Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Mead Lovers Digest #0634
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #634, 12 January 1998
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #634 12 January 1998
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Bad mead and nips (Jack Stafford)
nip bottles (smurman@best.com)
Making an airlock ("Thaddaeus A. Vick")
Hydrometer usage (Charles Hudak)
Re: little bottles, MLD #632 (NL Steve)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #633, 9 January 1998 (Dbomball)
Condensed honeys (Dbomball)
Re: Mead Co-op (Joyce Miller)
Hydrometer and alcohol content (re: Response and Question) (Dick Dunn)
Bottles for small batches (Zaephod Beeblebrox)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #632, 8 January 1998 (Daniel Rodriguez)
Making an airlock (Di and Kirby)
Re: nips (davep)
Re: Small Bottles (GREATFERM)
Re: making an airlock (NL Steve)
Re: Mead Lover's Co-op (DakBrew)
Re: cloudiness / nips (Peter Miller)
7 oz. bottles (Melanie Ford)
NOTE: Digest only appears when there is enough material to send one.
Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com.
Use mead-request@talisman.com for [un]subscribe/admin requests. When
subscribing, please include name and email address in body of message.
Digest archives and FAQ are available for anonymous ftp at ftp.stanford.edu
in pub/clubs/homebrew/mead.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Bad mead and nips
From: stafford@newport26.hac.com (Jack Stafford)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 98 15:25:01 PST
Storing a bad mead for 6-12 months can change it to a good mead.
If you can't wait, mix it with sweet fruit juice and a twist, served on
the rocks.
Don't give up! Try to learn what caused the problem. Brew early and often.
If you drink beer, or know someone who does, Little Kings cream ale
and Coronitas (mini Coronas) come in those small crown cap bottles.
Cheers,
Jack
Yeast of Eden Homebrewers Club member
Costa Mesa, CA
------------------------------
Subject: nip bottles
From: smurman@best.com
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 16:04:38 -0800
Your local homebrew or wine shop should be able to order you "nip" 7
oz. bottles. My local shop dude just ordered some for myself and a
couple of cases for the store. They are actually champagne bottles,
green, and great for meads or barleywines. If someone needs info to
pass on to their local shop, let me know, and I'll ask my guy for the
name of his distributor.
SM
------------------------------
Subject: Making an airlock
From: "Thaddaeus A. Vick" <thadvick@mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 06:48:56 -0500
At 01:59 PM 1/9/98 MST, you wrote:
>Ok, ok, So I'm cheap and new to this. How would I go about making an
>airlock with a jar ? I'm only interested in making small batches of mead,
>Say in a 1 gallon jug or something.
Run a length of tubing from a stopper in the jug into a jar with some
water in it. Make sure the end of the tube away from the fermenter stays
below the level of the water in the jar. This is commonly used when making
beer, which blows large quantities of foam out instead of just CO2, and is
called a blow-off tube.
On the other hand, it's hardly worth your trouble, since you can get a
plastic airlock for less than a dollar.
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thaddaeus Vick, Linguist to the Masses | thadvick@mindspring.com |
| |http://www.mindspring.com/~thadvick|
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| "Papa Hegel he say that all we learn from history is that we learn nothing |
| from history. I know people who can't even learn from what happened this |
| morning. Hegel must have been taking the long view." |
| -- Chad C. Mulligan, sociology burnout |
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------
Subject: Hydrometer usage
From: Charles Hudak <cwhudak@mail.adnc.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 18:49:45
Steven writes:
>My question has to do with using a hydrometer. How do you calculate %
>alcohol using a hydrometer? I thought my local homebrew shop owner told me
>to subtract the initial "potential alcohol" reading from the final reading
>but my wife tells me this is wrong. She's not sure how to do it either and
>none of the texts we have are specific. My hydrometer has scales for
>specific gravity, alcohol potential and balling. Any suggestions?
>
To calculate alcohol % from Specific Gravity readings, do the following:
((1-O.G.) - (1-F.G.)) * 105 = % Alcohol (wt/wt)
%Alcohol (wt/wt) * 1.25 = %Alcohol (vol/vol)
For Potential alcohol subtract the final reading from the initial reading,
i.e.
PA (original) = 12%, PA (final) = 2%, Alcohol thus = 10%
These two are the easiest, or at least the only two that I (would) use.
Charles
------------------------------
Subject: Re: little bottles, MLD #632
From: NL Steve <NLSteve@aol.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 21:02:31 EST
Jay Spies asks:
"Question 2 - does anyone out there in the collective know of a source
for the 6-7 oz bottles sometmes referred to as nips? I've managed to
collect about 20 through barleywine consumption :-) and new years eve
scavenging %-D but I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions
or empties lying around. I'll need about 40 more. Suggestions?"
My brew shop carries green champagne-style bottles that I think are around 8
oz. I've seen them in other shops as well. I have had good luck finding
"odd" bottles from the California Glass Co., Oakland, (510) 635-7700, and the
Carlen Company, Littleton, CO, (303) 694-0919. At least the first one has a
minimum order -- $100, I think; it might be more cost-effective to tag a
special order along to your brewshop's next glass order if possible.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #633, 9 January 1998
From: sibyll@sl.edu (Dbomball)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 98 20:18:43 -0600
>Ok, ok, So I'm cheap and new to this. How would I go about making an
>airlock with a jar ? I'm only interested in making small batches of mead,
>Say in a 1 gallon jug or something.
>
>Thanks
OK. The cheap and easy way to make an airlock uses a jar (@ quart size),
2-3 feet of food grade tubing, and a stopper with a hole that your tubing
will fit through snugly. Fit the stopper with the tube stuck through it
onto your fermenter. Fill the quart jar with water and stick the other end
of the tube in it (you may want to add sulfite to the water to kill
unfriendly bugs).
Simple, yet effective.
Danielle
Yet another cheapskate
------------------------------
Subject: Condensed honeys
From: sibyll@sl.edu (Dbomball)
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 98 20:37:21 -0600
I've been given several gallons of honey from the bottom of 55-gallon drum.
This honey is very sweet, dark and has a very strong clover aroma. Does
anyone have any suggestions for this type of honey?
Additional questions: Does anyone have any suggestions for aging in a
55-gallon food-grade barrel? Suggestions for getting that amount of mead
brewed? I've been having nightmares about 11 five-gallon carboys sitting in
my basement.
Many thanks,
Danielle
*******One good turn,....*******
***gets most of the blankets.***
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Co-op
From: Joyce Miller <msmead@doctorbeer.com>
Date: Fri, 9 Jan 1998 21:54:58 -0500 (EST)
>In MLD #630, Matt Maples expanded on the idea of a Mead buying co-op. I
>hate to throw cold water on this idea, but I really think someone needs
>to talk to a lawyer about this. Most states are extremely hostile to the
>idea of anyone other than a licensed dealer importing alcoholic
>beverages into the state - they want to make sure they collect their
>taxes. So, anyone involved in this could be liable for violating their
>state's liquor control and tax laws.
>
>I hope I'm wrong.
No, you are unfortunately quite right. The Massachusetts Alcoholic
Beverages Control Commission late last month shut down Beer Across America's
operations here, charging the company was not complying with the state's
three-tier system of distribution. Thank goodness Jay & I had just received
our last shipment! The sticky point is about taxes, really.
I think if the "co-op" were very unofficial, just trading with friends, no
sales, then it could be okay.
- -- Joyce
msmead@doctorbeer.com
------------------------------
Subject: Hydrometer and alcohol content (re: Response and Question)
From: rcd@raven.talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 9 Jan 98 20:21:59 MST (Fri)
vhs@ornl.gov (Stephen J. Van der Hoven) asked:
> My question has to do with using a hydrometer. How do you calculate %
> alcohol using a hydrometer? I thought my local homebrew shop owner told me
> to subtract the initial "potential alcohol" reading from the final reading
That's almost it, except that it goes the other way around: subtract final
from initial, assuming you've got a "potential alcohol" scale on your
hydrometer. (The order of subtraction is obvious once you see the scale.)
Think of it this way: The potential alcohol scale tells you about the
starting gravity, "If you start with this much sugar and you could ferment
it all, you'd end up with this much alcohol." If you don't ferment it
all, your final gravity tells you "you could get this much more alcohol if
you could ferment the rest" so the difference is how much you actually
produced. This is oversimplified and there are some approximations
involved, but the scale will give you a pretty good idea.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd, domain talisman.com Boulder County, Colorado USA
...I'm not cynical - just experienced.
------------------------------
Subject: Bottles for small batches
From: Zaephod Beeblebrox <frankem@erols.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 22:15:08 -0500
With regard to the questions about bottles in MLD 633:
About two years ago I did a test on a 5.5 gallon batch of Liebfraumilch
I made. Six different yeasts were used, with about a gallon of each type
being split between two corked 750 mL, several other small bottles, and
several capped bottles. The initial difference between yeasts was quite
dramatic, (bearing in mind that whites mature in about three months)
the killer types tasted AWFUL! The rest had differences.
After a year they all started to taste similar, and in two years they
were all pretty close, even the killer types. And even the smaller
corked bottles (more about that later). What is important is that I
forgot about the capped bottles for two years. So I invited some friends
over and opened 'em! The initial yeast tastes were very much evident,
and the killer types still tasted awful. In short, they did not age. I
honestly believe this is why God invented cork. So when doing a mead,
unless you intend it to be sparkling, always use corks. Never
bottlecaps. Now I have this Sparkling citrus mead that has been in a keg
under CO2 for about two years now. Guess it's time to break out that
counter pressure bottle filler......
Now concerning bottles and corks: I find 7 oz. pony beer bottles to have
too extreme of a taper to allow a cork to seat properly, unless of
course you should consider 1/2 to 3/4" of cork engagement proper.
Besides it makes it a REAL BEAR to pull the sucker out. I ruined a
double handle cork puller discovering this. What is needed is a nice
clear bottle, no obnoxious taper, and no ugly printing on the bottle. So
far I know of three that work:
Fisher Addlescot 8 oz.
Sammuel Smiths 12 oz.
Shepherd Neame 16.9 oz
Ok, so these are not exactly budget beers. However, I feel that
obtaining empties should also be a pleasurable experience. One small
thing about corkseating on these bottles. Unlike wine bottles there is
still a taper here. So when seating the cork allow about 1/16" to remain
outside the bottle so when it expands, it won't slide down into the
bottle. And use a capsule to cover up that ugly exposed end.
Cheers,
Frank M.
SWIG (Special Winemakers Interest Group)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #632, 8 January 1998
From: Daniel Rodriguez <drodz@mindspring.com>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 23:42:13 -0500
Living here in NYC I find it a liitle hard to find quality honeys at decent
prices. I'd love to participate or benefit :) from such a list.
Daniel Rodriguez
>Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #630, 6 January 1998
>From: NL Steve <NLSteve@aol.com>
>Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 20:32:34 EST
>
>Regarding the mead co-op idea:
>I am trying to think of a way of expanding the types of honey I've got to
work
>with, beyond those I can find in my region. What if we create a directory or
>master list of beekeepers & honey vendors, particularly those who can ship
>unusual or regional varieties of honey? Any takers or suggestions? For
>example, I stumbled on some nice raspberry blossom honey at a shop in the
>Santa Cruz, CA mountains, & would be glad to pass along the info. But I'm
>still looking for rosemary and heather honeys.
------------------------------
Subject: Making an airlock
From: Di and Kirby <trillium@baste.magibox.net>
Date: Fri, 09 Jan 1998 04:20:43 -0600
Travis Nicklow writes:
> Ok, ok, So I'm cheap and new to this. How would I go about making an
> airlock with a jar ? I'm only interested in making small batches of mead,
> Say in a 1 gallon jug or something.
I haven't tried it, but I've heard of attaching a hose (like a brew
supply store siphon hose) to the neck of a gallon jug with the usual
rubber stopper with a hole in it, and then putting the other end of the
tube in a container of water. In theory this should work, but I wouldn't
know from experience.
If you can get hold of a regular airlock, they are usually only a buck
and a half or so, and easy to use. I think they're worth it, even if
only to use once or twice for gallon-sized batches.
Cheers,
Di
------------------------------
Subject: Re: nips
From: davep <davep@mpls1.mn.uswest.net>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 98 09:14:38 -0600
>Question 2 - does anyone out there in the collective know of a source
>for the 6-7 oz bottles sometmes referred to as nips? I've managed to
>collect about 20 through barleywine consumption :-) and new years eve
>scavenging %-D but I was wondering if anyone had any other suggestions
>or empties lying around. I'll need about 40 more. Suggestions?
If a bar you know of serves anything in those little bottles, ask the
manager nicely if he could save up empties for you. Promise him a number
of bottles of finished product in exchange (my regular exchange rate was
a full bottle for twelve empty bottles), and I managed to accumulate six
cases of empty Steinlager bottles (25oz) in the time it took to brew a
batch of beer. I've also gotten enough champagne bottles for a batch in a
weekend this way.
As an aside, it's also good PR. You get someone else out there (a bar
owner or manager) who gets to taste your (hopefully good) mead, and
sometimes you get another fellow home-brewer as a result. If nothing else
you help spread the word, and may end up with a bar which stocks quality
product as a result.
If your local homebrew store sells new, empty bottles, they may be able
to order the bottles for you, too. There are also a few places I've seen
advertising in the back of Zymurgy or Brewing Techniques that sell
bottles. Call 'em up and ask 'em.
- -DaveP
Dave Polaschek - personal: davep@best.com or davep@mn.uswest.net
PGP key and other spiffy things at <http://www.best.com/~davep/>
Dave's Rule of Gun-Control: You kill it, you clean it.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Small Bottles
From: GREATFERM <GREATFERM@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 13:32:52 EST
In a message dated 98-01-08 22:39:39 EST, you write:
<<
Question 2 - does anyone out there in the collective know of a source
for the 6-7 oz bottles sometmes referred to as nips? >>
We have these in stock, cases of 24, 187 ML dark green crown cap finish,
$12.95 per case plus shipping. These are the ones Anchor uses for Old Foghorn
Barley Wine.
Great Fermentations, 136 Bellam, San Rafael CA 94901 888-570-WINE
------------------------------
Subject: Re: making an airlock
From: NL Steve <NLSteve@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 16:35:05 EST
Thanks to Michael Kliks, Janice & Dave for enough honey sources to keep me off
the streets for awhile. Travis asks:
<< Ok, ok, So I'm cheap and new to this. How would I go about making an
airlock with a jar ? I'm only interested in making small batches of mead,
Say in a 1 gallon jug or something. >>
I'd buy a gallon glass jug of apple juice (the kind with the handle on it) or
grab one from a recycling center. Take it to a home brew shop & buy a rubber
stopper (No. 8, I think?) to fit it and an airlock, for around $2 or $2.50.
There are other makeshift methods such as fermenting in individual screwtop
bottles & releasing the pressure in the cap every day, (or fermenting in small
bottles with a condom on top!) but this is too much trouble, methinks.
Splurge for the 2 bucks & buy an airlock & stopper.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Co-op
From: DakBrew <DakBrew@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 10 Jan 1998 18:01:09 EST
In a message dated 98-01-09 22:26:05 EST, you write:
> The key here is that it is a small group of
> people, small quantity of mead, and absolutely no profit is being made. I
> think that we do have to tread lightly but there is no reason at this point
> to come to a screeching halt.
Most of the wineries I have visited will ship wine to your home if you are
from out of state and don't want to transport it yourself. What if you were to
approach it from that angle and just have one person make a bulk purchase and
have the winery do the shipping. Then if someone found a good mead, they would
just make an anouncement here or maybe on a separate listserve and anybody who
wants it can send him a check. He makes a bulk purchase and has the winery
ship it to the individuals. The Co-op is not acting as a wholesaler but a
buying agent.
Dakiv
------------------------------
Subject: Re: cloudiness / nips
From: Peter Miller <ocean@mpx.com.au>
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 98 09:56:06 +1000
>From: "Spies, James" <Jams@mlis.state.md.us>
>Date: Wed, 7 Jan 1998 09:34:09 -0500
>There are no problems with fermentation, as far as I can see. I've been
>getting about 1 bubble every 5-8 seconds since I first began, and SG has
>dropped to about 1.020 (OG 1.102). Ferm temp is about 62dF.
>
>On to the questions: I have yet to see one smidgen of clearing.
>>snip<<
> I mean cloudy yellow that you can't even
>shine a spotlight through. Tips?
Hi James,
In my experience it's not unusual to still have a pretty milky looking
brew a month in, especially if you've still got a fairly healthy
fermentation happening. The fermentation activity tends to keep any pulp
particles in suspension. Another factor that prevents particles settling
out is that your gravity is also still reasonably high. If I were you I
wouldn't worry too much. Give it a little more time before you start
thinking about "helping it along". As the fermentation slows down and the
gravity drops toward 1.000 or so you should see a gradual clearing.
(I've had some meads run for six months or so after fermentation has
substantially slowed and then overnight settle to almost completely
clear).
Peter.
------------------------------
Subject: 7 oz. bottles
From: Melanie Ford <FordM@sanchez.com>
Date: Mon, 12 Jan 1998 10:13:24 -0500
> Question 2 - does anyone out there in the collective know of a source
> for the 6-7 oz bottles sometmes referred to as nips?
Fischer d'Alsace's amber beer comes in nice 7 oz. Grolsch-style bottles
(check the box before you buy them, though. I've bought the larger pint
bottles by mistake.)
The flip-tops make bottling a breeze.
Melanie Ford
mford@op.net
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #634
*******************************
