces blood pressure with strong anti-viral properies especially against herpes type viruses, which includes the common cold and chicken pox, therefore shingles.

2.25 litres young tips and leaves Lemon Balm
250g Sultanas (blended and simmered)
1 kg Sugar
2 tea bags
2 lemons juice only.
2 tsp citric acid
1 tsp nutrient
1 tsp Pectolase
Harris yeast

Steeped ( leaves boiling water over) for 4 hours in sealed container and strained over sugar, and then another ltr of boiling water over leaves and left for another 15mins and strained water into dj. Added lemon juice. Made cup of tea from remaining leaves, nice.

Blended sultanas, added boiling water and simmered, then into dj. Cooled down in water bath. Then added nutrients, citric and pectolase. Yeast Harris, not for any reason other than low foam and pack was open.
 
Ah, we've got loads of lemon balm in the garden. Will be interested to hear how this pans out.
 
Sounds interesting Tau, keep us posted. I have lemon balm and make an infusion in olive oil for cold sores, it works a treat.
 
Strained off sultanas, reading 0.992, add a little nutrient to complete in next few days, then I'll add camden and fininngs. At the moment tasting interesting, a nice refreshing acidic taste, mostly citric. I'll let you know more when it finishes.
 
Had to add 3 tsp of chalk to reduce acidity, left for a day and added camden and k.sorbate. Finnings added, will leave for a while until I get more bottles and need the dj. Think I must have heaped the citric on the 2 tsp's at the start and that citric flavour was too much.
 
OK bottled today, acidity has reduced after adding chalk and it has an interesting flavour not unpleasant there is a lot of acid interactions going on in it think it will need at least 3 months in the bottle to improve, malic fermentation from sultanas as well. If anyone does make it keep 2 tsp of citric level measures, it really does need the citric acid. Oh yeah it sort of numbs your mouth after the first sip lol
 
Had to add 3 tsp of chalk to reduce acidity, left for a day and added camden and k.sorbate. Finnings added, will leave for a while until I get more bottles and need the dj. Think I must have heaped the citric on the 2 tsp's at the start and that citric flavour was too much.

Surely 3 squeezed lemons would do the trick then ?
 
Surely 3 squeezed lemons would do the trick then ?

Didn't have any lemons, besides thought it would spoil the flavour of the lemon balm, don't taste like lemons just smell a but like them.
 
Just tasted after 24 weeks in the bottle, besdies cork taint (my fault that has affected 30 bottles maybe more due to poor storgae of corks prior to bottling) tested on wife, her sister and myself, no one finished a glass they complained of acid reflux and promptly down the sink. So advice for this wine is don't make unless for medicinal use only, maybe use smaller bottles for a glass and no more, avoid using sulphates and sorbate with it as I have no idea what was made after a few months in the bottle. If you have to make halve the amount of leaves I used in the original recipe.
 
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