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Mead Lovers Digest #0789
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #789, 9 February 2000
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #789 9 February 2000
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Zymurgy mead/honey issue forthcoming (Mead Lover's Digest)
darkeining mead (MKloepster@aol.com)
Re:lalvin EC-1118 (Paul Mozdziak)
Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000 (Dave Burley)
thiabendazole (EveningStar)
Re: Dr. Kings Mead - Circa 1600 ("Robert Goulding")
Re:microwave corks (jafjmw@wlsfn.force9.co.uk)
Dr. Kings Mead ("Robert Goulding")
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000 (Beth Ann Snead)
Racking Basics ("butcher")
Wout's OJ melomel ("Stevenson, Randall")
Blood mead ("Spies, Jay")
Re: Pineapple mead (Spencer W Thomas)
heather honey (Spencer W Thomas)
RE: last MLD banana mead recipe (Leonard A Meuse)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000 (Mark Mettler)
A coupla ??'s (Angela Byrnes)
re: honey prices - Maine (Dick Dunn)
re: darkening mead (Dick Dunn)
NOTE: Digest only appears when there is enough material to send one.
Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Zymurgy mead/honey issue forthcoming
From: mead@raven.talisman.com (Mead Lover's Digest)
Date: 5 Feb 00 21:52:14 MST (Sat)
The May/June issue of _Zymurgy_ is scheduled to have several articles about
mead plus one about the use of honey in beer. Keep an eye out for it.
- ---
Mead-Lover's Digest mead-request@talisman.com
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor Boulder County, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: darkeining mead
From: MKloepster@aol.com
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 10:59:17 EST
Alan Meeker responded to Jeff Norman by suggesting that the darkening Jeff
noticed in his mead after racking was "almost certainly" due to racking.
While this may be the case, it is also possible that the darkening was simply
due to yeast flocculating out of suspension--this reduces the opacity of any
fermented beverage, and commonly makes it appear darker. This process is
particularly easy to observe when fermenting beer. Just another possibility.
Cheers
------------------------------
Subject: Re:lalvin EC-1118
From: Paul Mozdziak <pemozdzi@unity.ncsu.edu>
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 11:24:56 -0600
>
>I was just wondering if anyone here has tried Lalvin EC-1118 yeast for mead?
>I've recently made a batch of cyser with it, and it seems like it's going to
>turn out great! Ferments very strongly, and after the second racking,
>doesn't seem to have produced any off or "hot" flavors.
I use Lalvin EC-1118 exclusively in all of my meads.
It is a very alcohol tolerant yeast--
and it usually ferments very strongly making it in my opinion good for mead
making.
I've enjoyed the flavor of everything that I've made with EC-1118
Paul Mozdziak
Assistant Professor
North Carolina State University
Department of Poultry Science
Scott Hall/Campus Box 7608
Raleigh, NC 27695
919-515-5544
Fax 919-515-2625
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000
From: Dave Burley <Dave_Burley@compuserve.com>
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 13:02:41 -0500
Ethyl carbamate is a carcinogen, is made intentionally from urea to
make exterior (sun stable) polyurethanes in an old German
process, I believe.
If it is a by-product of urea in wine, lots of urea has been added to lots
of amateur wine, at least. Those little white balls or prills in wine
nutrient packets are likely urea.
I have never heard of urea being a problem, am not surprised at that,
but would like the original quote, please. Who publishes the "Wine Lab
Reference Manual"? and what page? Thanks
Dave Burley
------------------------------
Subject: thiabendazole
From: EveningStar <eveningstar2@worldnet.att.net>
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 10:47:45 -0700
>Chuck Wettergreen <chuckmw@mcs.net
>Thiabendazole and/or imazalil used as fungicides food grade shellac-based
>wax. <snip> I went immediately to the freezer and threw out the zest that I
>had been saving to put in the secondary. A word to the wise on use of
>foreign fruit.
>>From: "Scholz, Richard" <RScholz@refco.com>
>>I went and checked on Thiabendazole and found this: at
>>The interesting thing here is "used orally on humans" . If you can take it
>>as a medication a little in the zest can't be all bad and just might help
>>keep the mold spores down.
After reading all this I got curious enough to go look this up. I am an
RN and in the Nursing 2000 drug handbook thiabendazole aka Mintezol is
supplied in 500mg doses with a maximum of 3 g per day. Treatment is 2-4
days for various worms.
So I would say that the small amount from the zest of oranges that is
diluted in a bottle of mead isn't going to harm you. Air pollution
*probably* does more harm.
Maureen
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Dr. Kings Mead - Circa 1600
From: "Robert Goulding" <sanctuary@RAPIDNET.COM>
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 14:46:31 -0700
To whomever asked for provenance for Dr. Kings Mead - Circa 1600. I have
been told that the recipe comes from a book called "The Closet of Sir Kenelm
Digby". That is as much information as I have been able to find so far.
Robert Goulding
Head Rooster
Robert's Roost
sanctuary@rapidnet.com
http://w1.dtgnet.com/robertsroost/
625 South Street
Rapid City, South Dakota
57701-3633
605-341-3434
605-348-7799
------------------------------
Subject: Re:microwave corks
From: jafjmw@wlsfn.force9.co.uk
Date: Sat, 05 Feb 2000 21:44:34 +0000
> From: Gregg Stearns <gregg@ispi.net>
> Date: Sat, 29 Jan 2000 12:10:37 -0600
> [snip]
>
> an afterthought though...what if you put your corks in a bowl with the
> solution, and slowly heated it the in the microwave?? do it careful.
> i'm sure some of those chemicals release bad fumes if boiled.
I'm not inclined to try the microwave, although I normally prepare
corks by boiling them for a few minutes in clean water without any
sanitizing agents. However, I only use corks for short-term storage
of wine (sometimes mead or beer) with a view towards presentation.
I have always put most of my wine (as well as beer & mead) in
beer bottles with crown caps because capping is easier than corking,
the bottles are sealed better, and they are safer in case of
surprise refermentation.
- -- Adam
------------------------------
Subject: Dr. Kings Mead
From: "Robert Goulding" <sanctuary@RAPIDNET.COM>
Date: Sat, 5 Feb 2000 19:46:44 -0700
My previous post about this coming from "The Closet of Kenelm Digby" seems
to have been in error.
Dr. Kings Mead originally came from a publication "Printed by F.G. for Nath.
Brooks at the Angel in Cornhill, 1663" It was called "A Queens Delight or
the art of preserving, conserving, and candying: as also a right knowledge
of making perfumes, and distilling the most excellent waters". It was
reprinted in the Margaret Rudkin Pepperidge Farm Cookbook - copyright
Atheneum, 1963. It was most recently republished by Galahad Books in 1993.
It was called "Dr. Kings Way to Make Mead".
That is all I know. I hope it helps.
Robert
Robert Goulding
Head Rooster
Robert's Roost
sanctuary@rapidnet.com
http://w1.dtgnet.com/robertsroost/
625 South Street
Rapid City, South Dakota
57701-3633
605-341-3434
605-348-7799
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000
From: Beth Ann Snead <ladypeyton@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 07:03:12 -0800 (PST)
> Subject: Vanilla mead sounds kinda yummy
> From: Stan Marshall <beorning@earthlink.net>
> Date: Mon, 31 Jan 2000 17:45:47 -0800
>
> You are great at finding ingredients for mead.
> Where can I find cheap
> whole vanilla beans?
Try www.Penzeys.com and either order online or get
theier catalog. Not only are they inexpensive, but
Penzeys has the highest quality spices I've ever seen
and their customer service is flawless.
Lettice Peyton
------------------------------
Subject: Racking Basics
From: "butcher" <butcher@drizzle.com>
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 14:33:46 -0800
Howdy.
I just racked 3 five-gallon batches this weekend and realized I was not
entirely sure about what I was trying to prevent from happening, and what I
was trying to minimize and so forth. If anyone interested could send me
their ideas, links or experiences either through email or the digest I will
compile the list and post it here or link it if it gets too big. To start
off:
* Rack when you want to clear yeast, fruit, or other particles
* Rack every 2 months if the yeast is still going (?)
* Make sure everything is "reasonably" clean
* Minimize mixing air in to the brew
* Let source settle for an hour
* Minimize trasferring the wasted yeast
* Minimize the air space at the top (unless danger of frothing)
Questions
* Is it okay to rack and then bottle right away? Hope so.
* Does lowering the temperature kill the yeast? or just snooze them?
That is all I can think of now.
Butcher
------------------------------
Subject: Wout's OJ melomel
From: "Stevenson, Randall" <rstevenson@LDI.STATE.LA.US>
Date: Sun, 6 Feb 2000 18:22:11 -0600
For those curious, the orange zest did kill the yeast over a 2-week period.
(I had added the grated zest of 5 oranges per gallon.) I added some more
honey (1 lb) to the OJ mel to get the desired sweetness. It smells great,
tastes tart and promising, but needs to age. I doff my cap to the splendid
recipe Wout shared with us.
Wassail,
Randall Stevenson
------------------------------
Subject: Blood mead
From: "Spies, Jay" <Spies@dhcd.state.md.us>
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 11:06:41 -0500
Stephan Von Butcher wrote the following...
>>>Subject: Blood Mead
From: "butcher" <butcher@drizzle.com>
Date: Wed, 2 Feb 2000 09:45:59 -0800
WARNING! This post might be really gross to some!
Has anyone ever attempted, seen, or (GULP) tasted a blood mead? I know this
sounds really icky<<<
That's quite an ironic last name to have, considering the context of your
question... :)
Just pondering...
Jay Spies
Wishful Thinking Basement Brewery
Baltimore, MD
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Pineapple mead
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer@engin.umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 14:52:04 -0500
Jerry> Vinegar, we often think of as
Jerry> having a bad odor but this is because of "other" compounds
Jerry> produced by acetobacter.
Nope.
Acetic acid (vinegar) is the one organic acid with a significant (room
temperature) aroma. White vinegar is distilled, and has nothing in it
but water and acetic acid. It's still "stinky."
=Spencer
------------------------------
Subject: heather honey
From: Spencer W Thomas <spencer@engin.umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 07 Feb 2000 14:54:18 -0500
Phil writes:
> VERY aromatic Heather Honey.
To which I can attest. He had to show it off to me on Saturday. :-)
Wow! When he opened the bucket, the room just filled with an enticing
aroma.
=Spencer
------------------------------
Subject: RE: last MLD banana mead recipe
From: Leonard A Meuse <meuse@Stanford.EDU>
Date: Mon, 7 Feb 2000 17:02:00 -0800 (PST)
banana mead,
I just made an altbier with american hefeweizen yeast, i used a thermostat
controlled fridge set at 60 degrees F. I was going on a tip that this
yeast fermented VERY clean at this temperature. I got a HUGE banana/clove
profile...not what I was looking for, but good nonetheless. Either way,
this probably would work well with the banana clove mead recipe.
Leonard Meuse
Brewer in Exile
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #788, 5 February 2000
From: Mark Mettler <mettler@bulloch.net>
Date: Tue, 08 Feb 2000 15:02:49 -0500
Time to introduce myself since I lurk in the shadows reading the digest.
For those of you who depend heavily on the web for your resources, due
to the obvious lack of nearby assistance or bashfulness, might I offer
my personal online reference of web pages related to Brewing and
Vinting.
http://web.infoave.net/~mettler/vintresource.html
It is no way a definitive list, but it is a very good place to start if
you are looking for tips, recipes and general directions.
"From Bee to Beer"
Gryffri
------------------------------
Subject: A coupla ??'s
From: Angela Byrnes <byrnesa@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Wed, 09 Feb 2000 08:48:22 -0800
I think my 1st batch of mead is done fermenting. I stopped seeing any
bubbles about a week ago so we racked it again on Sunday and still no
action. It's been about six weeks since I started the brew. We sampled it
and Marty says it reminds him of tequila - yikes, not what I had in mind
though I enjoy a good sipping tequila!!! He also thinks that it's as clear
as it is going to get and that we should bottle it. I, on the other hand,
am content to let sit for a while longer, maybe even rack it again hoping
it will get *crystal*. Any thoughts about clearing AND the taste? I just
made a basic honey/water/bit-o-lemon and nutrient mead.
Also, I have my sticky fingers on 12lbs of orange blossom honey and 12lbs
of tulip poplar. Suggestions for yummy recipes to use these in would be
much appreciated!
Thanks in advance Angela
------------------------------
Subject: re: honey prices - Maine
From: rcd@raven.talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 9 Feb 00 21:57:52 MST (Wed)
Yacko Warner Yacko <yacko@mint.net> wrote:
> ...Looks like honey prices have gone up a bunch in the last 16 months
> (that's the last time I bought so much :)
>
> Last time I think it was near $.90/lb, now it's up to $1.25/lb. Anyone else
> experiencing this kind of rise in prices?
I think most of us in the US have seen it. Prices took a sharp upswing...
gee, it was at least a couple years ago around here (Colorado) due to
severe bee losses from the tracheal and Varroa mites. There were also some
reports of probable losses due to misuse of one particular insecticide
(Pencap M), but I think the mites are to blame for the major losses and
consequent increase in honey prices.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
...Simpler is better.
------------------------------
Subject: re: darkening mead
From: rcd@raven.talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: 9 Feb 00 22:15:50 MST (Wed)
"Alan Meeker" <ameeker@welchlink.welch.jhu.edu> wrote:
> Jeff Norman noticed a darkening of his mead following racking. Jeff, this
> is almost certainly darkening due to oxidation - exposure to air during the
> racking and perhaps slow equilibration with any headspace air in the new
> container...
Alan - I don't buy this because, as I understand Jeff's report, it happened
in a fairly short period of time--a matter of days. My experience is that
it takes a while to get noticeable oxidation in a mead. (Yes, I'm talking
experience rather than theory...don't ask how I got the experience.)
There are 2 factors that can fool you: If a mead is only somewhat clear
(as Jeff had also reported) and then it quickly falls very clear, as often
happens after racking, it looks darker because it's not as reflective.
You've probably seen this in beer, say in a red/amber/bitter. On top of
that, the color while in the carboy is deceptive because you're seeing the
color of a much greater distance through the mead than you'd see in a glass.
(I'm always a little disappointed when the beautiful gold color in the
carboy comes up as a pale straw color in the glass.)
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
...Simpler is better.
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #789
*******************************
