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Mead Lovers Digest #0739
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #739, 5 May 1999
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #739 5 May 1999
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Dandelions (Dale West)
Blueberries...bag 'em or strain 'em? ("Patrick Lehnherr")
Re: D-47 Yeast (and 2-step yeast addition) ("Patrick Lehnherr")
Hawaiian Honey ("Chris Hebert")
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #738, 29 April 1999 (Michael M Kliks PhD)
Boston Area Mead Sources: Correction ("Brian A")
Irish hazelnut mead (Scott Murman)
Chocolatl Mead (Dan McFeeley)
Like a Rocket ("Chris Hebert")
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Dandelions
From: Dale West <magic_moose@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 04:47:34 -0700 (PDT)
Regarding whether to use the green part of the
dandelion flower or not, definitely NOT. It will make
the wine bitter and give it a "grassy" taste. If you
have a couple of willing and excited kids the green
part can be removed fairly quickly. If not, plan on
spending at least twice as much time removing the
green as picking the flowers. Dandelion wine is worth
the effort though.
Dale
------------------------------
Subject: Blueberries...bag 'em or strain 'em?
From: "Patrick Lehnherr" <lehnherr@isd.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 10:31:10 -0500
I'm making my first mead with blueberries. To maximize the
blueberry aroma, I'm first fermenting the honey (12 pounds/5 gallon
batch), then I intend to crush the blueberries, put them into a bucket
and then pour the must on top of that.
My question...with blueberries, should I put them in a fruit bag or can
they be easily strained after fermentation?
Pat Lehnherr
------------------------------
Subject: Re: D-47 Yeast (and 2-step yeast addition)
From: "Patrick Lehnherr" <lehnherr@isd.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 10:31:10 -0500
> I have seen a few people mention using Lalvin D-47 yeast, and it seems
> they all experienced a sulfur smell.
I'm sorry to hear this. I just used D-47 for the start of my Blueberry
Melomel two days ago. I had that and Lalvin's Burgandy yeast on
hand and based on the descriptions at the Lalvin site, I went with the
D-47.
I actually wanted a dry mead, so this is my plan. I'm fermenting 12
pounds of honey in 5 gallons with the D-47. After the main
fermentation, I'll rack that and let it sit for a couple weeks. then I
plan on mixing in the 24 pints of blueberries i have and adding some
champagne yeast for the increase alcohol tolerance and to get a
dryer mead. Anyone ever do a two step yeast addition like this?
Pat Lehnherr
------------------------------
Subject: Hawaiian Honey
From: "Chris Hebert" <CRH@rflaw.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 15:11:39 -0400
There are some different sources for Hawaiian Honey. I bought 24 lbs
about 2 months ago. Check the archives...someone gave up about 6
different sources for honey and others gave additional sources.
One guy I spoke to at the time said that on one part of the Big Island the
weather was so ba he didn't have _any_ honey. Someone else said they had
plenty...go figure.
There a good website, hawaiianqueen.com, that descibes the various honies.
Most apiaries there tend to sell the same 5 kinds. I don't know what the
quality difference is. None I spoke to pasturized or preserved their
honey, but you never know.
I bought Christmas Berry honey...it is wild! Like no other honey I've
ever tasted. There are light honeies that wouldn't seem to impart much
taste; I stayed away from those. There's also dark honies. The Macadamian
sounded neat, but my wife is allergic to Macedamian Nuts, and I didn't
want to take a chance she wouldn't be able to enjoy the final mead.
Shipping to NY was about as much as the honey.
I hope this helps.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #738, 29 April 1999
From: Michael M Kliks PhD <mmkliks@aloha.net>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 14:06:49 -1000 (HST)
RE: Hawai'ian Honey.
Aloha 'oe Jerry: I don't know any of the beekeepers on Maui but I know that
there are some rather large operations servicing the coffee farms and other
truck farmers there. If you want to try some of our Manoa Honey Company honey
types from here on O'ahu just let me know.
Michael M. Kliks, PhD
3081 G. Paty Drive
Honolulu, HI 96822
------------------------------
Subject: Boston Area Mead Sources: Correction
From: "Brian A" <merrymead@hotmail.com>
Date: Thu, 29 Apr 1999 19:26:33 PDT
In the last MLD I mentioned "As You Like It" meadery. It has been brought to
my attention that the location of this meadery is actually downtown
Fitchburg, MA. Thanks Jeff, for the correction.
Also, since the mead is for a wedding gift, you might want to try to obtain
the Nectar of Gaia mead. It is made by a company called "Honeymoon Meadery"
here in MA (South Shore, I believe), and the label tells the story of how
the word "HoneyMoon" is derived from the ancient Celtic custom of couples
sharing a glass of mead each night for a full moon cycle (month) from the
wedding night. The mead was typically a gift from a local brewer, and if the
marriage was fruitful (a child was born) within a year of the union the
brewer would be congratulated on the potency of his brew.
Merry Mead,
Brian A.
------------------------------
Subject: Irish hazelnut mead
From: Scott Murman <smurman@best.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Apr 1999 00:09:58 -0700 (PDT)
several moons ago I asked about traditional Irish meads. many thanks
to Dan McConnell for putting forth several pages of info. what stood
out was the use of hazelnut as a flavoring. this is my first attempt.
it's not ready to drink yet, but i'll report back when it is. to be
honest though, so far I'm not impressed (but not giving up hope at
all).
This is a recipe for 1 gal. final volume.
1-2 weeks before preparing the must, chop 1/2 lb. hazelnuts (about 1
pint by volume). cover these in 35% ABV grain alcohol. I used
Everclear diluted 1-1 with H2O. Let this set for several weeks. The
liquid does become very milky white as described in Dan's texts.
2.5 lb. star-thistle honey
1/8 tsp. Wyeast nutrient
1 tsp. Darjeeling tea
simmer above for 30 min. at 135-145F. Cool, then pitch
5 g Lalvin Bourgovin RC 212 wine yeast
Ferment as usual.
I had intended to strain the alcohol from the hazelnuts and add this
to the secondary, however it was nigh on impossible to extract the
liquid from the nuts. I dumped the nuts and alcohol into the primary
before racking, then I waited two days and racked off the nuts and
yeast to the 2nd'ary. This was 1 month into the fermentation/aging
process. We'll see how it tastes after some aging.
- -SM-
------------------------------
Subject: Chocolatl Mead
From: Dan McFeeley <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Mon, 3 May 1999 22:55:10 -0500
Below is a recipe that I just posted to an SCA list. Since there have
been occasional questions about chocolate meads, I thought MLD readers
might also be interested.
Thanks to Wout K. for the helpful response to Clara Furness' hints on
yeast recommendations for meads. Anyone else have any comments or
critiques?
__________
________
Dan McFeeley
mcfeeley@keynet.net
- ------------------[snip!]-----------------------------------------------
>>I think chocolate is period but can't currently document.
>>
>>[Montezuma was subduing the Aztecs in 1517-1521, and gleefully sending
>>back samples of their gold and wealth, as well as their foods, such as
>>the tomato, squash, beans, corn, and CHOCOLAT, a drink for the Aztec
>>nobles. And we know that mint was known and used in period. And, I
>>suspect that the phenomena of nutty brewers who will put anything
>>together to make alcohol is not just a 20th century occurrence.
>>Remember, it's Society for CREATIVE Anachronism. (Digression by
>>Eleanor Deyeson)]
>
>
>I suspect the phenomena of vinters & brewers who follow the idiosyncratic
>voice of their own private muse or daimon is not something limited to
>any period. :-) Since you mention chocolatl, let me offer up my own
>recipe for chocolatl mead, an unusual concotion which didn't turn out
>all that bad.
>
>One liter wildflower honey
>Two serano chili peppers
>Three large yellow chili peppers
>Six Tbsp. baking cocoa
>Two (old!) vanilla beans
>
>The honey was combined with enough water for a 4 liter batch, suitable for
>the jug wine containers I use as small carboys. The honey must was added to
>a plastic fermenter along with the baking cocoa and chopped chili peppers.
>After a suitable period of about a week or so, the must was racked off the
>chili peppers, vanila beans, and chocolate sediment. At the next racking,
>I noticed that the chocolate flavor was lacking. Giving up on trying to
>squeeze flavor out of the cocoa powder, I added a few drops of a chocolate
>flavoring syrup intended for use in coffee. The mead was then allowed to
>finish out.
>
>The flavor of the mead was quite unusual and difficult to describe. There
>was a distinct note of chili in the bouquet and also present in the mead.
>Sadly, the promise of chili in the bouquet led to disappointment as the
>heat leached out rather quickly. Happily, the chocolate flavor was there,
>although the vanilla was lacking. Next time, I would continue to use the
>milder chili peppers for flavor, but add a few of the more heated versions.
>I would also consider using more vanilla, as well as relying on the coffee
>syrup rather than cocoa powder, an experiment that failed.
>
>I can't explain what moved me to create this distinct kind of mead other
>than to note that according to legend, chocolatl was a reputed aphrodisiac,
>as is, of course, mead. The two seemed perfect together. As for any
>aphrodisiac qualities, well, you'll have to try it for yourself. ;-)
>
>We now return you to your regularly scheduled SCA discourse.
>
>
><><><><><><><><><><>
><><><><><><><><>
>Fionn mac Fithcheallaigh
>County Kankakee
------------------------------
Subject: Like a Rocket
From: "Chris Hebert" <CRH@rflaw.com>
Date: Wed, 05 May 1999 09:55:10 -0400
For my fourth batch of mead, I went all out and bought 16 lbs of Heather
Honey from Castlemark. (Great place, by the way!)
On Saturday, I put 14lbs of that with enough water to make 5 gallons along
with the acid and 5 oz of yeast nutrient into a carboy with about 3 pints
of Lalvin yeast slurry. Well, the mead took off like a rocket, it's still
going as stronly today (Wednesday).
Finally, my question:
Is this a crazy fermentation a function of (a.) the Yeast used? (I've
always used Wyeast in the past), (b.) the heather honey or (c.) the amount
of yeast used? (I've usually used this much in the past, but who knows.)
Not that I'm complaining, the landing and the living room off the landing
all smell wonderful from the honey-foam collecting in the trash can in
which the carboy sits.
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #739
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