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Mead Lovers Digest #0240
Mead Lover's Digest #240 4 December 1993
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
use of sulphite (Ralph Snel)
kegging mead? (Jim Sims)
RE:Boil vs. Campden Tablets ("George R. Flentke")
Bacterial growth (Jon Luckey)
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Subject: use of sulphite
From: Ralph Snel <ralph@astro.lu.se>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 93 13:54:57 MET
In response to the request of what people use or not use
to sterilize mead:
I boil. Not vigorous, but untill there's no scum left anymore,
usually half an hour or so for 6 pounds of honey.
I have sulphite powder, but I usually just use it for decontaminating
bottles and equipment. I've used it occasionally to stop fermentation,
but I prefer to just keep adding honey untill the yeast poisons itself.
It reduces the risk of restarting fermentation when you don't want it.
Ralph
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Subject: kegging mead?
From: sims@pdesds1.scra.org (Jim Sims)
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 93 11:55:39 EST
I've been brewing about a year, starting kegging about 6 months ago,
and find it much quicker, easier, and less storage space.
Is there any reason I shouldnt keg my mead also? can I ferment
(primary and/or secondary) in a SS keg also? Anything I should be
looking out for?
Someone local mentioned there are a coupla commercial meaderies? in
the U.S. Does anyone know what they do re: fermention vessels and
storage? I assume they must use SS also. Anyone know where I might
find their products to sample? (i'll be in San Francisco next week)
thanks,
jim
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Subject: RE:Boil vs. Campden Tablets
From: "George R. Flentke" <GRFLENTK@vms2.macc.wisc.edu>
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 93 11:04:14 CST
I have previously boiled my honey. Near boiling pasteurization does not
appeal to me from some off flavors that I attributed to wild yeast (it was
phenolic, which from my beer making background is usually wild yeast). I
hae found that if you boil a too high of a concentration of honey you start
getting carmelization (darking of the solution) Has any one else noticed
this problem? I had the problem making a sack-mead, but not on lower honey
meads, so I assume its honey concentration. I have switch to sulfiting,
because I want all the aromas I smell coming off the kettle to stay in my
mead!
I agree with everthing that Dick Dunn said about sulfite. Food
establishments use it on their Salad bars and
any cut fruit to keep their produce looking
fresh cut and to prevent browning. Except in a few incidences, the
level used is quite abit less than in wine and usually below most peolple's
threshold.
George R. Flentke
School of Pharmacy
University of Wisconsin-Madison
GRFLENTK@macc.wisc.edu
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Subject: Bacterial growth
From: luckey@rtfm.mlb.fl.us (Jon Luckey)
Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1993 12:21:57 -0500 (EST)
While reading a news message on food and children, it mentioned
honey, and how it was naturally antibacterial in its pure state.
But it went on to say that honey did possibly contain spores for
all sorts of nasties, including botulism, that just wouldn't grown
in undiluted honey, but could when the honey was used as sweetening.
Even without the spore issue, fermentation is an anerobic process so
botulism bacteria wouldn't have to worry about oxygen in the must.
Even with boiling (or pasturization), what are the risks of having
a toxic mead from botulism? When canning you can look for jars that
have lost vacuum, or have bubbles in them. With mead, the processing
stays at atmospheric pressure, so those indicators will not work.
Having a batch spoiled I could live with. Unhappy but alive. I'd hate
to sample my first effort and keel over dead though.
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #240
