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Mead Lovers Digest #0214
Mead Lover's Digest #214 Fri 24 September 1993
Forum for Discussion of Mead Brewing and Consuming
John Dilley, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
about mead (Rich Ryan)
Yound Vs. Old Mead ("Patrick S. Paul")
Grapefruit mead recipe (COYOTE)
Potassium Sorbate? (Hugh Gwyn)
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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 93 07:54:53 -0400
From: Rich Ryan <ryancr@install4.swin.oasis.gtegsc.com>
Subject: about mead
I'm relatively new to this forum and am curious to know if
someone can tell me if it is possible to purchase a commercially
made mead? I would like to sample a few bottles before I
venture into the process of making my own. (to see if I really
like it or not).
Rich Ryan
GTE
Chantilly, VA
ryancr@swin.oasis.gtegsc.com
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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 11:19:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Patrick S. Paul" <tully@access.digex.net>
Subject: Yound Vs. Old Mead
As I recall from my viking studies at the University of MD. and from SCA
goodies. Mead was a fairly quick drink not unlike early beer, it was
drunk while still fermenting, it was kept in royal households in 100
gallon or larger container. To consume you dipped a flagon past the scum
and then served. I seem to recall that one king of norway died by
slipping from an upper floor into the mead barrol and drowning.
The idea of ageing mead was a later concept when the political situation
was stable enough that the lord of a house could put aside a pipe or bream
or more of mead and be fairly sure that in a few years he would still be
in control of the house and able to enjoy the fruits of his labor.
In the SCA today quick mead is a drink that can be found at wars and
banquets that is a fairly light drink ~1 lb of honey per gallon and
spices. Bottle when almost done and drunk soon to avoid explosions.
I have only tried it once, using bay and lemon to flavor. A rather odd
taste, but after forgetting about it for ~6 month much better. Using
lemon and ginger I have tasted some very good quick mead, really a soda
with a little kick.
It is an interesting experment in brewing, if you like honey based soda
with a kick.
Patrick S. Paul
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* support People Eating Tasty Animals *
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* I believe in the tooth fairy, Santa Claus, the easter bunny, and *
* scientific creationism. But I feel so silly talking about the later. *
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Date: Thu, 23 Sep 1993 14:35:54 -0600 (MDT)
From: COYOTE <SLK6P@cc.usu.edu>
Subject: Grapefruit mead recipe
I just passed my my past message regurgitated for all your benefit.
I realize the recipe wasn't posted. (Nobody asked for it at that time!)
But since there is renewed interest here it is:
5 gallons.
7 lb Clover Honey
6 (med) grapefruit. Grated peel, juiced. Add juice after boil.
...add peel into boil. Add juice when heat goes off.
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
Dash of acid blend. (Worth doing an acid test. Didn't have a kit then)
Added 1/2 oz cascade hops used as finishing hops in a light ale.
Pectic Enzyme (tbsp) and sparkalloid added to secondary.
It was a Grapefruit Melomel Mead brewed in feb, '92.
I didn't take gravity readings, but it was a pretty light mead.
It was bottled maybe 2 or 3 months later.
After a month or two in the bottle it had carbonated, but smelled like
vomit. Had a sour citrusy aftertaste.
I put it away for a LONG time, and a year later it was clear, sparkling, and
smelled nicely citrus. The puky smell had cleared. It did taste like
grapefruit, but gently so. It may have been a bit too acid. A nice champagne
like presentation. You could even make raisin submarines in it.
(if you've never tried this, drop a wrinkly raisin in a glass of clear
sparkly mead, and be amazed!!! Fun for the whole family!)
Just a note to the folks discussing early bottling/drinking of mead.
Be patient! Don't rush it! Think of mead as an incredible sexual experience..
sure you can rush through it and feel pretty good...but if you prolong it...
draw out the anticipation, the exctasy in height of enjoyment it greatly
heightened. (Best thing to do, combine mead enjoyment and sexual enjoy....
you get the idea...The Greeks new it!)
The thing to do..as others have said...brew beer,cider, or other beverages,
and let the mead sit. Buy a second carboy just for storing mead.
Start new batches in a bucket, then secondary in glass. Brew beer in buckets,
and save glass for mead. The older the better. Trust me!
I've juststarted a peach wine/mead.
I juiced about 3/4 bushel of fresh peaches.
6 # Clover honey
6 # corn sugar.
Treated peach juice with campden overnight. Then pastuerized the honey/sugar.
I had 2.5 gal juice, and added enough water to make up 2.5 gal honey/sugar
syrup.
Pectic enzyme, acid blend, tannin, nutrient, and Epernay yeast all added.
OG: a WHOPPING 1.112. Hmmm this puppy's gonna be potent. Thats a 15%
potential. Oooh.
I made one of these last year, and it was VERY yummy after 6 months.
There are now 2 bottles left and it IS a year old. (peach wine is better
not aged too long I've heard)
Now something like dandelion wine,...that one seems like it's gonna need some
age. It is very sweet and bitey still. It's been in ferementers since may.
Anyone out there have any experience with Snowberry honey?
Master Taratoot and myself have tried it, and both come up with some
meads which will need some time to age properly. Maybe it's just strong
honey.
Good luck to all. May your yeasties prosper!
John (the coyote) Wyllie
SLK6P@cc.usu.edu
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Date: Fri, 24 Sep 1993 01:06:41 -0400
From: hgwyn@magellan.geo.usherb.ca (Hugh Gwyn)
Subject: Potassium Sorbate?
Hello jolly Meaders,
In digest 206 there was mention of potassium sorbate and it's use
to keep yeast in line. Could someone fill me in more completly. Will it
kill the yeast? How much should I use? What is the affect as to taste?
Of course, I realise that mead with potassium sorbate in it would hardly
be pure mead, but I still desire info.
Thank you, Philip Gwyn
- ------
You have spoken with hgwyn@magellan.geo.usherb.ca. Aren't you lucky.
Not.
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Date: Fri, 24 Sep 93 00:01:13 -0700
From: bw@ta.chalmers.se
signoff meadlovers Borje Wijk
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End of Mead Lover's Digest
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