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Mead Lovers Digest #0446
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #446, 4 December 1995
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #446 4 December 1995
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Sparkalloid ("Craig Jones.")
Restarted stuck fermentation (WNSHELTON@aol.com)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #445, 28 November 1995 (netcomsv.netcom.com!om.cv.hp.c
om!sam_bennett)
Add yeast at bottling? (Ted Major)
Cranberry Mead? (Woodmanj@aol.com)
Lights that sterilize? (The tip of stalagtites incising my knees)
Re: Cabernet Sauvignon w/ too much sugar. Cures? (DaveP@eworld.com)
Mead Made Easy online (DaveP@eworld.com)
Mead on Guam ("Loll, SSgt Richard")
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Subject: Sparkalloid
From: "Craig Jones." <Drake_Morgan@airservices.gov.au>
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 10:37:00 +1000
Guys,
A few months ago there was some discussion on the use of sparkalloid.
I've found a source of sparkalloid and wish to use it on a mead. There was a
mention of the use of sparkalloid followed up with another fining agent (I think
the term was: "Give 'em the ole 1-2:). Can anyone remember what that second
fining agent is?
Regards,
Craig Jones.
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Subject: Restarted stuck fermentation
From: WNSHELTON@aol.com
Date: Tue, 28 Nov 1995 21:43:18 -0500
I recently bottled a batch of mead that had a hopelessly stuck fermentation
and it seems that bottling the mead restarted the fermentation.
This was the first batch I ever had that stuck. I tried redosing with
Champagne yeast several times, aerating, adding yeast nutrient and yeast
energizer and racking several times with no avail. I also learned my lesson
about taking gravity readings. I got lazy and did not take an OG ( I used 20
lbs of honey in a five gallon batch). After 7 months the gravity had been
very stable at 1.040 for several months.
Well, I bottled the mead expecting to slowly drink up the very sweet mead.
Two weeks later I tried a bottle and found it was slightly carbonated.
I intend to monitor the bottles and refrigerate when they reach Champagne
carbonation levels. Will this work? or do I need to quickly drink this mead
before I have mead bombs?
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #445, 28 November 1995
From: netcomsv.netcom.com!om.cv.hp.com!sam_bennett
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 95 05:16:55 -0800
Item Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #445, 28 November 1995
>I'm currently fermenting a peach melomel with Red Star Cote des Blancs yeast.
>This was chosen in order to leave some residual sweetness to the mead. After
>racking off the peaches (in the secondary), I've discovered that the SG is down
>to 0.999. This is lower than I had expected and tastes somewhat on the dry
>side. My question for the masses is does this seem too dry for a melomel like
>this and, if so, is it worth attempting to sweeten it?
The best indicator for me is 'how does it taste', slighlty sweet sounds
good.
>I realize of course the true answer is a function of how I like my meads, but
>being a relatively new meader, I would appreciate opinions from others. The
>second part of my question is if it would be worthwhile to sweeten the mead,
>how might I go about it?
Having had too many batches of 'stabalized' mead blow up (literally) in my face
I don't trust them. Besides, I think that they taste awfull. Adding a little
more honey now, may take a bit longer, but will be worth it later.
------------------------------
Subject: Add yeast at bottling?
From: Ted Major <tmajor@parallel.park.uga.edu>
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 1995 21:39:05 -0500 (EST)
Hi-
My wife and I have a batch of Papazian's Barkshack mead made with Red
Star Pasteur Champagne dry yeast that's been aging in a carboy in our
basement for almost 8 months now. When we finally get around to
bottling, is there enough viable yeast left to bottle condition, or do
we need to add fresh yeast? If so how much?
Thanks,
Tidmarsh Major
tmajor@parallel.park.uga.edu
------------------------------
Subject: Cranberry Mead?
From: Woodmanj@aol.com
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 10:44:12 -0500
Does anyone have a recipe/experience with cranberries in mead. My SO wants
me to brew one, so I am looking for input.
Jon Woodman, woodmanj@aol.com
------------------------------
Subject: Lights that sterilize?
From: The tip of stalagtites incising my knees <STU_GJCARRIE@VAX1.ACS.JMU.EDU>
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 14:37:13 -0500 (EST)
Hi all!
I remember reading a while ago about people's experiences buying water at
grocery stores. The water was dispensed from a tap where it passed through
some kind of light which people said sterilized the water. Now, I know you
can't use such types of harsh light to sanitize the actual wort/must of a
beer or mead. Skunked to pieces, right? But what about equipment? Is there
actually some kind of light that I could use to sanitize my carboys? I know
that one would still have to carefully wash the carboys, but I often worry
about the waste generated by iodine solutions. Is iodine harmful to the
environment? Also, the less water used, the better. Anyway, is there anything
to this? Anyone know of such a device? Let me know! Thanks in advance...
Gregg
stu_gjcarrie@vax1.acs.jmu.edu
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Cabernet Sauvignon w/ too much sugar. Cures?
From: DaveP@eworld.com
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 16:33:19 -0800
CLAY@prism.clemson.edu writes:
>I mistakenly added 4 cups of cane sugar to 2 96oz cans of Cabernet
>Sauvignon extract, made up to 5 gallons. Montrachet did fine
>for a while, but things have stopped at 1.040... "Yeast Energiszer"
>had no effect. Raising the temp to 70F had no effect. More yeast
>from a vigorous starter had no effect.
>
>I am considering adding distiller's yeast in order to convert the
>remaining sugar. Perhaps I'll call it a Cabernet Port ;-) Any
>comments or _helpful_ suggestions are welcome. Please note that I
>already know I screwed up.
Champagne yeast. Red Star dry yeast will probably kick down the sugar
for you. Mix a standard starter to get it going first.
The other option is to dilute some to lower the alcohol (and sugar
level) and let what yeast have survived kick in and bring things
down to a lower level. The idea's unattractive, but will do if you
can't find a highly-alcohol-tolerant yeast for some reason.
- -DaveP
"Mr. Tick, can you destroy the Earth?"
"Egads! I hope not! That's where I keep all my stuff!"
Dave Polaschek - home:davep@eworld.com work:dpolasch@apple.com
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Made Easy online
From: DaveP@eworld.com
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 1995 16:37:32 -0800
Well, for those who've commented on my book so far, thanks for your
comments. For the rest, it's more complete now, and the only gaping
holes that remain are the cover and the index. The cover just awaits
the time to clean up the scan, and I'm still trying to decide if I'm
even going to do an index.
The URL is <http://dts.apple.com/davep/mme/contents.html>. If you
find bad links, please inform me so I can update them.
- -DaveP
"Mr. Tick, can you destroy the Earth?"
"Egads! I hope not! That's where I keep all my stuff!"
Dave Polaschek - home:davep@eworld.com work:dpolasch@apple.com
------------------------------
Subject: Mead on Guam
From: "Loll, SSgt Richard" <lollr@hq36abw.andersen.af.mil>
Date: Tue, 05 Dec 95 12:28:00 PST
Hello all,
I've just been reassigned to Guam, and thought I might introduce myself
and let you know how "meadish" things are here. I've been brewing mead and
beer for about 3 years, mostly in the Midwest (St. Louis region). My
products are often consumed by my friends in the SCA.
Here in Guam things are... different. First of all, there are NO live
honey bees. All pollination here occurs either mechanically (wind etc.), or
by the local wasps (who produce no honey). So all my efforts here will be
made with commercially available honey (groan). Perhaps the sliver lining
is that honey is CHEAP here, with a five pound can of Springfield Wild Honey
retailing at $5.65 per can everyday. It actually turns out to be cheaper to
make mead than beer here!
I've got a batch fermenting now, made with 10 pounds of honey and some
spices. I'm trying an experiment with pouring my must over the trub left
from my last batch of ale. It was a technique recommend on the Homebrew
Digest, and I figured I'd try it. I'll let you know how it comes out....
Yours
Ric Loll
SCA Magnus McKinley
rloll@nyx.cs.du.edu
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #446
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