Mead Lovers Digest #0048

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in 

Mead Lovers Digest

 · 7 months ago

 

Mead Lover's Digest #48                     Thu 03 December 1992 

 
        Forum for Discussion of Mead Brewing and Consuming 
               John Dilley, Digest Coordinator 

 
Contents: 
  milk and honey ("Daniel F McConnell") 
  questions (Michael Galloway) 

 
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Send digest addition or removal requests to mead-lovers-request@nsa.hp.com 

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Date: 1 Dec 1992 09:48:30 -0500 
From: "Daniel F McConnell" <Daniel.F.McConnell@med.umich.edu> 
Subject: milk and honey 

                       Subject:                               Time:9:45 AM 
  OFFICE MEMO          milk and honey                         Date:12/1/92 
Whilst researching a talk on the making of mead for the Third Annual Taste of 
The Great Lakes Regional Homebrew Conference, I came upon a number of 
references to "milk and honey", including Biblical as in "the land of...."  
Anyway, during a sleepless night (due to a 2 month-old daughter) I had an 
inspiration.  Were these guys talking about fermenting the stuff???   Sure 
enough the next thing I knew (4AM) I was gently heating a gallon of whole milk 
containing 2.5 lb of honey (no acid this time, I was afraid it would curdle the 
milk).  Fermentation proceeded well, except for lots of some cheesy floating 
material.  Racking produced a revelation...this stuff tastes like sweetened 
Devon cream!  No sour-milk taste at all.  Now the questions.  What is this?  Is 
this a Metheglin?  Has anyone else tried something similar?  Would this be good 
on Wheaties? 
DanMcC  

 

 
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Date: Tue, 1 Dec 1992 11:05:27 -0500 
From: mgx@solid.ssd.ornl.gov (Michael Galloway) 
Subject: questions 

 
Hello Mead Makers, 

I have finally managed to get psyched up to do some 1 gal batches of mead  
and realize that i have a few questions.  Let me say thanks in advance and  
please pardon me if I ask any really dumb questions.   

        First, what are the 'standard' texts on meadmaking?  I am basing 
        my first attempts on Papazian's NCJOHB homebrewing book.  I like 
        technical books, like Miller's homebrewing book. 

        Second, is there a consensus on yeasts?  Is mead essentially wine  
        and should I use my favorite wine yeast? 

        Third, Initial gravities?  What is an appropriate initial gravity? 
        I guess what I'm getting at is what is the appropriate dilution of  
        honey with water? 

        Forth, what about balancing the acid of the 'must'?  I can do acid 
        titrations.  Is there an appropriate acid level for mead? 

        Fifth, is there a consensus on the idea of boiling the must?  Or 
        do people just pasteurize at 160-170 F.  One of my favorite aspects  
        of honey is the aroma. 

        Sixth, are spices and other adjuncts necessary or is plain honey  
        mead acceptable.   

Well, thats about all i can think of off the top of my head.  Any other  
advice will be greatly appreciated!  

Michael D. Galloway     (mgx@solid.ssd.ornl.gov) 
v-(615)574-5785 f-(615)574-4143 
Living in the WasteLand (of Beer, that is) 

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End of Mead Lover's Digest 
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