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Mead Lovers Digest #0246
Mead Lover's Digest #246 15 December 1993
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Book-o-recipes (Philip Cutone)
How much sugar do I prime with? (John DeCarlo)
Re: Electronic Mead Recipe Book (Gregory Owen)
Priming and Tine Bubbles (COYOTE)
Champagne carbonation (Kelly Jones)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #245, 15 December 1993 (Lida Bilokur)
Recipe Book - HELLLLP!! (Joyce Miller)
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------------------------------
Subject: Book-o-recipes
From: pec@tmc.astm.cmri.cmu.edu (Philip Cutone)
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 08:19:11 -0500
Well, since it's all "user contributed" mixes, and i assume it will be
available for free, it seems to be following in the tradition of gnu.
and since the book is of mead, possibly we should include something
that reminds us of honey....
Gnu-bees (newbies)
(what we at cmu call people new to the school, or
in this case, new to brewing.)
or possibly
Old-bees but Good-bees
BTW i am interested in a copy.... especially the quick meads...
like to have something somewhat palatable by feb....
Anyone out there from Pittsburgh that has some old equipment to sell?
Fil up (with one l)
------------------------------
Subject: How much sugar do I prime with?
From: John DeCarlo <jdecarlo@homebrew.mitre.org>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 09:01:56 EST
>From: steve_kenshulo@csufresno.edu (Steve Kenshulo)
>This week I want to bottle the mead that has been sitting for 5
>months. I am going to bottle it in champagne bottles with wired down
>stoppers. I would like it to be much more carbonated than my beers
>are. How much sugar can I use at bottleing time? (With 5 gallons) Will
>1.5 cups produce as much fizzle as a champagne? Or will it blow up my
>bottles? I usually use 3/4 of a cup priming suger in my beers.
My single data point. I bottled my mead that had been in various fermenters
for about 14 months. It has only been three weeks since bottling, but it
isn't very carbonated. I added one cup of honey heated up in one cup of water
and I stirred it pretty well to mix it up. I didn't add any more yeast.
So, it tastes pretty good and may well end up much more carbonated. The mead
was around .998 at bottling time before priming.
John DeCarlo, MITRE Corporation, McLean, VA--My views are my own
Fidonet: 1:109/131 Internet: jdecarlo@mitre.org
When a cow laughs, does milk come out its nose?
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Electronic Mead Recipe Book
From: gowen@cs.tufts.edu (Gregory Owen)
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 09:27:26 EST
jmiller@genome.wi.mit.edu (Joyce Miller) writes:
> So, is there interest in this? Do people want this to be publicly
> available? And if so, what should it be called? (Something better than
> "The Cat's Meow," hopefully).
The Bee's Bonnet?
Sting o' the Bee?
Home, Hearth and Honey?
Wassail 2: beast of the net?
Mead Lover's Digest Recipe Collection?
(Which is to say, Great! Interest! Make it available! And here's some name
ideas...)
Greg Owen { gowen@allegro.cs.tufts.edu, gowen@xis.xerox.com }
1.01 GCS/GO d++ p+ c++ l++ u++ e+ -m+ s++/- n- h !(f)? g+ -w+ t+ r-- y?
"Put the staff in my hands; for I go to the Fenians, O cleric, to chaunt/
The war-songs that roused them of old; they will rise, making clouds..."
------------------------------
Subject: Priming and Tine Bubbles
From: COYOTE <SLK6P@cc.usu.edu>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1993 09:18:16 -0600 (MDT)
Tiny...
I thought I'd share some recent experience with bottling/carbonation.
I couldn't find my sorbate ( I KNEW I had some...somewhere!) so I tried
to stabilize with campden (also suggested in a wine book at bottling
to reduce/eliminate oxidation) since I wanted to sweeten my ferment.
Well....campden does NOT STOP a fermentation from starting again.
The mead was well aged out, and activity had stopped/cleared beautifully.
I can't remember the specifics of the sugar addition, but after a
couple months I have a very sparkling mead. It is not explosive (yet)
but I think it may become! Toot has suggested venting. That'll work for
the capped couple, but not for the wine corks- as easily.
As a suggestion for priming quatities- I'd have to say it depends somewhat
on your aging plans. I have found with several meads I bottles still
(no priming) after they had seemed to cease activity, and a half year
passed, that they still developed carbonation after l o n g aging in the
bottle. But it was mild/delicate/ and subtle.
Do not plan on overpriming to get more carbonation. Expect some of the
residual sugars to get feremented. I could see that once the yeast is
reactivated by the presence of bottling sugar they might well start
chewing on some of the leftovers that the tired yeast missed.
Your results WILL vary, they always do! But unless you want gushers
don't overprime. Use 3/4-1 cup per 5 gallons and expect to wait some
time for proper carbonation to develop, but monitor it along the way
(sampling excuse! Works for me! :)
I've had cysers (fermented out, cleared, primed at bottling) that
started uncarbonated- for a long time, then went through a period
of ideal carbonation- very champagne like, to a period of super
gusher. The last few went flying across the room. I was able to
sometimes pour one clear glass (read- "catch in a glass") before all
the sediment was dragged up and clouded the mess.
*Now I clarify more in the carboy*
*I've never been able to get the corks to freeze so I could remove
the sediment. Anyone ever make that work?
So - a question here: Anyone know how much pressure a wine bottle
can tolerate? I suppose the pressure buildup could be different
if the bottles are upright- dry corks, vs laying flat???
I've had carbonation in wine bottles, but not much. Had I better
do something before they start blowing? (They are sealed in a box
in the basement to"age" - so they should be safe for now!)
They are currently under enough pressure (judging from "sample bottles")
that once opened, they will gush if they are not poured right away.
I would guess they will continue beyond this point.
Maybe if I flash pastuerize them somehow? Anyone know if UV can
work for this- if the bottles are clear? Or do I just get mutant
yeast makeing god knows what in my mead?
G'luck, Brew on. John (The Coyote) Wyllie SLK6P@cc.usu.edu
*PS Joyce: How 'bout the "Dog's Bark" for the mead recipe list?
Or scratch and sniff? Or tail chasers...or belly rubbers...????!! :)
------------------------------
Subject: Champagne carbonation
From: Kelly Jones <k-jones@ee.utah.edu>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 10:17:19 -0700
In response to Steve Kenshulo's question regarding maximum carbonation
levels: I have made several batches of champagne, and go by guidelines
given by Philip Jackisch in 'Modern Winemaking': Carbonate to no more
than 4 or 5 atm. This can be achieved by using 12 grams of sugar per
750 ml bottle. Use only sound champagne bottles with metal caps or
wired stoppers.
Kelly
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #245, 15 December 1993
From: Lida Bilokur <BBILOKUR@UCONNVM.bitnet>
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 17:26:29 EST
I have only recently joined the list and would love to see
the recipe book.
------------------------------
Subject: Recipe Book - HELLLLP!!
From: jmiller@genome.wi.mit.edu (Joyce Miller)
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 93 19:06:22 -0500
Wow! A lot of people have expressed interest in the (as yet unnamed) mead
recipe book. It is traditional in electronic forums to ask permission to
re-issue postings, so I'm asking that permission of all of you now. If you
see your name below, please e-mail me, and let me know yes OR no, whether
you want your recipe to appear in the recipe book. People who don't get
back to me in the next few days will be e-mailed directly.
If you don't see a recipe that you posted, don't send it to me just yet.
I'll put out a call for recipes as soon as I get the ones below sorted out.
Name: Recipe Name: Digest Issue No.
John E. Abraham Brew 4: Mead 143
Forrest Cook Thrilla from Vanilla 123
Chuck Cox Dangerous Cyser 5
Robert Crawford Strawberry Melomel 2
Alan Derr Blueberry-Jasmine Mead 122
Dick Dunn Strawberry Melomel 171
John Gorman Maple Wine and Traditional Mead 19
Joseph Nathan Hull Honey-Maple Mead 7
Leigh Ann Hussey Lavender Mead 5 * didn't this win
Scott James Basic Mead 18 something?
Scott James Strawberry Spiced Mead 18
Mike Lindner Apricot Melomel 190
Roger Locniskar Plum Melomel 11
Thomas Manteufel Mulberry Mead 148
Daniel F McConnell Pyment 171
Gordon Olson Peach Mead 195
Dave Polaschek Crazy-Good Mead 230
Roy Rudebusch Quick Mead 4
Roy Rudebusch Traditional Mead 6
sky warrior Metheglyn 6
Gary Shea Simha 241
Dan Fink Dry Mead 7
Dan Fink Sweet Mead 7
Dan Fink Medium Apricot Mead 7
Mark Taratoot Pyment 119
Michael Tighe Citrus Mead 211
Mark A Fryling Melomel 171
Bill Holman Chablis Pyment 171
Eric Urquhart Pear/ginger melomel/metheglin 11
Thomas Vodacek Basic Mead 6
John Wyllie Cranberry Mead 243
John Wyllie Grapefruit Melomel 214
John Wyllie Peach Melomel 214
??? Earl Grey Mead/Wine 171 * recipe "liberated from
a friend" - would they
mind?
Thank you all!
-- Joyce
========================================================================
Joyce Miller jmiller@genome.wi.mit.edu
Whitehead Institute / M.I.T. Canter for Genome Research
1 Kendall Square, Bldg. 300 617-252-1914 (phone)
Cambridge, MA 02142 617-252-1902 (FAX)
========================================================================
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #246
