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Mead Lovers Digest #0827
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #827, 24 October 2000
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #827 24 October 2000
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
South Dakota Market for Mead ("Roger Flanders")
Re: newbie (Dave Polaschek)
Re: Clarifying (Dave Polaschek)
Re: Purple Loosestrife Honey (Potgold@aol.com)
Boiling and nutrient levels (Dan McFeeley)
Clarification on crystals (Elfboy0@aol.com)
Mead Beginner ("keithwwyse")
Usenet newsgroup for mead ("Christopher Hadden")
Campden Tablets ("Daniel T. Whitted")
Re: Rowanberries (Myrriah Lavin)
Suggestions/Advice Anyone? (Angela Byrnes)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #826, 12 October 2000 (Jim Johnston)
dissolving bentonite (dworkin@village.org)
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
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Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead. There is
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: South Dakota Market for Mead
From: "Roger Flanders" <flanders@probe.net>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 15:25:24 -0500
Chuck Wettergreen, in MLD#826, wrote: "Also on the NHB site was this
recent news release from the Department of Agriculture: South Dakota -
A $24,000 grant to the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, in
cooperation with the Mid-U.S. Honey Producers Marketing Association,
to determine the market potential for locally produced honey mead."
I find that very interesting, Chuck, because here in Nebraska we only
have 3 commercial wineries, and all 3 produce meads because they
cannot get enough locally grown grapes to meet demand.
Also, a note on priming: I've been priming my cysers at a ratio of
3/4 cups honey to 5 gals. mead with very good results. Just as I do
with beer, I leave the primed, crowned-cap bottles upstairs in a warm
place for a week or so to get the new fermentation going, then store
with everything else in the basement for several months. The result
has been some nice sparkling cysers.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: newbie
From: Dave Polaschek <davep@davespicks.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 18:10:43 -0500
"Earl Albrecht" <ealbrecht@nitekmcallen.com> wrote:
> I have only recently gotten my first taste of mead, and after having
>thought about it for the last couple years--I'm ready to do it!! That
>stuff was great :) My only problem is finding a source of starter
>equipment and exactly what/how much I need to start off. Any ideas?
>And before you ask, I live in deep south Texas, nobody around here even
>knows what mead is--much less sells any equipment (unless you count the
>plastic Mr. Beer keg kit).
In the book that I wrote on making mead, I have a list of basic
equipment, as well as things you may want to buy later. The list of
equipment I thought was essential is at
http://www.best.com/~davep/mme/essequip.html
Specifically, you need a fermenter, an airlock (and stopper), some
bottles and a bottle-capper (or corker if you want to use wine-bottles),
a funnel and some plastic tubing. You can probably get everything but the
airlock at your local hardware store if you want, and you can fashion
your own airlock using tubing and a small bottle or jug if you really
want to do things on the cheap. If you stick to 1-gallon batches, you
don't even need to buy a fermenter, since you can ferment in 1-gallon
glass jugs.
As for buying the equipment, a lot of homebrew stores sell mail-order, so
as long as either the post office or UPS can find you, you can get
equipment. Wind River Brewing here in MN are good guys and definitely do
mail-order. You can browse their catalog at http://www.windriverbrew.com/
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Food_and_Dr
ink/Drinks/Alcohol_and_Spirits/Beer/Homebrewing_Supplies/Kits/ has a list
of places that sell kits, and
http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/Shopping_and_Services/Food_and_Dr
ink/Drinks/Alcohol_and_Spirits/Wine/Winemaking_Supplies/ has a list of
places that sell wine and beermaking supplies.
- -DaveP
Dave Polaschek - Polaschek Computing, Inc. - davep@best.com
PGP key and other spiffy things at <http://www.best.com/~davep/>
"I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just."
- Thomas Jefferson
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Clarifying
From: Dave Polaschek <davep@davespicks.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 18:29:04 -0500
"Steve Gaskin" <gasco58@tpg.com.au> wrote:
>My meads look like lemonade (lemon squash we call it), no matter how
>long it sits, and there is a fine floating mist on the top that is
>easily disturbed, but floats back to the top. I only make mead, so I
>haven't bothered to add any spices etc.
>
>I was wondering if Bentonite will be sufficient to get it to sparkle?
>Any tips?
There's a good writeup on clarifying (and other trouble-shooting tips) at
http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/andrew_lea/Part5.htm Scroll down
to the secion on "Fining". It's written with Cider-making in mind, but
you could substitute "mead" for "cider" throughout the text, and it would
all still apply.
It doesn't even mention sparkalloid, but rather concentrates on bentonite
and gelatin. And yes, you can get sparkling mead without sparkalloid. It
may take a tiny bit longer, but not so much longer that it should be a
big problem.
- -DaveP
Dave Polaschek - Polaschek Computing, Inc. - davep@best.com
PGP key and other spiffy things at <http://www.best.com/~davep/>
"Death is just nature's way of telling you, 'Hey, you're not
alive anymore.'" - Bull Shannon
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Purple Loosestrife Honey
From: Potgold@aol.com
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 20:42:15 EDT
In a message dated 10/12/00 3:26:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
mead-request@talisman.com writes:
From: Lazurus106@aol.com
<< Has anyone tried the honey from the purple loose strife that the DNR
has
there pantys in a knot about? According to a local apiary it produces a lot
of honey >>
The beekeeper poop on this is that the greenish purple loosestrife honey
"looks like Pennzoil and doesn't taste much better." Strictly bakery
grade, IMHO.
I distinctly dislike the taste, and, when buying any northern honey,
always specify NO PURPLE LOOSESTRIFE (I check too!).
Sorry. As always, your mileage may vary.
Dave Green
The Pollination Home Page: http://pollinator.com
------------------------------
Subject: Boiling and nutrient levels
From: Dan McFeeley <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 12:38:32 -0500
On Thu, 5 Oct 2000, in MLD 826, Chuck Wettergreen wrote:
>I've made quite a few show meads, and never had a stuck
>fermentation, but then I don't boil, or even heat my
>honey/must, since to do so removes all of the nutrients
>you need for a proper fermentation.
For those who are wondering, nutrient loss from boiling the honey must
was first demonstrated during the 1950's by Roger Morse, but unfortunately
he does not seem to have published his data in either his journal articles
or his book on making mead. More recently, Jerry Herder posted data on
MLD from his own experiments, showing a drop in FAN levels caused by boiling.
Chuck is very strongly on target here.
I'll have to investigate this a little further, but boiling seems to have
been a Medieval technique and may not have been extensively practiced before
that. Interestingly Pliny the Elder, writing in 77 AD, does not mention
boiling the honey must as a method for making mead in the Greco-Roman era
(his advice for mead can be found reprinted in Cindy Renfrow's _A Sip Through
Time_, pg. 75).
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
mcfeeley@keynet.net
------------------------------
Subject: Clarification on crystals
From: Elfboy0@aol.com
Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 15:20:58 EDT
Since my post, and the initial few replies, about the assistance of crystals
while making mead, there have been a number of posts that have commented on
the use of crystals relative to their effects on yeast. I just wanted to
clarify, this is not a connection that I suggested. As far as getting a
healthy batch of mead, I rely on good kitchen techniques just like everyone
else. My intent with crystals is the same as if I were to use, say, spearmint
- - to impart the qualities (whether vibrations, flavors, etc.) of said
ingredient into the mead. Being clean in the kitchen makes using crystals to
affect yeast production about as purposeful as using spearmint to make sure
the yeast cells don't catch a cold.
So if you're gonna make fun of me, at least do it for something I actually
said. :)
- Joshua
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Beginner
From: "keithwwyse" <keithwwyse@ukonline.co.uk>
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 17:22:43 +0100
In Mead Lover's Digest #826; 12 October 2000,
>> "Earl Albrecht" <ealbrecht@nitekmcallen.com> asks,
>> Heilsa,
>> I have only recently gotten my first taste of mead, and after having
>> thought about it for the last couple years--I'm ready to do it!! That
>> stuff was great :) My only problem is finding a source of starter
>> equipment and exactly what/how much I need to start off. Any ideas?
>> And before you ask, I live in deep south Texas, nobody around here even
>> knows what mead is--much less sells any equipment (unless you count the
>> plastic Mr. Beer keg kit).
Hi there!
If you have been subscribed for more than a few weeks, you'll have noticed
my mails on the Digest.
If not, then I'll give you a brief summary; 26, graduate (Electronics Eng,
no good what so ever), Edinburgh Uni, Dalkeith outside Edinburgh, Scotland,
pissed off with high prices in stores, decided to DIMyself to save money
(taxes), took up brewing 1994, stopped for a while, returned June this year.
I have found that a quick way to brew a batch is to use a five litre (1
gallon) mineral water bottle from a store. Remove some water to a sterile
container (before you begin, clean up - some one quoted this to me), add
four pounds of honey (three for dry, five for sweet) and top up to within
about two inches of the top (if this is not enough gap at the top you will
soon find out!) Pitch (add yeast) by taking some mixture in a sterile coffee
mug and mixing well with generic yeast, add back to must. Keep in a warm
area, away from sunlight (I need a brew heater in this climate) Put lid on
LOOSELY. The brew produces large amounts of CO2 gas, which can build in
pressure.
Four to six weeks sample. It may be nice, but it may not. This is a VERY
simple recipe, and because of that (i.e. no acidity regulators or nutrients)
it may stick part way through, but it begins your introduction.
One term I have learned in the course of receiving the Digest is; Wassail,
'Good health' in ancient(?) Nordic.
Good luck and good drinking!
Keith
Beginner myself, please forgive any stupid duffups.
------------------------------
Subject: Usenet newsgroup for mead
From: "Christopher Hadden" <chadden@contecrayon.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 2000 14:49:04 -0500
Well, the last time I posted here was back in 1993!
(http://hubris.engin.umich.edu/Beer/Threads/Mead/1993/108). So I feel
sheepish about my next post being one to advocate a Usenet newsgroup for
mead makers.
Such a newsgroup would be a good complement to this digest and would serve
to expand the mead making community. A lot has happened since 1993 - the
heyday of the craft brewing renaissance. In an effort to keep the momentum
going, I think it is time for us to have our own Usenet newsgroup.
Before doing anything else, I thought I'd solicit the feedback of those on
this digest first. This issue has been brought up recently by several
individuals in rec.crafts.brewing and rec.crafts.winemaking.
What do you feel about rec.crafts.meadmaking? Based on my experience of
setting up a NG in the comp hierarchy, I don't think we'd have a problem
getting this set up.
Wassail!
Christopher Hadden
P.S. Thanks to Dick Dunn et al. for this digest. It's helped sustain my
interest in mead making over the past 7 years.
------------------------------
Subject: Campden Tablets
From: "Daniel T. Whitted" <whitted@students.uiuc.edu>
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 09:46:19 -0500 (CDT)
Hi-
I am fairly new to making mead and mead derivatives. The question I have
is regarding Campden Tablets. I know that they are primarily used to kill
off any wild yeast strains, however I have seen numerous web pages where
it says to add them before bottling. Does this mean that they act as a
stabilizer as well as a sanitizer? Does the adding of Campden tablets
help to guarantee that refermentation will not occur?
Dan
(whitted@uiuc.edu)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Rowanberries
From: Myrriah Lavin <myrriah@madstone.net>
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 2000 15:13:44 -0400
Arcturus writes:
> Has anyone else had any experience with these berries? I picked a big
> pail full today and plan to freeze them a couple of more times to be
> safe, and then make mead from them.
I made a rowanberry mead about two and a half years ago. Someone correct me
if I'm wrong, but I don't believe mountain ash berries are poisonous before
freezing. They can be very tart and astringent, and I've heard that they
mellow a bit after being exposed to a frost. There are new varieties of
mountain ash now on the market which were bred specifally for their large,
sweeter berries for use in wine, jelly, etc. The biggest pain is picking off
the tiny green stems that they're attached to. I don't know if leaving those
on will affect the taste adversely. I used 2-1/2 lb. per gallon with Lalvin
71B-1122 yeast (which I use for all my melomels). When I tasted it at
bottling a year ago, it was still hot, but had a fascinating smoky, peaty
taste, almost like a good Scotch. I'll open one of the bottles and try it,
and let you know what it's like after a year.
Myrriah Lavin
------------------------------
Subject: Suggestions/Advice Anyone?
From: Angela Byrnes <byrnesa@leland.Stanford.EDU>
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 10:06:25 -0700
I'm planning on making a spice mead at the end of this month. I'll be
using some alfalfa honey, vanilla beans, mace, probably cloves & cinnamon.
I will be splitting the batch because I want to try an ale yeast and wine
yeast to see which finished product I like the best. Anyone have
suggestions on yeast for a slightly sweet finish (not cloying or desserty)
and how long should I leave the spices in? (still quite the newbie as this
will be my third batch)
Also, I have a gallon of Tulip Poplar honey from Castlemark. Anyone used
this kind of honey before? Have any recipe suggestions?
TIA Angela
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #826, 12 October 2000
From: Jim Johnston <tervale@mail.execpc.com>
Date: Wed, 18 Oct 2000 16:22:46 -0500
Hello all,
As to mthe question of using mini-kegs (5L), I've used them for beer
in the past and they will explode or at the least distort to an
untappable form if you prime with a normal quantity of priming sugar.
I usually prime with half the amount I would normally use. If
kegging in a smaller volume is desired, there are 3 gallon corny
kegs, but they are pretty expensive, not too many on the used market
yet.
I've never made an elderberry melomel, but thimk I may soon. As a
wine, it is nicely complex, and improves with age. Picking
elderberries is very time intensive, so I use the canned stuff
available to winemakers. Probably my favorite melomel is one made
with canned loganberries from the same place. The aroma and flavor
is wonderful. I have a loganberry/marionberry going now that is
ready to bottle, but will need to age awhile to mellow out some. My
experience is the darker fruits need more aging time to drop out the
tannins, I imagine that elderberry would need quite a bit of aging.
As for the discussion of crystals, etc., I don't think flaming is
appropriate. The core beliefs of people are often ridiculed, and
sometimes they are proven in the long run. Suffice it to say that I
don't believe a lot of what I do see, let alone what I don't.
Jim Johnston,
Trying to make sense of the complexities of man and mead.
- --
- --Jim
------------------------------
Subject: dissolving bentonite
From: dworkin@village.org
Date: Sat, 21 Oct 2000 13:29:46 -0600
There's been some discussion of how to get bentonite to dissolve. I
decided to experiment a bit today. The net result was:
- - start with boiling water; forget that "warm" bit on the label
- - similarly, use twice the volume of water that they recommend (1 cup
for every five gallons being treated)
Technique details:
Add the bentonite a few grains at a time. I measured the dry
bentonite into a coffee mug, and shook a little bit into the water.
You can get pretty good control. Pretend you're trying for a very
light dusting of a strong spice.
Stir constantly, particularly when adding the bentonite. The trick
here is *not* to stir in a circular pattern, but side-to-side or
front-to-back. You want chaotic motion in the liquid. Circular flow
works great for substances that are more interested in dissolving than
they are in protecting themselves from water. Bentonite, being a
clay, really wants to protect itself from the water. Circular flow
makes it easier for that to happen by bringing the grains closer
together. You probably want to use a mixing vessel much larger than
the one cup of water you've put in, so the vigorous stirring doesn't
make a huge mess.
Finally, accept that you're not going to get all four teaspoons' worth
to dissolve. It looks to me like the realistic amount is more like
three to three and a quarter. Might've been insufficient stirring or
over-enthusiastic additions on my part, though. It can become quite
tedious to hold your hand over near-boiling water for many minutes....
Compared to my normal way of having prepped bentonite in the past (hot
water, circular stirring, teaspoon-at-a-time additions), I got much
better dissolution, and a much thicker (almost cream-like) resulting
fluid. It'll be interesting to see the difference in clarifying
effectiveness it has.
Dworkin
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #827
*******************************
