Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Mead Lovers Digest #0857
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #857, 7 July 2001
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #857 7 July 2001
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
digest submission ("Pannicke, Glen A.")
Fermentation in the 'fridge ("Kemp, Alson")
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #856, 2 July 2001 (Myron Sothcott)
Re: Freeze-concentration/distillation (jafjmw@blueyonder.co.uk)
Using demi-johns (Phil)
NOTE: Digest 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.
Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead. There is
a searchable MLD archive at hubris.engin.umich.edu/Beer/Threads/Mead
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: digest submission
From: "Pannicke, Glen A." <glen_pannicke@merck.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 08:48:06 -0400
> I have been making mead, melomel and metheglin since about 1994, and
>last year also started keeping bees, should harvest some honey this year
>:-)
>Happy meading...
>Melissa
Now here is someone who was perfectly named. Melissa - from ancient Greek
meaning honey or bee. Oh, how my ex-wife could ruin such a beautiful name!
;-)
> Also I have seen alot of differing opinions on the use of yeast
>nutrient. I use it, but some say it leaves an off taste if used in
>excess. Won't the yeast consume it all in an active ferment?
Yeast nutrient/energizer is comprized of many different things: diammonium
phosphate, urea, yeast hulls, yeast extract... The yeast will use what it
needs and you will be stuck with any excess. If there is too much, it can
effect the flavor but it would probably take quite a lot. Follow the
package instructions and you should be OK.
Carpe cerevisiae!
Glen A. Pannicke
glen@pannicke.net http://www.pannicke.net
75CE 0DED 59E1 55AB 830F 214D 17D7 192D 8384 00DD
"I have made this letter longer than usual,
because I lack the time to make it short." - Blaise Pascal
------------------------------
Subject: Fermentation in the 'fridge
From: "Kemp, Alson" <alson@corp.cirrus.com>
Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2001 11:28:52 -0700
All,
My last mead (a chocolate mead) fermented in 3 days. For some
reason, a 3 day ferment makes me uncomfortable. That just seems too fast.
As such, for my next mead, I'm going to TRY to ferment it in the
refridgerator. Two questions:
1) What yeast will be able to work in the 'fridge? I'm testing
K1V-1116 in apple juice in the fridge. It's fermenting very, very slowly.
I noticed on the Lallemand site that ICQ D-47 was "rated" down to 10C which
is 5C lower than K1V-1116.
2) What effect on the taste will fermentation in the 'fridge have?
-Alson Kemp
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #856, 2 July 2001
From: Myron Sothcott <myron7@home.com>
Date: Mon, 02 Jul 2001 20:42:08 -0400
> Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #855, 25 June 2001
> From: David Chubb <dchubb@vt.edu>
> Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2001 22:47:38 -0500
>
> Nothing in any ATF regulations I have read say that they regulate home
> distillation as long as the distillation does not leave the premises and is
> not sold and does not exceed the total gallonage. This doesn't mean that
> there aren't laws against home distillation however I can't find them. One
> interesting thing of note: the ATF does not regulate "experimental" batches
> as long as they are not sold and do not exceed some unstated number of gallons
>
> NOTE: Some states may regulate distilled alcohol differently. *cough*SC*cough*
>
> If someone with some legal background wants to pipe up and correct our
> errors we'd be much appreciative.
>
> - --David Chubb
>
>
http://www.atf.treas.gov/alcohol/info/faq/spirits.htm#s3
says in part:
S3: I've seen ads for home distilling equipment in catalogs ("turn wine
into brandy,"
"make your own essential oils"). Is it legal to buy and use a still like
that?
Under Federal rules administered by ATF, it depends on how you use the
still. You may not produce alcohol with these stills unless you qualify as
a distilled spirits plant (see earlier question). However, owning a small
still and using it for other purposes is allowed. You should also check
with your State and local authorities - their rules may differ.
A still is defined as apparatus capable of being used to separate ethyl
alcohol from a mixture that contains alcohol. Small stills (with a cubic
distilling capacity of a gallon or less) that are used for laboratory
purposes or for distilling water or other non-alcoholic materials are
exempt from our rules.
If you buy a small still and use it to distill water or extract essential
oils by steam or water extraction methods, you are not subject to ATF
requirements. If you produce essential oils by a solvent method and you get
alcohol as a by-product of your process, we consider that distilling. Even
though you are using and recovering purchased alcohol, you are separating
the alcohol from a mixture -distilling.
- ------------------------------------
Which would seem to indicate that unlicensed production of alcohol by
distillation
in any quantity is not allowed anywhere, and that includes the home.
Myron
is not legal in the home for any quantity.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Freeze-concentration/distillation
From: jafjmw@blueyonder.co.uk
Date: Tue, 03 Jul 2001 10:53:02 +0100
> Subject: Freeze-concentration/distillation
> From: "Stevenson, Randall" <rstevenson@ldi.state.la.us>
...
> This allowance is not intended to permit fractional distillation through
> freezing. The reasons for not permitting distillation (by freezing or
> condensing vapors) are based on safety issues.
...
> Although they may not be enforced
> very well, I think there is good reason for the regulations that
> prohibit unregulated concentration of spirits.
I cynically disagree. The official line of governments everywhere is that
distillation is prohibited for safety reasons, but the real motive is taxation.
It's impractical for governments to prohibit home-fermentation because it's
easy to do it (functionally for alcohol anyway---more effort is required to
do it well) and relatively easy to hide it from the "revenoors". It's easier
to enforce laws against distillation (stills are bigger and they smell) and
there's more money in enforcing this law.
If home-distillation were legal, it would be easy for people to obtain the
correct
equipment and information to do it safely. After all, you could make poisonous
beer, wine or mead by using an unsuitable container or dangerous plants.
I would be happy to support lobbying in any country to change this restriction.
- -- Adam
------------------------------
Subject: Using demi-johns
From: Phil <dogglebe@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 6 Jul 2001 06:19:35 -0700 (PDT)
I recently purchased a 14 gallon demi-john, which I'll
be using to make a large batch of traditional mead. I
plan on using 45-50 pounds of Tupelo honey. How close
to the top can I top it off without risk of it
bubbling up through the airlock?
Phil
=====
visit the New York City Homebrewers Guild website:
http://www.pipeline.com/~dogglebe/nychg.html
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #857
*******************************
