Mead Lovers Digest #0101

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in 

Mead Lovers Digest

 · 8 months ago

 

Mead Lover's Digest #101                            Sat 20 March 1993 

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

 
Contents: 
  None ("Daniel F McConnell") 
  Slow yeast in very high gravity mead (Jay Hersh) 

 
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Date: 19 Mar 1993 09:01:26 -0500 
From: "Daniel F McConnell" <Daniel.F.McConnell@med.umich.edu> 
Subject: None 

                       Subject:                               Time:8:51 AM 
  OFFICE MEMO          None                                   Date:3/19/93 
Julie writes: 
>I took a sip and  
>                'yuhh!  <pucker>LEMONCITRUSACID<pucker>!' 
>Yep, I think I must have added too much acid blend.  I followed 
>the instructions on the kit I got at the homebrew shop and took the 
>acidity level up to .8. ...........     

>Any comments on the above would be greatly appreciated. 

All is not lost, at least you have a good acidic mead that can be used to 
blend.  Or you could bring the sugar up to a level at which the sugar/acid 
comes back into balance...say about 5% residual sugar.  Anyway I think you have 
the right attitude-make another batch until you get what you want. 
Brew on 
DanMcC 

 

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Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1993 15:34:41 EST 
From: Jay Hersh <hersh@expo.lcs.mit.edu> 
Subject: Slow yeast in very high gravity mead 

 
Howdy folks. 

Well I finally got off my a** and made a regular mead with  
Apple Blossom Honey I got in 1992 from Paul Correnty of Cider 
fame. Being an advocate of pasteurization (not boiling) as  
is Dan Fink I steeped the 12 lbs (1 gallon jug) of honey in  
1 gallon of water at 190F for 40 minutes. To this I added 
1 gallon of 40 degree bottled water. 

Oh yes, to the original preboiled gallon of water I added 
yeast nutrient, 1.5 oz of acid blend, and Gypsum. 

However the mixture was not at the 95 pitching temp, so I took 
advantage of yon blizzard and set the carbouy out on the covered 
porch until it got cool enough to pitch. 

The original gravity topped 1.120!! 

I followed past appraoches which had been successful and 
add Red Star Pasteur Champagne Yeast directly from the packet.  
24 hours later, very little activity, so I did the same with 
a packet of Epernay 2. Still present but not vigorous fermentation. 

So then on Tuesday I rehydrated some Pasteur CHampagne in water that 
I first boled, then cooled to 95F as per packet instructions. I  
then added this to the must. There is definite fermentation going on 
but all my past meads have been pretty vigorous.  

The one major difference is that my house averages 63 degrees  
about now, and past meads have mostly been made in late spring 
to early autumn, when house temps were 70-85F. Of course I ain't 
heating my house to that temp now!! 

I also wonder if so high an original gravity could have an effect 
on the yeast. Simply dumping from a packet, or even rehydrating in  
water then adding to a 1.120 must probably shocked most of them 
to death. 

Perhaps I should make up a high gravity starter and try starting 
them in something at say 1.050 to 1.060 to ease them into the  
1.120 must?? 

Anyone else have experience with very high gravity musts?? 
All my other meads started at 1.080 or thereabouts, so this 
is new territory for me. 

Thanks, 

        JaH 

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End of Mead Lover's Digest 
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