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Mead Lovers Digest #0917
From: mead-request@talisman.com
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Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #917, 6 April 2002
Mead Lover's Digest #917 6 April 2002
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Lurgashall ("Ken Taborek")
Braggot (Nathan Kanous)
dandelion mead ("Micah Millspaw")
How long for the fruit in the primary? ("William Boutwell")
Mead Questions (Scott_Warzecha@apsnet.com)
Oaking mead (Russ.Hobaugh@erm.com)
Mead judging ("Magnus Vinje")
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Lurgashall
From: "Ken Taborek" <Ken.Taborek@Verizon.net>
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 23:52:34 -0500
> Subject: Lurgashall
> From: Russ Riley <russriley61999@yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2002 12:12:35 -0800 (PST)
>
> Has anyone ever tried Lurgashall mead (from UK)? How
> did you like it? I just picked up a bottle the other
> day and promised to split it with a friend, but I'm
> curious what to expect. Thanks
>
> Russ
Russ,
It's a strong, semi-dry straight mead. I find it excellent, but then I
prefer my meads a bit dryer than most commercial meads typically come, and
this is one of the few commercial meads I've had that wasn't quite sweet. I
brought this to a friends home when we were doing a joint mead brewing day,
and we drank it to toast my blueberry mead and his cyser. Both batches have
turned out to be excellent, so maybe there's some magic in the Lurgashall!
;)
The wine store I purchased it from now only carries the Lurgashall Christmas
Mead. The clerk supposed it might be a seasonal thing, but given that I was
in there last week and that's still all they had, well, it's April now, and
Christmas is long past...
I bought a botle of the Christmas Mead in any event, but haven't opened it
yet. If it's as good as their straight mead, I'll be very happy.
Their website isn't a great one, but you can find more info here:
http://www.lurgashall.co.uk/meads.htm
Cheers,
Ken
------------------------------
Subject: Braggot
From: Nathan Kanous <nlkanous@pharmacy.wisc.edu>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 08:25:19 -0600
Howdy,
I've always been a bit curious about braggot. Searching the web comes up
with some recipes, but what expertise can we get from this forum regarding
recipe formulation and such? How many of you make braggot
regularly? Hopped braggot? Fruit Braggot? Mazer cup winners? Any
thoughts appreciated.
nathan in madison, wi
------------------------------
Subject: dandelion mead
From: "Micah Millspaw" <MMillspa@silganmfg.com>
Date: Wed, 03 Apr 2002 10:01:21 -0600
I strongly recommend dandelion mead, it has been
a long time favourite of mine and a good family project
as well ( you get the kids to pick all of the dandelions).
The way I make it is:
for 5 gallons of must
pick about a 2 gallon bucket full of dandelion heads
add the heads to 4 gallons of boiling water
let the dandelions boil for about 15 min
shut off heat, skim out the flowers
add 12-15 lbs. sage or star thistle honey
skim off albumin, force cool to 80F
pitch yeast (pastuer white or similar)
The pollen in the flowers acts as a yeast nutrient and
boiling the flowers lowers the ph. The use of a delicate
honey lets the dandelion charactor come thru.
Micah Millspaw - brewer at large
------------------------------
Subject: How long for the fruit in the primary?
From: "William Boutwell" <wboutwell@emeraldhomeloan.com>
Date: Wed, 3 Apr 2002 16:20:47 -0800
I recently did a batch of watermelon melomel with 12# of wildflower honey
straight from the beekeeper. I boiled for 5min, skimmed the gunk off and
poured the hot must onto the juice and chopped meat from 12# of sweet
seedless watermelon. I added the nutrient and 2paks Pasteur Champage yeast
and sealed up the plastic primary with airlock. The OG was 1.090 It has been
bubbling along for 2 weeks now. At what point should I remove the fruit?
This is my first melomel and I did not add pectic enzyme powder. Can the
enzyme be ( or should it ) be added at the first racking?
Also, I plan to do another melomel with diced sweet pears soon. Any pros
out there with any exp. with either fruit?
Thanks for the help, this forum is wonderful!
- -William
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Questions
From: Scott_Warzecha@apsnet.com
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2002 10:15:45 -0500
Hello,
I am new to the digest and was wondering if anyone could helpme out with a
few questions. I started my first batch
of Mead about two weeks ago (3-20-02). It is a metheglin. I watched my airlock
during this time and it was bubbling, but slowly, not like described on the
digest. I racked into the secondary on 4/1/02. I did not see a lot of foam in
the primary fermenter or when I racked into the glass carboy. I attached my
airlock and waited for my airlock to bubble. I am worried because I see no
activity and because when I tasted the mead it was very sweet. It did not taste
bad, no off tastes but it did not taste like it had much alcohol to it. I read
somewhere that a mead that tastes sweet may mean that fermentation has ceased.
I used cote de blanc by red star as a yeast. Anybody have any idea what is
going on here? Am I jumping the gun with my concern or could there be a
problem? Any suggestions would be very welcome. I am not good with the
hydrometer. I tried my best to use one, not sure if done correctly but I tried.
On 3/20/02 I took a reading and it read approximately 1.102 and on 4/1/02 it
read 1.171. Does anyone have feedback on those readings? Thank you in advance
for your help.
Cheers
Ivorypearl
------------------------------
Subject: Oaking mead
From: Russ.Hobaugh@erm.com
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 15:52:36 -0400
I am about to "oak" a mead for the first time. Are there any
gotchas I should look out for? Two questions are: How do you
sanitize the chips(I have Hungarian oak chips), and how much
do you use for a 5 gallon batch of mead? Anybody have a
tried and true method they want to share? TIA
Russ Hobaugh
Goob' Dog Brewery
Birdsboro PA
------------------------------
Subject: Mead judging
From: "Magnus Vinje" <mvinje@telus.net>
Date: Thu, 4 Apr 2002 20:43:49 -0800
We are planning an amateur mead making contest at the BC Honey Producers
Annual Convention in Quesnel, BC, October 24 - 26 this year. At present,
we are looking for help in designing the mead judging criteria. For
instance, what factors should be weighted heavy in judging mead, as
compared to the judging of regular wine?
Magnus G. Vinje
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #917
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