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Mead Lovers Digest #0526
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #526, 12 January 1997
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #526 12 January 1997
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
strawberry-cranberry melomel ("Brander Roullett (Volt Computer)")
starter for Wyeast sweet mead? ("Brander Roullett (Volt Computer)")
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #525, 10 January 1997 (Diana&Kirby)
Huckleberry Mead (Micheal and Linda Fox)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #525, 10 January 1997 ("Dave Moore")
re:blackberrys (William Chellis)
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Subject: strawberry-cranberry melomel
From: "Brander Roullett (Volt Computer)" <a-branro@MICROSOFT.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 15:34:27 -0800
Subject: Re: Melomel Recipe Help
From: stafford@newport26.hac.com (Jack Stafford)
I made 5 gallons of Barkshack Ginger Mead (Papazian) last year
using 11lb. of frozen strawberries. They were only $1/lb so I went
bonkers on the fruit. *I recommend > 8lb. for 5 gallons.*
so if cut back the recipe to say, 3 gallons, do you think it would work
better?
let say for 3 gallons (with everyones suggestions, and help...)
9 lbs honey
4 lbs strawberries
1 pack Cranberries, dried.
1 pack Sweet mead yeast, made into a starter
badger
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Subject: starter for Wyeast sweet mead?
From: "Brander Roullett (Volt Computer)" <a-branro@MICROSOFT.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 1997 17:24:00 -0800
What is different for creating a starter out of a Sweet Mead packet from
WYeast, and an ale yeast? Should i make the starter with Honey, or
should i use Dry Malt Extract.
badger
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #525, 10 January 1997
From: Diana&Kirby <trillium@magibox.net>
Date: Thu, 09 Jan 1997 12:05:04 -0800
> Subject: cloudy mead/mead to drink
> From: Chuck Wettergreen <chuckmw@Mcs.Net>
> Date: Thu, 9 Jan 1997 12:40:57 -0600 (CST)
> The aroma from this mead is pure basil, almost no honey. The flavor of this
> mead (metheglin, I guess) shouts, no SCREAMS -- BASIL!!! BASIL HERE!!!!
>
> Alas, It's so strong it's undrinkable. It's great to marinade chicken
> breasts in, but not really very good in salad because it doesn't have the
> acidity of a vinegar.
>
> So, I'm looking for suggestions (other than wait) for this mead. Is it only
> to drink?
Well, people cook with wine and cider; I don't see any reason not to
with mead also, especially a very basil-y one. You know, I'll bet this
would be good in spaghetti sauce, or a rich stew, or chicken soup. I've
also heard of people adding beer to bread, biscuits and dumplings...a
good basil flavor would be good in those recipes, too.
Maybe if you watered it down enough to taste something besides
overwhelming basil, you could detect some other flavors that would
suggest other cooking uses. Marinades, sauces, and recipes where you
boil things in a flavored water but don't actually *serve* the water
could be interesting with this mead. Hmm, if you added it to the cooking
water for pasta or rice, I'll bet that would be good...But I could go on
about food all day. If these aren't enough ideas for you, no doubt
someone else will come up with something. :) Lemme know what ends up
tasting good.
Take care,
Diana
trillium@magibox.net
------------------------------
Subject: Huckleberry Mead
From: lfox@on-ramp.ior.com (Micheal and Linda Fox)
Date: Fri, 10 Jan 97 21:08:52 -0800 (PST)
We are very new to mead-making, so please pardon any idiocy you may find
here! We started our first batch a week ago. We bought our honey from a
local apiary, who sells it by the gallon, so we have too much honey for just
one batch. Living in the pacific northwest, we have access to loads of
huckleberries in late summer. After our jelly-making festivities a few
weeks ago, we are left with about a pint of straight huckleberry juice (from
approximately 1 gallon of berries). We're guessing the recipes for
blueberries might work, but we haven't seen one that calls for juice instead
of berries, so we're not sure if this is enough for a small batch of mead.
Also, does anyone have any experience with using huckleberries in mead?
Linda and Micheal Fox
- -----
Micheal and Linda Fox - A Subscriber at Internet On-Ramp, Inc.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #525, 10 January 1997
From: "Dave Moore" <moore@mnsinc.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 12:51:33 +0000
murray@indigo2.scri.fsu.edu (John R. Murray) said:
> For a quick and dirty mead from juice: (emphasis on "quick" and "dirty")
>
> Take 1 gal all-natural no-preservatives unfiltered apple juice. Pour off
> a pint or so of liquid. Drink. Add 1/2 or 1 packet dry yeast (only recon-
> stitute the yeast if you like working harder than you have to). Leave in
> fairly warm corner. Wait 2-3 days. It's probably still fermenting. So what.
> Agitate (to get that yummy apple pulp in suspension again) by swirling, or
> by merely staggering around the party with gallon in hand. Drink.
I do something similar. Allow me to suggest an additional step:
Instead of drinking right away. Place it in a 5L mini-keg. Let it pressurize
at room temperature for a half day then refrigerate for another 2 days. Now
tap and drink "Sparkling" sweet cider.
PGP key available at "http://www.mnsinc.com/moore"
Dave Moore
------------------------------
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Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #524
A few thoughts on articles in #524:
With regard to adding fruit (strawberries, blackberries and cranberries
were mentioned by various people), freezing them beforehand will make them
break down and release their juice easier. With cranberries, boiling or
steeping hot water will help split the skins -- it can also set the pectins
requiring pectic enzyme in secondary to clear the mead.
A vigorous fermentation will blow off much of the fruit aroma, so save
about half of the fruit for the secondary. By the time you add the fruit to
the secondary there should be enough alcohol to sanitize it.
With a smack pack of liquid yeast, a starter is necessary. I usually use
2 cups of water, 1/4 cup of honey, and a pinch of yeast nutrient. I usually
make a starter even when I'm using dry yeast, but if I pitch dry yeast
directly, I usually use two packets.
I usually use Red Star Champagne or Cotes de Blanc (formerly Epernay II)
dry yeast for meads.
And finally soneone (Jen maybe??) talked about making a mead with 5# of
honey in a 1 gallon batch. Did you get an OG reading? I estimate that the
OG of your must is 1.175. To get the FG down to something reasonable, even
for a sweet mead, would require the yeast to take the alcohol content well
over 20% before they quit, and that's not likely. I'd suggest adding water
to bring it to two gallons. This will bring the OG down to about 1.087 -- a
much more hospitable environment for yeast. When fermentation slows, check
the gravity; if it's too low, add honey a little at a time to control the FG.
...Tom
------------------------------
Subject: re:blackberrys
From: William Chellis <wchellis@gwi.net>
Date: Sat, 11 Jan 1997 21:11:24 -0500
In using fruit such as blackberrys etc. I've used fresh fruit, mashed
it, and let it run the whole time. I don't always get maximum clarity,
but the flavor is great.
As for those Undrinkables, by all means cook with them. But don't enter
it in a contest.
bill
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #526
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