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Mead Lovers Digest #0612
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #612, 9 November 1997
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #612 9 November 1997
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
re: Sir Kenelme Digby (Dick Dunn)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #611, 7 November 1997 ("John D. Gosselink")
Re: Sir Kenelme Digby (Cindy Renfrow)
First Batch of Mead ("Thaddaeus A. Vick")
stopping fermenation/alcohol bite ("Thaddaeus A. Vick")
Re: Clearing Mead (reding)
AMA: no news (Mead Lover's Digest)
Sir Kenelme Digbie's Meadmaking tips (Dan McFeeley)
Mead in the White House! (Dan McFeeley)
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: re: Sir Kenelme Digby
From: rcd@raven.talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 7 Nov 97 21:56:00 MST (Fri)
Rob Watson wrote:
> I read in the FAQ about "The Closet Of The Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme
> Digby, Knight, Opened 1669", but no clear instructions were given as to how
> to get it...
Sorry about that; it's because there hasn't *been* any simple way to get it
that was reliable enough to be included in the FAQ.
It is likely that a large university library will have it on microfilm.
>...This text can be obtained from the International Bee Research
> Agency in Cardiff ... But unfortunately is only
> a photocopy!...
Well...it *is* 328 years old; the type might be a bit too worn to print
more even if you could find it. Seriously, I recall that the IBRA version
was a photocopy of a typed-in text, not a photocopy of the original.
>...The work apparently has over a hundred mead recipes in, but I
> have yet to check it out myself. I get the impression they are a really
> small organisation.
(A bit of a non-sequitur there?)
There are quite a few recipes (I think "over a hundred" is a pretty good
count), but what you'll find is that after a while they drag on. In the
styles that were then popular, there's only so many ways to rearrange the
ingredients and vary the process. However, what you *do* get from all the
recipes is a sense of how they did it, what was common or unusual (in terms
of ingredients and aging), plus a few nice vignettes of life back then. It
is much better read as history than used as a cookbook.
Digby was a pretty busy guy who led an interesting life. He is credited,
among other things, with the invention of a sturdy glass bottle which came
into use in the 1630's in England for wine and cider.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd, domain talisman.com Boulder County, Colorado USA
...Reality is neat! It works even if you don't believe in it!
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #611, 7 November 1997
From: "John D. Gosselink" <johng@kdsi.net>
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 08:41:12 -0500
>Subject: stopping fermenation/alcohol bite
>From: j&a <mrpookey@mindspring.com>
>Date: Thu, 06 Nov 1997 11:51:40 -0600
>
>hey now,
>
>i have an orange blossom honey mead that i have a few questions about. i
>started with about 17pds of orange blossom honey, yeast nutrient, and
>pastuer champange yeast.
>
>it started out at about 1.119sg and is now down to 1.01. as you can imagine,
>it's quite dry. almost too dry for me. i won't use champagne yeast again but
>anyways, i was wondering, can i stop the fermentation with potassium sorbate
>and add more honey to sweeten it up a bit without it fermenting again? it
>still bubbles at about very sporatic intervals. if i can do this, how much k
>sorbate and how much honey would ya'll reccomend?
>
>also, the alcohol burn is horrible. will this mellow out with time or should
>i add something?
>
>thanks,
>
>jonathan
I made a cyser with 12# honey (and all that sugar from the apple juice) and
it was very hot as well, but after a couple of years it mellowed out really
nice. Now it is the nectar of the gods :)
John D. Gosselink
Wind & Fire Development
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Sir Kenelme Digby
From: renfrow@skylands.net (Cindy Renfrow)
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 1997 13:02:32 -0400
Rob Watson asked about "The Closet Of The Eminently Learned Sir Kenelme
Digby, Knight, Opened 1669", & how to go about getting a copy. FYI, I have
incorporated *all* the recipes for mead, metheglin, etc., from Digby in my
book "A Sip Through Time", as well as recipes from many other historic
sources. Ordering info is available at my website:
http://www.alcasoft.com/renfrow/asip.html
HTH,
Cindy Renfrow
renfrow@skylands.net
------------------------------
Subject: First Batch of Mead
From: "Thaddaeus A. Vick" <thadvick@mindspring.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 13:43:54 -0500
At 08:13 PM 11/7/97 MST, you wrote:
>I just made up my first batch of mead & already pulled a bonehead. I
>pitched my yeast into a starter (water & sugar) & had it set while I cooked
>up my must. After the finished must was in my carboy & put the yeast
>starter into the must without cooling it first. My last temp reading was
>around 150 deg f. When I realized I did this, I immediately put the carboy
>into my fridge to cool. I finally got it to a normal temp (74 deg f)
>roughly 3 hours later.
>
>Did this kill off my yeast or will this not cause any major harm?
You might be fine. Give it 24 hours and see if it shows any activity. If
not, repitch. Either way, I seriously doubt it will cause major harm to the
mead.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thaddaeus Vick, Linguist to the Masses | thevicks@mindspring.com |
| | |
| I could be wrong. After all, there's | |
| a first time for everything. |http://www.mindspring.com/~thevicks|
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Subject: stopping fermenation/alcohol bite
From: "Thaddaeus A. Vick" <thadvick@mindspring.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 13:41:40 -0500
At 08:13 PM 11/7/97 MST, you wrote:
>it started out at about 1.119sg and is now down to 1.01. as you can imagine,
>it's quite dry. almost too dry for me. i won't use champagne yeast again but
>anyways, i was wondering, can i stop the fermentation with potassium sorbate
>and add more honey to sweeten it up a bit without it fermenting again? it
>still bubbles at about very sporatic intervals. if i can do this, how much k
>sorbate and how much honey would ya'll reccomend?
If you're not worried about a high ending alcohol content you can just
go ahead and keep adding honey until the fermentation stops by itself and the
mead is sweet enough. With champagne yeast, this can give you a 18-20%
alcohol mead.
>also, the alcohol burn is horrible. will this mellow out with time or should
>i add something?
Aging will definitely help you out here. Give it a few months and try it
again. I have personally seen drain cleaner transform into the nectar of the
gods after six months.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thaddaeus Vick, Linguist to the Masses | thevicks@mindspring.com |
| | |
| I could be wrong. After all, there's | |
| a first time for everything. |http://www.mindspring.com/~thevicks|
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Clearing Mead
From: reding <reding@MCIONE.com>
Date: Sat, 08 Nov 1997 13:58:13 -0600
I realize that this does not help now, but I always boil my honey (at the
final dilute concentration such as 15 lb per 5 gal) for 10 min with 1 tsp
of irish moss. I skim during the top to remove the denatured protein. I
have always gotten a clear mead. In fact, it is usually clear as soon as
the fermentation finished. I have only made 3 different batches but they
were with Wildflower Swamp Brush honey from Maryland, Clover honey from the
homebrew store, and Missouri Wildflower honey. It has always worked for
me. I have also used several different yeast without problems. You may
want to do this for your future batches. Critics may argue that the honey
flavor is dimished when boiling the honey. I have never not boiled the
honey so I cannot make a direct comparison, but my meads do have a distinct
honey flavor that is very evident.
Keith
Keith Reding
St. Louis, MO
reding@mcione.com
------------------------------
Subject: AMA: no news
From: mead@raven.talisman.com (Mead Lover's Digest)
Date: 9 Nov 97 10:55:40 MST (Sun)
Off and on there are questions about what's happened to the American Mead
Association (AMA). I had mentioned in passing a few times that there was
an effort to revive the AMA which started around April or so of this year.
However, the last direct information I heard about the effort was in July.
Since then, I've not heard or seen anything, and I haven't been able to
get a response from the only contact address I had. I'd be glad to hear
from anyone who *does* have positive info about attempts to re-start the
AMA. (Please post it here.) But in the meantime I'll sadly conclude that
the effort somehow ran aground and that we're not likely to see a return
of the AMA any time soon.
- ---
Mead-Lover's Digest mead-request@talisman.com
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor Boulder County, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: Sir Kenelme Digbie's Meadmaking tips
From: Dan McFeeley <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 15:39:33 -0600
I think someone was asking about Digby's _The Closet Opened_ . . .
Below are transcriptions of his general notes on honey and meadmaking.
________
Dan McFeeley
mcfeeley@keynet.net
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
SOME NOTES ABOUT HONEY
The Honey of dry open Countries, where there is much Wild-thyme,
Rosemary, and Flowers, is best. It is of three sorts, Virgin-honey,
Life-honey, and Stock-honey. The first is the best. The Life-honey
next. The Virgin-honey is full of Bees, that swarmed the Spring before,
and are taken up in Autumn; and is made best by chusing the Whitest
combs of the Hive, and then letting the Honey run out of them lying
upon a Sieve without pressing it, or breaking of the Combs. The
Life-honey is of the same Combs broken after the Virgin-honey is run
from it; The Merchants of Honey do use to mingle all the sorts together.
The first of a swarm is called Virgin-honey. That of the next year, after
the Swarm was hatched, is Life-honey. And ever after, it is Honey of
Old-stocks. Honey that is forced out of the Combs, will always taste
of Wax. Hampshire Honey is most esteemed at London. About Bisleter
there is excellent good. Some account Norfolk honey is best.
MY OWN CONSIDERATION FOR MAKING OF MEATHE
Boil what quantity of Spring-water you please, three or four walms,
and then let it set the twenty four hours, and pour the clear from the
settling. Take sixteen Galons of the clear, and boil in it ten handfuls
of Eglantineleaves, five of Liverwort, five of Scabious, four of Baulm,
four of Rosemary; two of Bayleaves; one of Thyme, and one of Sweet-marjoram,
and the Eringo-roots splitted. When the water hath drawn out the vertue
of the herbs (which it will do in half an hours boiling,) let it run through
a strainer or sieve, and let it settle so, that you may pour the clear from
the Dregs. To every three Gallons of the Clear, take one of Honey, and with
clean Arms stripped up, lade it for two or three hours, to dissolve the honey
in the water; lade it twice or thrice that day. The next day boil it very
gently to make the scum rise, and scum it all the while, and now and then
pour to it a ladle full of cold water, which will make the scum rise more:
when it is very clear from scum, you may boil it the more strongly, till it
bear an Egge very high, that the breadth of a groat be out of the water, and
that it boil high with great walms in the middle of the Kettle: which boiling
with great Bubbles in the middle is a sign it is boiled to it's height. Then
let it cool till it be Lukewarm, at which time put some Ale yest into it, to
make it work, as you would do Ale. And then put it up into a fit Barrel fist
seasoned with some good sweet White-wine (as Canary-sack) and keep the bung
open, till it have done working, filling it up with some such honey-drink
warmed, as you find it sink down by working over. When it hath almost
done working, put into it a bag of thin stuff (such as Bakers use to bolt
in) fastened by a Cord at the bung, containing two parts of Ginger-sliced,
and one apiece of Cinamon, Cloves and Nutmegs, and with a Pebble-stone in it
to make it sink; And stop it close for six Months or a year, and then you may
draw it into bottles. If you like Cardamon-seeds, you may adde some of them
to the spices. Some do like Mint exceedingly to be added to the other herbs.
Where no yeast is to be had, The Liquor will work if you set it some days in
the hot Sun (with a cover, like the roof of a house over it, to keep wet out,
if it chance to rain) but then you must have great care, to fill it up, as it
consumeth, and to stop it close a little before it hath done working, and to
set it then presently in a Cool Cellar. I am told that the Leaven of bread
will make it work as well as yest, but I have not tryed it. If you will not
have it so strong, it will be much sooner ready to drink; As if you take six
parts of water to one of Honey. Some do like the drink better without either
herbs or spices, and it will be much the whiter. If you will have it stronger,
put but [four] Gallons/and a half of water to one of honey.
[1st ed. omits "four"]
You may use what Herbs or Roots you please, either for their tast
or vertue, after the manner here set down.
If you make it work with yeast, you must have great dare, to draw
it into bottles soon after it hath done working, as after a fortnight
or three weeks. for that will make it soon grow stale, and it will thence
grow sower and dead before you are aware. But if it work singly of itself,
and by help of the Sun without admixtion of either Leaven or Yeast, it
may be kept long in the Barrel, so it be filled up to the top, and very
close stopp'd.
I conceive it will be exceeding good thus: when you have a strong
Honey-liquor of three parts of water to one of Honey, well-boiled and
scummed, put into it Lukewarm, or better (as soon as you take it from
the fire) some Clove-gilly-flowers, first wiped, and all the whites
clipped off, one good handful or two to every Gallon of Liqor. Let these
infuse 30 or 40 hours. Then strain it from the flowers, and either work
it with yeast, or set it in the Sun to work; when it hath almost done
working, put into it a bag of like Gilly-flowers (and if they are duly
dried, I think they are the better) hanging it in at the bung. And
if you will put into it some spirit of wine, that hath drawn a high
Tincture from Clove-gillyflowers (dried I conceive is best) and some
other that hath done the like from flowers and tops of Rosemarhy, and some
that hath done the like from Cinnamon and Ginger, I believe it will be
much the nobler, and last the longer.
I conceive, that bitter and strong herbs, as Rosemary, Bayes,
Sweetmarjoram, Thyme, and the like, do conserve Meathe the better and longer,
being as it were in stead of hops. But neither must they, no more than
Clove-Gillyflowers, be too much boiled: For the Volatil pure Spirit
flies away very quickly. Therefore rather infuse them. Beware of
infusing Gillyflower in any vessel of Metal, (excepting silver:) For all
Metals will spoil and dead their colour. Glased earth is best.
------------------------------
Subject: Mead in the White House!
From: Dan McFeeley <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Sun, 9 Nov 1997 15:43:36 -0600
The recipes below are transcribed from _The White House Cookbook_,
a publication listing the recipes of White House chefs, possibly
published in the late 1800's. There was no publishing date listed so
I'm really not sure how old these recipes are.
I happened to come across it while working in the security dept. of my
alma mater (an institution, BTW, that frowned terribly on alcoholic
beverages ;-) It was in an unused building so I photocopied some
of the wine recipes from the "Coffee, Tea, and Beverages" section
while doing rounds.
I thought it was interesting that White House chefs were using an egg
for a hydrometer as Digby did in the 1600's in England. Digby seems to
have added the egg during the boil, while the White House chefs added
the egg before the boil. The recipe doesn't say how much honey to use,
which makes me wonder how much variance there was in these White House
meads, or whether it was something that was known well enough to be
assumed. The use of hops was used in the making of what was then termed
"sack mead," and brandy added to wine seems to be a technique from this
period thought to improve the finished product. The amount added was
about one glass per gallon of wine.
________
Dan McFeeley
mcfeeley@keynet.net
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
METHELIN, [sic] OR HONEY WINE
This is a very ancient and popular drink in the north of Europe.
To some new honey, strained, add spring water; put a whole egg into
it; boil this liquor till the egg swims above the liquor; strain, pour
it into a cask. To every fifteen gallons add two ounces of white Jamaica
ginger, bruised, one ounce of cloves and mace, one and a half ounces of
cinnamon, all bruised together, and tied up in a muslin bag; accelerate
the fermentation with yeast; when worked sufficiently, bung up; in six
weeks draw off into bottles.
Another Mead. -- Boil the combs, from which the honey has been
drained, with sufficient water to make a tolerably sweet liquor; ferment
this with yeast, and proceed as per previous formula.
Sack Mead is made by adding a handful of hops and sufficient
brandy to the comb liquor.
SASSAFRAS MEAD
Mix gradually with two quarts of boiling water three pounds and
a half of the best brown sugar, a pint and a half of good West India
molasses, and a quarter of a pound of tartaric acid. Stir it well,
and when cool, strain it into a large jug or pan, then mix in a
teaspoonful (not more) of essence of sassafras. Transfer it to
clean bottles, (it will fill about half a dozen,) cork it tightly,
and keep it in a cool place. It will be fit for use next day. Put
into a box or boxes a quarter of a pound of carbonante of soda, to use
with it. To prepare a glass of sassafras mead for drinking, put a large
tablespoon of the mead into a half tumbler full of ice-water, stir
into it a half teaspoonful of the soda, and it will immediately foam
up to the top.
Sassafras mead will be found a cheap, wholesome, and pleasant
beverage for warm weather. The essence of sassafras, tartaric acid
and carbonate of soda, can, of course, all be obtained at the druggist's.
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #612
*******************************
