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Mead Lovers Digest #1089
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1089, 1 April 2004
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1089 1 April 2004
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1088, 1 April 2004 ("John P. Looney")
Re: three-pronged attack (Randy Goldberg MD)
Making Chocolate mead this weekend ("Mark Garwatoski")
Thesis on development of an australian mead ("Benny")
Bee Products in mead questions. (Talon McCormick)
Dealing with Synthetic cork(q)s (Patrick Devaney)
attacks on bees! ("Micah Millspaw")
RE: three pronged attack ("Kurt Schilling")
Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking ("J. Russ")
Multiple Yeasts ("Alson Kemp")
Re: the rights of bees as agricultural workers. (Michael Faul)
Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking ("Ken Taborek")
re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking-SAVE THE BEES! ("Schuler, Joseph (E...)
Honey in Colorado ("S and J")
Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking (Vicky Rowe)
Re: The herb store ("Kevin Morgan")
Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking (Zertwiz@aol.com)
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: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1088, 1 April 2004
From: "John P. Looney" <valen@tuatha.org>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 12:12:30 +0100
> I just finished devouring "Making Mead" by Duncan and Acton, and the
> whole last 3 or 4 pages deal with several old-recipe honey drinks with the
> addition of rums, scotches and as you said, brandys.
I've been looking for this book for a while...where would one find it ?
Is there a reading list anywhere that has books that you can find on
Amazon ? It seems most mead books are out of print.
john (an Irish maker of many meads, most only average, and in need of more
professional literary assistance)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: three-pronged attack
From: Randy Goldberg MD <randy_goldberg@alumni.binghamton.edu>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 06:27:07 -0500
> Subject: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
> From: rcd@talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
> Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:02:03 -0700 (MST)
>
> It hurts to have to write this, because so much of it is happening so
> close to home, but I think you folks need to know what is going on.
>
> Several politically-motivated groups have formed a bizarre alliance which
> is set to challenge beekeeping, production of honey, and (obviously, by
> extension) mead-making in the US.
Thank you, Dick, for this lovely April Fool. You made my day (and it's
barely begun!).
****************
Randy Goldberg MD
Random Tag: Floppy not responding, Format HARD DRIVE instead? (Y/N)
------------------------------
Subject: Making Chocolate mead this weekend
From: "Mark Garwatoski" <Mark@food4dogs.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 06:42:24 -0500
Hello,
I've been lurking for a couple of months and this is finally my first
post. I tried a chocolate mead this past weekend at a HB competition and
it was pretty good. When I told the wife about this she was insistent
that I try to make one. I've done some searches and concluded that there
are 3 ways to go about this. Can someone tell me if any of these have
been successful for them or if one looks like it will suck?
My base will be 15lb of honey and WL sweet mead yeast. Would orange
blossom honey be too strong?
1) Add 16oz of good cocoa powder right at the beginning
2) Add 8oz hershey's syrup per gallon (My least favorite choice)
3) Add some chocolate extract post fermentation.
Thanks,
Mark
------------------------------
Subject: Thesis on development of an australian mead
From: "Benny" <fatcat@internode.on.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 21:58:30 +1000
Hi guys! I am doing a Bachelor in Food Technology and am developing a
new australian mead for my final year thesis. Hope to draw from the
experience of all you mead lovers out there!
Could someone help me with some questions I have until my <Compleat
meadmaker> arrives from the US?
I have only until August/Sept to come out with a new mead and that
includes fermentation. That gives me like 4 months for pri/secondary
fermentation. Could that be done?
I've seen a Chitosan liquid fining for wine that like works in hours.
could that help in speeding my fermentation time?
thanks for all the help!
ps: if there is anyone in brisbane that wishes to attend the sensory
evaluation for my mead when it is done.. just drop me a mail!
later.
------------------------------
Subject: Bee Products in mead questions.
From: Talon McCormick <nmccormick@earthlink.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 07:29:55 -0500 (GMT-05:00)
SNIPPET FROM DIGEST
Try these links
http://www.apitherapy.org
http://www.apitherapy.com
to learn more about the bee products.
Pollen in Mead is good for your health! It was the drink that kept the
Vikings going over to America without getting scorbut or other diseases from
lack of nurishment.
Greetings from Japan
Gabi
http://www.amie.or.jp/daruma/daruma-new1.html
END SNIPPET
I took a look at the links and they are informative and I have some of the
problems listed in the diseases section of apitherapy.com and probably
could benefit greatly from using the pollen in my meads. So that I can
edit my recipes correctly, what bee products other than pollen would be
recommended to put in my meads and what quantities should I add them per
gallon as I make several different sizes? Would I expect a slight rise
in specific gravity?
Thanks,
Talon.
------------------------------
Subject: Dealing with Synthetic cork(q)s
From: Patrick Devaney <damien777@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 05:25:01 -0800 (PST)
Hi Everyone,
Does anyone have adivce on how to properly
sterilize synthetic corks? I'm just using them for the
first time, and they came in a loose bag and I'd like
to make sure they're OK before I bottle.
Thanks!!
------------------------------
Subject: attacks on bees!
From: "Micah Millspaw" <MMillspaw@Silgancontainers.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 07:58:53 -0600
>Several politically-motivated groups have formed a bizarre alliance
> which is set to challenge >beekeeping, production of honey, and
> (obviously, by extension) mead-making in the US.
Quite a story, I am hoping that Dick just made it up. Unfortunately it
is weird enough to be true. And worse, these kind of asinine movements
tend to spread (especially with the opportunity for political or 'moral'
advance).
Any suggestions out there about how to counter this? And just where do
the bees stand on this?
Do they feel exploited or are they satisfied that they have better
housing than wild bees?
What of the Africanized bees? Are they being discriminated against in
some way? So many potential issues!
Micah -
------------------------------
Subject: RE: three pronged attack
From: "Kurt Schilling" <newfie@insightbb.com>
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 09:45:41 -0500
If it were not for the date of Dick's article in issue #1088 (1 April
04) I might not suspect that it could have been written with tongue
firmly in cheek. However, stranger things have happened in this
country. I'm all for having a Bee-in and listening to "Honey Don't"
while sipping a nicely aged 94 Concord Pymet or a 97 Creature in the
Cellar Cyser. (And BTW, I pronounce that with a hard C).
Anyhow, migrate to somewhere that meads are appreciated and honey is
loved. Long live the Meaderies and the Mead drinkers!
Kurt
SteinHaus Meadery and Farm
Anderson IN
------------------------------
Subject: Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
From: "J. Russ" <jruss@jaysbrewing.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:51:02 -0500
:)
Had me going until the wackiness of the last paragraph. I love the vegan
"exploitation" angle.
Cheers!
Jay
703-298-4705
www.jaysbrewing.com
------------------------------
Subject: Multiple Yeasts
From: "Alson Kemp" <alson.kemp@sloan.mit.edu>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 10:12:21 -0500
From: daniel kuczero <sledaddict73@yahoo.com>
>multiple yeasts....
Almost looks like a Subject:...
>Is it acceptable to pitch my second racking of mead
>with a higher tolerant yeast than i initially used?
>any feedback would be much appreciated!
Probably not a preferred method. By racking, you
remove many nutrients that are sitting at the bottom of the
carboy. Even if you go with some really aggressive
re-starter type yeast, you're still pitching the yeast into
an nutrient-poor, alcohol rich medium and they're not going
to be happy. Even if you add DAP or super food, the yeast
still have to fight to survive in an alcohol environment.
-Alson
------------------------------
Subject: Re: the rights of bees as agricultural workers.
From: Michael Faul <mfaul@rabbitsfootmeadery.com>
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 07:38:21 -0800
mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> Regulations concerning mead production and licensing of meaderies are
> closely connected to the fact that honey (like grapes) is an agricultural
> product. Colorado's "Limited Winery" license category is carefully tied
> to this, and thus to the legislative intent to encourage agriculture.
Actually honey according to the BATF(TTB) regulations is NOT an
agricultural product. If it were then the requirements would be the same
as any other (fruit) agricultural product, which is why all meaderies
are required to file applications for formulas for each recipe for mead.
> and THE BEES!!" Given this understanding of how beehives work, it appears
> that there will be legislation introduced to ban demonstration hives being
> shown in schools. It may go as far as prosecuting beekeepers under
> existing "soliciting" statutes.
Hahahha
>
> And what of mead? Well, take all this turmoil about honey production, and
> add to it that the bees are being "exploited" to help produce intoxicating
> beverages!! If you want to raise a red herring up a flagpole and see if
> anybody salutes, use a drunken herring. It's a mess, I tell you. And note
> that there are two meaderies in Boulder County. The big one is Redstone,
> but conservative folks are wondering if there isn't some hidden reference
> to "stoned" and they've been trying to put the bottle labels in their CD
> players to look for backward masking. The smaller meadery is in a town
> named Niwot, which is an Arapahoe Indian word meaning left-handed, so of
> course that's got the right wing in a tizzy, and you know even Simon and
> Garfunkel sang "...nearly branded a communist 'cause I'm left-handed."
> Meanwhile the liberals think that the whole town of Niwot is making fun
> of them, plus they can't decide whether they should like mead or not
> because they can't find anyone to tell them whether they should like it.
>
What about Rocky Mountain Winery? They make mead too in Colorado.
I love it though becasue this is a really really great thing to show how
really really stupid some people really really are.
BTW - I have some VEGAN friends who love Mead and they come from
Berkeley CALIFORNIA.....
Is there a poiner to or a link to the actual proposed amendment?
------------------------------
Subject: Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
From: "Ken Taborek" <Ken.Taborek@verizon.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 11:08:50 -0500
> Subject: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
> From: rcd@talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
> Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:02:03 -0700 (MST)
[snipped]
> What will it come to? Will there be protests? Let's defend
> mead! Call it a bee-in!
Dick,
You can count on me to phone in my outrage to my representatives! Mead must
not bee(sic) oppressed! Don't tread on 'me'ad!
Cheers,
Ken
PS: Happy April Fools day!
------------------------------
Subject: re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking-SAVE THE BEES!
From: "Schuler, Joseph (EAS)" <joseph_schuler@ml.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 11:27:01 -0500
Joseph Schuler
Princeton, NJ
Dick Dunn,
Thank you very much for the obviously well-thought-out gag. It certainly
put a tremendous smile on my face. And I'm at work! If I keep smiling
people will start asking if I got a new job
elsewhere...Happy April 1st!
------------------------------
Subject: Honey in Colorado
From: "S and J" <woodstone100@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 13:45:12 -0500
Well Dick,
I certainly hope that was a April fools joke. Of course when lawyers
and politicians get involved, anything can happen.
I checked with my bee-keeper friend and he says he pays the little
buggers time and a half on holidays!!
Actually, I heard the neo-conservatives in Colorado want to send
all the bees to Iraq!! Haliburtan won't have to feed them much.
More Mead, Scott Ross
------------------------------
Subject: Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
From: Vicky Rowe <rcci@mindspring.com>
Date: Thu, 01 Apr 2004 20:39:15 -0500
Dick,
Wow, this is *bizarre*. I have to ask, just because it *is* so weird,
you aren't joking? I mean, this is *real*?
Because if it is, man, I *gotta* put this on the front page of Gotmead.
If that's ok with you......
Vicky @ gotmead.com
- - currently prepping for the final weekend of the NC Renaissance Fest
and getting ready to attend the Bay Area Ren Fest in Tampa, FL
Easter weekend
At 03:46 AM 4/1/2004, you wrote:
>It hurts to have to write this, because so much of it is happening so close
>to home, but I think you folks need to know what is going on.
>
>Several politically-motivated groups have formed a bizarre alliance which
>is set to challenge beekeeping, production of honey, and (obviously, by
>extension) mead-making in the US.
>
>As some of you may know, Longmont Colorado is the home of the National
>Honey Board (see www.nhb.org). Longmont is in northern Boulder County.
>Longmont is also home for the office of US Rep Marilyn Musgrave (R), the
>initiator of the proposed "Musgrave Amendment" to the US Constitution,
>concerning same-sex marriages. Further, Longmont is home to many
>agricultural workers, and hence is rightly sensitive to the ongoing
>concerns of poor working conditions and taking advantage of these workers.
>To the southwest, Boulder (the county seat) is a strongly activist,
>liberal community with a vocal vegan contingent. You might well wonder
>what these could have to do with one another! Read on...
>
>Vegans oppose honey production, because it is said to exploit bees.
>
>Regulations concerning mead production and licensing of meaderies are
>closely connected to the fact that honey (like grapes) is an agricultural
>product. Colorado's "Limited Winery" license category is carefully tied
>to this, and thus to the legislative intent to encourage agriculture.
>
>Well, the Boulder vegans have figured out that if honey is an agricultural
>product, the bees must be agricultural workers, and by golly they're beeing
>oppressed. They are also, clearly, undocumented. So the Boulderites want
>to protest honey production. The protests are being organized by the
>People for Ethical Treatment of Apis mellifera. Local radio stations are
>carrying a spot featuring a re-mixed version of the Beatles rendition of
>the Carl Perkins tune "Honey Don't".
>
>On another front, unfortunately a little knowledge is a dangerous thing:
>Information made available on the social aspects of beehives has come to
>the attention of supporters of the Musgrave Amendment. They've figured
>out that--with one queen, a few hundred male drones, and tens of thousands
>of female workers--a beehive is a long way from having monogamous male-female
>relationships! One member of Longmont's largest fundamentalist church
>(located on--I am not making this up!--North Gay Street) commented "people
>better start thinking twice before they teach their kids about the birds
>and THE BEES!!" Given this understanding of how beehives work, it appears
>that there will be legislation introduced to ban demonstration hives being
>shown in schools. It may go as far as prosecuting beekeepers under
>existing "soliciting" statutes.
>
>And what of mead? Well, take all this turmoil about honey production, and
>add to it that the bees are being "exploited" to help produce intoxicating
>beverages!! If you want to raise a red herring up a flagpole and see if
>anybody salutes, use a drunken herring. It's a mess, I tell you. And note
>that there are two meaderies in Boulder County. The big one is Redstone,
>but conservative folks are wondering if there isn't some hidden reference
>to "stoned" and they've been trying to put the bottle labels in their CD
>players to look for backward masking. The smaller meadery is in a town
>named Niwot, which is an Arapahoe Indian word meaning left-handed, so of
>course that's got the right wing in a tizzy, and you know even Simon and
>Garfunkel sang "...nearly branded a communist 'cause I'm left-handed."
>Meanwhile the liberals think that the whole town of Niwot is making fun
>of them, plus they can't decide whether they should like mead or not
>because they can't find anyone to tell them whether they should like it.
>
>What will it come to? Will there be protests? Let's defend mead! Call it
>a bee-in!
>- ---
>Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
------------------------------
Subject: Re: The herb store
From: "Kevin Morgan" <kevin.morgan2@verizon.net>
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 20:29:44 -0500
After a google search I've found the correct link to the herb store in
Albuquerque is
http://www.herbstorenm.com/index.html looks like an interesting store!
Thanks Dennis.
Kevin......Brewing and Mazing in South Jersey, but originally from NM
------------------------------
Subject: Re: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
From: Zertwiz@aol.com
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 20:58:24 EST
and they call us nuts in california i have far to many thigns to coment on
this is ill just say i hope all of this blowes over (god i hate peta or who
ever it is that started theis hole mess) never mind the bees would be happy to
make honey wether we used it or not or that the bee keepes brotedt and nurture
there bees. and sexual misconduct in the bee ofice pleas !!!! oh one more thing
i bleve the bees that are keped arnt even locals there europen arn't they
In a message dated 4/1/2004 12:51:09 AM Pacific Standard Time,
mead-request@talisman.com writes:
Subject: three-pronged attack on meadmaking
From: rcd@talisman.com (Dick Dunn)
Date: Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:02:03 -0700 (MST)
It hurts to have to write this, because so much of it is happening so close
to home, but I think you folks need to know what is going on.
Several politically-motivated groups have formed a bizarre alliance which
is set to challenge beekeeping, production of honey, and (obviously, by
extension) mead-making in the US.
As some of you may know, Longmont Colorado is the home of the National
Honey Board (see www.nhb.org). Longmont is in northern Boulder County.
Longmont is also home for the office of US Rep Marilyn Musgrave (R), the
initiator of the proposed "Musgrave Amendment" to the US Constitution,
concerning same-sex marriages. Further, Longmont is home to many
agricultural workers, and hence is rightly sensitive to the ongoing
concerns of poor working conditions and taking advantage of these workers.
To the southwest, Boulder (the county seat) is a strongly activist,
liberal community with a vocal vegan contingent. You might well wonder
what these could have to do with one another! Read on...
Vegans oppose honey production, because it is said to exploit bees.
Regulations concerning mead production and licensing of meaderies are
closely connected to the fact that honey (like grapes) is an agricultural
product. Colorado's "Limited Winery" license category is carefully tied
to this, and thus to the legislative intent to encourage agriculture.
Well, the Boulder vegans have figured out that if honey is an agricultural
product, the bees must be agricultural workers, and by golly they're beeing
oppressed. They are also, clearly, undocumented. So the Boulderites want
to protest honey production. The protests are being organized by the
People for Ethical Treatment of Apis mellifera. Local radio stations are
carrying a spot featuring a re-mixed version of the Beatles rendition of
the Carl Perkins tune "Honey Don't".
On another front, unfortunately a little knowledge is a dangerous thing:
Information made available on the social aspects of beehives has come to
the attention of supporters of the Musgrave Amendment. They've figured
out that--with one queen, a few hundred male drones, and tens of thousands
of female workers--a beehive is a long way from having monogamous male-female
relationships! One member of Longmont's largest fundamentalist church
(located on--I am not making this up!--North Gay Street) commented "people
better start thinking twice before they teach their kids about the birds
and THE BEES!!" Given this understanding of how beehives work, it appears
that there will be legislation introduced to ban demonstration hives being
shown in schools. It may go as far as prosecuting beekeepers under
existing "soliciting" statutes.
And what of mead? Well, take all this turmoil about honey production, and
add to it that the bees are being "exploited" to help produce intoxicating
beverages!! If you want to raise a red herring up a flagpole and see if
anybody salutes, use a drunken herring. It's a mess, I tell you. And note
that there are two meaderies in Boulder County. The big one is Redstone,
but conservative folks are wondering if there isn't some hidden reference
to "stoned" and they've been trying to put the bottle labels in their CD
players to look for backward masking. The smaller meadery is in a town
named Niwot, which is an Arapahoe Indian word meaning left-handed, so of
course that's got the right wing in a tizzy, and you know even Simon and
Garfunkel sang "...nearly branded a communist 'cause I'm left-handed."
Meanwhile the liberals think that the whole town of Niwot is making fun
of them, plus they can't decide whether they should like mead or not
because they can't find anyone to tell them whether they should like it.
What will it come to? Will there be protests? Let's defend mead! Call it
a bee-in!
- - ---
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1089
*******************************
