Instructions: Boil the honey in two quarts of water for 10 to 15 minutes and skim off the foam. Mash the berries with your clean hands. Put them and the chopped raisins into the primary fermenter. When the boiled honey and water has cooled sufficiently so as not to endanger the fermenter (if it is glass, for instance) add it to the fruit.

Crush the Campden tablet and stir it into the primary fermenter. Stir in the pectic enzyme.

Allow the mixture to stand for 12 to 24 hours. Then make up the yeast starter by mixing the yeast and 1 teaspoonful of yeast nutrient with the orange juice in a suitable bottle. The orange juice should be at about 80 deg. F. Shake the bottle well to mix it, then loosen the top. Be sure the top is loose! If you are making more than one gallon of wine, add the rest of the yeast nutrient to the primary fermenter. Let the yeast starter stand for 1 to 3 hours - until it is bubbly, and then stir it intio the primary.

Stir the fermenting melomel 2 or 3 times a day for the first day or two, then once daily until the fermentation slows. When the primary fermentation is complete (usually in about a week if you used Champagne yeast, longer if you used a slower yeast), strain off the berries and discard them. Place the melomel into the secondary fermenter. If necessary make up the volume with water. Install the water seal. Rack as necessary. Bottle when it is still and clear.

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