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Mead Lovers Digest #1070
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1070, 20 January 2004
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1070 20 January 2004
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Topping up mead (Dick Dunn)
RE: MLD #1069, topping up mead ("Janis Gross")
Opps (Darinbruck@aol.com)
Re: Topping off mead (Don Dibble)
Mead Vinegar/ Stuck Fermentation ("David Craft")
Re: Topping up mead ("King, Derek")
old mead bottle identification help (JazzboBob@aol.com)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1069, 16 January 2004 (Travisstee@aol.com)
Meadllennium entries ("Howard & Patty Curran")
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
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Subject: Re: Topping up mead
From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 11:02:11 -0700
Re a couple of comments in the last digest--
> I rely on "CO2 is heavier than air", and assume the air is pushed out of
> the carboy first.
That's true if you're putting the CO2 in slowly and gently. Otherwise
the turbulence will mix the CO2 and air, although you can still overwhelm
that by just putting in a lot of CO2.
> ... All
> you need is a short burst of Co2 to blanket the mead.
> You don't have to fill the carboy with it.
Two problems with this way of thinking:
* CO2 is soluble in mead. Unless the mead is already saturated with CO2,
it will just go into solution, effectively adding a tiny bit of
carbonation.
* Over time (not much time, in fact) the CO2 will mix into the air in the
carboy. (Consider that the air in a quiet room doesn't stratify into
layers of different gases by weight.)
- --
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
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Subject: RE: MLD #1069, topping up mead
From: "Janis Gross" <totallygross@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 11:28:30 -0700
Hi everyone.
I'm wondering why there is so much discussion about this; if the mead is
still fermenting, it's generating CO2 which is heavier than air. Thus, the
mead protects itself, doesn't it?
Cheers!
Janis
------------------------------
Subject: Opps
From: Darinbruck@aol.com
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 14:21:23 EST
I "lost" a 3 gal batch to the garage about a year ago. It was recently found
again but the whole thing has been sitting on the lees - not necessarily a
bad thing. BUT the air lock dried out at some point. I have been afraid to try
it. Do yall spose its safe?
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Topping off mead
From: Don Dibble <dondibble@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 12:32:20 -0800 (PST)
> Subject: Topping off mead
> From: Phil <dogglebe@yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 14:27:56 -0800 (PST)
<snip>
> All you need is a short burst of Co2 to blanket the mead.
> You don't have to fill the carboy with it.
>
> Phil
Any other thoughts on this? I usually add CO2 to my carboys to avoid
contact with oxygen during the racking process. I haven't been as
concerned with what happens after racking. I usually have a few small
bubbles through the airlock that I attribute to CO2 being released by the
agitation. Wouldn't that would form a CO2 blanket even if you didn't use
CO2 to purge your carboys?
Thanks All!
Don
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Vinegar/ Stuck Fermentation
From: "David Craft" <chsyhkr@bellsouth.net>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 19:28:19 -0500
Travis,
I have not made Mead Vinegar but have bought some. It is very good.
How about making a few gallons of a very dry mead and adding to your sweet
mead creating a more palatable product.
Other thoughts:
Have you reached terminal gravity because of the yeast selection, sweet? I
have read here not to add the acid until after fermentation. It lowers the
Ph too much and inhibits fermentation. I have also read here to add Ca to
raise the Ph will start a stuck fermentation? Have you checked the Ph?
If you decide to blend save a little of this sweet stuff and bottle it. It
might surprise you in a few years.........
David B. Craft
Battleground Brewers Guild
Crow Hill Brewery and Meadery
Greensboro, NC
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Topping up mead
From: "King, Derek" <DKING@tsionline.com>
Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 22:34:07 -0500
>Subject: Re: Topping up mead
>From: Don Dibble <dondibble@sbcglobal.net>
>Date: Mon, 12 Jan 2004 12:29:33 -0800 (PST)
>Hi all! I use CO2 to push the air out of my carboys before racking into
>them. However, I've never heard of anyone testing this procedure to see
>what pressure to use or for how long. Has anyone performed, or seen
>results from, a test? I was thinking about testing via a long match. When
>the match goes out their should be no more, or very little, Oxygen is
>left. Opinions?
>Thanks!
>Don
This may seem a little off topic but...
I've use dry ice pellets in my carboys after I rack them to the secondary
fermentation carboy. With dry ice pellets you just add a pellet or two then
you plug it up with the airlock and the neck of the carboy is filled with
CO2 gas. It doesn't take that much to force the oxygen out.
BTW, dry ice pellets can be an inexpensive alternative. I'll warn you
though, you may need some freezer storage space, since most companies will
only sell bulk amounts over ten lbs.
As for the testing, a match may not work out very well. I'd be worried that
the match head would break off while in the carboy.
Here's a link to a directory of dry ice sellers worldwide.
http://www.dryicedirectory.com/
Derek King
------------------------------
Subject: old mead bottle identification help
From: JazzboBob@aol.com
Date: Sat, 17 Jan 2004 00:21:21 EST
I have received an old ceramic type bottle as a gift from a carpenter doing
some construction digging. It was buried in the basement of an old house in
downtown Philadelphia, PA. The top is imprinted RICE & McKINNEY'S MEAD. The
inside is glazed brown. It's very thick ceramic, holds three cups, and has a
clear/slightly yellow glaze on gray type clay. Unfortunately, the top of the
bottle is broken off. The construction workers uncovered it when digging a new
foundation. Having found it in historic Philadelphia, I suspect that it might
be very old. Would anyone be able to identify when and where it's from?
Thank you, Bob Grossman
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1069, 16 January 2004
From: Travisstee@aol.com
Date: Sun, 18 Jan 2004 15:46:36 EST
I need to change my address to Meadfreeks750@aol.com
this is my new address concerning anything that has
to do with the wounderful world of MEAD !!!!!
Thanks alot
Travis......
------------------------------
Subject: Meadllennium entries
From: "Howard & Patty Curran" <OCurrans@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Mon, 19 Jan 2004 09:10:53 -0500
I just mailed my entries to Meadllennium 2004. I can't believe how easy
it was. I filled out one form, and it automatically filled out the
bottle forms. And while I was at the computer, I paid with my PayPal
account. (They also accept checks and money orders.) It would be nice if
the other beer and mead competitions would make it this easy. I packed
them in bubble wrap and filled the box with peanuts, then sent them off
as "Test Samples", via UPS. The hardest part was waiting in line at the
UPS Store.
The deadline for entries is 26 January, so get yours in the mail SOON!
Their web site is: www.cfhb.org then click on the Meadllennium link in
the left frame.
Some people that I have "met" on this list, have told me they are
sending in entries, so, I know my meads will be up against some stiff
competition. But, even if I don't win any medals, the feedback from the
score sheets should help me make better mead.
Good luck,
Howard
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1070
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