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Mead Lovers Digest #0338
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #338, 14 August 1994
From: mead-lovers-request@eklektix.com
Mead Lover's Digest #338 14 August 1994
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Hungerford Metheglin (Joyce Miller)
MLD hits 500 (Mead Lover's Digest)
Pasteurizing (Jacob Galley)
wood alcohol (IO11262@MAINE.maine.edu)
Yeast for mead (t.duchesneau@genie.geis.com)
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Subject: Hungerford Metheglin
From: jmiller@genome.wi.mit.edu (Joyce Miller)
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 1994 15:33:04 -0400
>From The Closet of Sir Kenelme Digbie, 1669:
White metheglin of my Lady Hungerford: which is exceedingly praised.
Take your Honey, and mix it with fair water, until the Honey be quite
dissolved. If it will bear an Egge to be above the liquor, the breadth of
a groat, it is strong enough; if not, put more Honey to it, till it be so
strong; Then boil it, till it be clearly and well skimmed; Then put in one
good handful of Strawberry-leaves, and half a handful of violet leaves; and
half as much Sorrel: a Douzen tops of Rosemary; four of five tops of
Baulme-leaves: a handful of Harts-tongue, and a handful of Liver-worth; a
little Thyme, and a little Rad-sage; Let it boil about an hour; then put
it into a Woodden Vessel, where let it stand, till it be quite cold; Then
put it into the Barrel; Then take half an Ounce of Cloves, as much Nutmeg;
four of five Races of Ginger; bruise it, and put it into a fine bag, with a
stone to make it sink, that it may hang below the middle: Then stop it very
close.
The Herbs and Spices are in proportion for six gallons.
Since my Lady Hungerford sent me this Receipt, she sent me word, that
she now useth (and liketh better) to make the Decoction of Herbs before you
put the Honey to it. This Proportion of Herbs is to make six Gallons of
Decoction, so that you may take eight of nine Gallons of water. When you
have drawn out in o your water, all the vertue of the Herbs, throw them
away, and take the clear Decoction (leaving the settlings) and when it is
Lukewarm, Dissolve your proportion of Honey in it. After it is well
dissolved and laved with strong Arms or woodden Instruments, like Battle
doors or Scoops, boil it gently, till you have taken away all the scum;
then make an end of well boyling it, about an hour in all. Then pour it
into a wooden vessel, and let it stand till it be cold. Then pour the
clear through a Sieve of hair, ceasing pouring when you come to the foul
thick sertling. Tun the clear into your vessel, (without Barm) and stop it
up close, with the Spices in it, till you perceive by the hissing that it
begins to work. Then give it some little vent, else the Barrel would
break. When it is at the end of the working, stop it up close. She useth
to make it at the end of Summer, when she takes up her honey, and begins to
drink it in Lent. But it will be better if you defer piercing it till next
Winter. When part of the Barrel is drunk, she botteleth the rest, which
maketh it quicker and better. You clear the Decoction from the herbs by a
Hair-sieve.
<end>
------------------------------
Subject: MLD hits 500
From: mead@raven.eklektix.com (Mead Lover's Digest)
Date: 12 Aug 94 01:20:55 MDT (Fri)
Interesting number: The Mead-Lover's Digest just pushed past the mark of
500 subscribers. It's been growing slowly but steadily while I've been
watching over it. The growth seems to be "healthy"--the list is neither
stagnant nor faddish.
---
Mead-Lover's Digest mead-lovers-request@eklektix.com
Dick Dunn, Digest Coordinator Boulder, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: Pasteurizing
From: Jacob Galley <gal2@midway.uchicago.edu>
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 94 11:47:31 CDT
A winemaker friend of mine told me that even though he never heats the
must of his grape/fruit wines, he pasteurized his first mead because
someone told him that honey contained enzymes that would prevent
fermentation. I don't think this can be correct---Does anyone know if
this claim has any basis in reality?
Also, I'm still curious about medieval meading (before Digby, before
malt&hops-type ale). Gayre seems to think they had a good thing going
back then, but he is not too specific about technique. If they didn't
heat their musts, then did they sanitize them in any way? What type
of yeast (if any) did they add?
Cheers,
Jake.
Any analysis of the very concept of explanation would, naturally, begin and
end with a renunciation as to explaining our own conscious activity.
<-- Niels Bohr
------------------------------
Subject: wood alcohol
From: IO11262@MAINE.maine.edu
Date: Fri, 12 Aug 94 14:04:00 EDT
I have a friend who made some hard cider. He said that when he drank
it his vision went grey, to the point of near blindness for the evening
after two or three glasses. This effect wore off by morning.
Is this methyl alcohol or some other nasty? What error in brewing
could produce this? I don't know if he was an experienced wine maker
or if he just left a jug of apple cider out for the season, but either
way what he said was worrying.
-glen
------------------------------
Subject: Yeast for mead
From: t.duchesneau@genie.geis.com
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 94 16:26:00 UTC
I'm a new home brewer - 2 batches before the heat of summer took over here
in upstate NY, and they were actually brewed too warm and have off flavors.
I understand that mead tolerates higher fermentation temperatures, up to
75 degrees or so. I'm thinking that a batch or two if mead would be a good
way to gear up for the fall. I've read Papazian's chapter on mead and
looked at the recipes in the Cat's Meow II, and think that I've got a pretty
good handle on how to get started. My question is, other than champagne
yeast, what others should I consider using?
Also, what books would you suggest for a mead beginner?
TIA... ...Tom
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Software Solutions, Inc. Your PC/network support team
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #338
