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Mead Lovers Digest #0874
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #874, 11 October 2001
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #874 11 October 2001
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Cranberry Mead question ("Ken Taborek")
RE: Anise in mead (Bob Sheck)
Melomel Fermentations (Nathan Kanous)
Smelly mead & Wettergreen's comment ("Kemp, Alson")
Re: New Mead Website ("Gregg Stearns") ("Christopher Hadden")
re: Cranberry Mead question (Dick Dunn)
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
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Subject: Re: Cranberry Mead question
From: "Ken Taborek" <ken.taborek@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 5 Oct 2001 21:37:03 -0400
> Subject: Cranberry Mead question
> From: "Patrick Lehnherr" <pat@kaeding.com>
[snipped]
> I plan on freezing the cranberries prior to use, but I'm wondering if I
> should cut them in half first, or whiz 'em up in a food processor first.
> I'm temped to cut them in half, as a food processor would probably make a
> big mess come racking time.
>
> Would you use a fruit bag?
Pat,
I freeze my fruit, mash them with a potato masher, and use a fruit bag. The
fruit bag helps a lot come racking time, as all you need to do is squeeze
and wring out the bag, set it aside, and then rack. Use a bag large enough
to let the fruit move around in, to allow for good contact with the mead.
Sorry I can't comment on how much cranberry to use, I've yet to make a
cranberry melomel.
Cheers,
Ken
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Anise in mead
From: Bob Sheck <bsheck@skantech.net>
Date: Fri, 05 Oct 2001 22:48:37 -0400
I happen to like anise. So I would be interested in trying something like this.
>Len asked "Recently there were a couple of posts about using anise in
>mead
<snip>
>I tasted the mixes found them to be rather earthy and
>indicating what I would want in a mead, so I punted on the idea and used
>the must as a base for a mead spiced with flavors of cinnamon, lemon,
>and almond. The preliminary taste of the batch is pleasant, but a bit
>too much on the citrus side.
I am lead to believe that the particular strain of yeast we
choose can have a huge effect on the outcome here, also
the amount of yeast pitched, and the use of yeast energizers.
I happen to strongly believe in using yeast energizers and
have never been able to over-pitch any brew. So there!
Bob Sheck // DEA - Down East Alers - Greenville, NC
bsheck@skantech.net
------------------------------
Subject: Melomel Fermentations
From: Nathan Kanous <nlkanous@pharmacy.wisc.edu>
Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2001 08:50:58 -0500
Hi Everyone,
I picked up a copy of "Country Wines" this past week. I don't recall the
author but I've seen it many times before. One thing that struck me is
that in a number of recipes for fruit wines they recommend beginning
fermentation with the fruit and juice and then racking (w / filtering) a
few days later and adding the sugar. Anybody ever done this with a
melomel? Just curious.
nathan in madison, wi
------------------------------
Subject: Smelly mead & Wettergreen's comment
From: "Kemp, Alson" <alson@corp.cirrus.com>
Date: Mon, 8 Oct 2001 12:50:19 -0700
Charles Wettergreen wrote:
>I've noticed that this yeast tends to
>produce sulpher, especially when stressed.
>But it still continues to ferment out just
>fine. Once fermentation is complete, the
>several rackings you will do as part of the
>clearing process will cause the sulpher to
>come out and your mead will smell fine.
We've had a number of very good experiences with K1V and
a couple of very bad experiences. K1V is supposed to have "very
low SO2 production", too. I'm trying 71B now in my New Zealand
Manuka Honey Mead.
With respect to the smell going away: the smell is
starting to go away! We took a couple of samples to the local
brewstore and had them tasted. The smell had somewhat
dissipated. Unfortunately, the smell covered up what turns out
to be a fairly mediocre mead. I kinda wish the smell were still
around so that I could blame the smell for the poor mead.
Clayton Cone's advice regarding nutrient addition to
must:
Honey has almost no nutrients that the yeast need for a
healthy fermentation. 1/2 grams of Fermaid K and 1-1/2 grams of
diammonium phosphate per 1 gallon of 20 brix honey will take care
of this. It is preferable to add the Fermaid K at the beginning
of the fermentation and the diammonium on the 2nd and 3rd day
(before the fermentation is 1/2 over).
This could reduce the stinky-ness by reducing the stress
on the yeast.
-Alson
------------------------------
Subject: Re: New Mead Website ("Gregg Stearns")
From: "Christopher Hadden" <chadden@contecrayon.com>
Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2001 00:52:48 -0500
> Subject: New Mead Website
> From: "Gregg Stearns" <gregg@ispi.net>
> Date: Tue, 2 Oct 2001 10:45:37 -0500
>
> Hello list! I am launching http://www.meadhq.com on Oct. 2, 2001!!
Great work Gregg! The software behind the site looks pretty powerful. Do
you do application development for them?
I am in the process of creating my own mead resource site oriented to folks
who have never heard of mead. I would like to link to your site, if I may.
> Also, list master, with your permission, I'd like to archive the
> MLD on the site as well. Can we talk off list?
In case you haven't seen, I do have a searchable copy of the digest archives
hosted from my site at http://www.aboutmead.com/resources/mld.html . My
archive goes back to 1996 - over 1,225,000 words are indexed. I am in the
process of adding the rest of the archives (1992-1995). If you want to link
into this resource, you are more than welcome. E-mail me if you're
interested.
Good luck with the site. It's good to see a new resource site come to
fruition.
Christopher Hadden
http://www.aboutmead.com/
chadden@contecrayon.com
------------------------------
Subject: re: Cranberry Mead question
From: rcd@talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2001 08:51:33 -0600 (MDT)
"Patrick Lehnherr" <pat@kaeding.com> asked:
> Assuming a 5 gallon batch, 12# of honey, how much cranberry is recommended.
I've done a couple of cranberry meads in which I've used a pound per
gallon. Note that I'm not saying any of this note is "the right way", but
only that I've actually done it and it worked for me.
> I plan on freezing the cranberries prior to use, but I'm wondering if I
> should cut them in half first, or whiz 'em up in a food processor first.
> I'm temped to cut them in half, as a food processor would probably make a
> big mess come racking time.
On mine, I chopped both batches. I froze one (after chopping) but not the
other. I did use a food processor, but chopped very coarsely...just a few
pulses for each load of berries.
> Would you use a fruit bag?
I didn't. But I started skimming the fruit after a few days on the first
batch...thinking I didn't want to ferment with the fruit for very long
because I didn't want to pick up bitterness. That meant there wasn't much
problem in racking.
On the second batch, it was one of those times where you get busy and
keep putting off dealing with a mead. (Well, maybe _you_ don't, but _I_
do.) It was several weeks before I got around to skimming out the fruit.
Fortunately it was mostly floating so that was easy. But I think it
adversely affected the flavor...if I did it again I'd do as I did the first
time and start skimming after a few days of fermentation.
I didn't use a fruit bag either time. I put a large mesh bag around the
racking cane; that prevents most of the racking hassles if the fruit is in
chunks. Some fruits break down to mush during fermentation; others stay
mostly solid. Cranberries are in the latter category.
- ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
...Simpler is better.
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #874
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