Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Mead Lovers Digest #1180
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1180, 2 May 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1180 2 May 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
re. making sure that mead is 'done' ("John Misrahi")
oak (ups474@aol.com)
American Honeybee Epidemic ("Douglass Smith")
Crown Cap question (Jerry Lombardi)
Filters (GreenManRN@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
A searchable archive is available at www.gotmead.com/mead-research/mld
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: re. making sure that mead is 'done'
From: "John Misrahi" <lmoukhin@sprint.ca>
Date: Wed, 27 Apr 2005 11:50:56 -0400
Ken,
Would you say that if the gravity doesn't seem to move over the space of a
week, it is likely done? Or a few weeks? A month?
What is the formula for using sulfite? (I have 11L of mead to treat).
John
If your mead seems to be about done, it still might not be done. The best
way to ensure that your mead has reached it's terminal gravity is to measure
the SG over time. Once it's stable, then it's done. After it is indeed
done stabilizing is a simple matter of adding sorbate according to the
instructions on the bottle (it's not in front of me, but I believe my
sorbate instructs 1/2 tsp per gallon), and sulfite according to volume and
if you choose pH. If you use sorbate you should always sulfite, as sorbate
is susceptible to a bacterial attack that the sulfite will prevent.
Cheers,
Ken Taborek
------------------------------
Subject: oak
From: ups474@aol.com
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 20:58:40 -0400
Try putting the oak you want to use in a bottle, and add enough vodka to
cover it, seal the bottle, and let it sit until the vodka is a black color
that you can't see through. Add this by the dropper or by the teaspoon to
your mead until you get the taste you want. Remember to oak according to
what you want, flavor-wise; American oak (when toasted) has a more aromatic,
vanilla flavor. French oak is less aromatic, but will put more gripping,
tannic texture in your mead. I have tried blends of both with great success-
a medium toast of each was my favorite. Using too much American oak made the
mead reek like I poured vanilla extract in it. Too much French oak made me
think I would have to shave my toungue after a glass of mead. The extract
will keep forever, just keep it out of the light, in a closed container.
------------------------------
Subject: American Honeybee Epidemic
From: "Douglass Smith" <gtg089b@mail.gatech.edu>
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 23:01:47 -0400
I recently read a troubling article about a honeybee plague of sorts that
could sweep across the nation. The varroa mite, a mite that attacks honeybee
brood, has become resistant to pesticides that formerly kept them under
control. Unrestrained, these mites could bring the American Honeybee to
extinction (the article said the mites were able to wipe out 50% of the
American Honeybee population in less than a year). The impact of this would
hit us hard at the dinner table, due to the many crops that depend on
pollination to flourish. Something the article didn't quite touch on is what
dwindling (or nonexistent) honeybee populations would do to the supply of
honey, and more significantly, the manufacture of mead. It's kind of scary.
Here's a link to the article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7656383/
- - Doug Smith -
------------------------------
Subject: Crown Cap question
From: Jerry Lombardi <jerry@divmarketing.com>
Date: Fri, 29 Apr 2005 16:45:44 -0500
I am getting ready to bottle up my first meadtastic creation, and I
would like to know if there is any benefit to using oxy-absorbing crown
caps. Unfortunately, I do not have a Co2 tank with which to purge the
bottles, so I am considering the benefits of oxy-absorbing caps. I
would also like to know if it is recommended to boil these caps before
using them. People have mentioned to me that it is a good practice to
boil the caps to ensure they are sanitized. I am thinking the
oxy-absorbing portion of the cap would suffer at this extreme temperature.
I look forward to hearing back from everyone.
Thanks,
Jerry
------------------------------
Subject: Filters
From: GreenManRN@aol.com
Date: Sat, 30 Apr 2005 21:13:14 EDT
Greeting all,
I've been a watcher of this digest for a while, but have posted very
little. I've found this group to be most informative.
My question is about wine filters. I recently bought a Buon Vino Mini
Jet filter. Anyone use these for mead? I was pleased with some of the
results, but when I used the superfine filter, mead was shooting everywhere
from the pads. Quite messy. Any advice?
Greg
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1180
*******************************
