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Mead Lovers Digest #1177
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1177, 19 April 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1177 19 April 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: HOT Capsicumel Mead ("Dan McFeeley")
RE:Subject: Slow bubble speed after racking ("Robert Keith Moore")
types of pears (Marty and Janice Woodcock)
Re: Oak (Michael Faul)
Re: HOT Capsicumel Mead (Michael Kohne)
Hot meads ("OCurrans")
Re: Over-oaking ("OCurrans")
capsimels (Jim Johnston)
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Subject: Re: HOT Capsicumel Mead
From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 11:04:00 -0500
On Mon, 11 Apr 2005, in MLD 1176, Dick Dunn wrote, in part:
>. . . I've used a mixture of not-so-hot chiles--anaheims, poblanos,
>with a few jalapeños and/or serranos--but on the order of a pound
>of chiles per gallon of mead. I'm guessing I end up with a comparable
>amount of heat to what Art gets, but with a lot more of the flavor of
>the chiles I use. (I'd love to be able to pick up the flavor of a habanero
>in a mead, but I can't see a way to use enough habanero to do that without
>making the mead absurdly hot.)
There are habaneros that are mild in heat level but are reported to
retain the flavor. One is the Aji Dulce, a heatless habanero. Another
is the Texas A&M mild version.
>One other reason I removed the seeds and membranes is just
>conventional kitchen wisdom--they can add a bitter taste when
>you're cooking with them. Whether that would happen with a
>mead, I don't really know; I didn't want to find out the hard way.
I've left seeds and membranes in capsimels and haven't noticed
any bitterness, either at high or low levels of heat. Although it
seems to be working for me, YMMV.
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
------------------------------
Subject: RE:Subject: Slow bubble speed after racking
From: "Robert Keith Moore" <Rob@ineedachef.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 13:38:50 -0700
The speed of the bubbles always slows down after racking. It may or may not
pick up speed again. 15lbs in 5 gallons with 1118 should give you about 14.5
on the alcohol. I make strong meads myself. I normally give the primary
ferment 6 to 9 weeks. I definitely wait until it has slowed down to a
trickle (almost no activity) before I do any racking. Too much yeast
nutrient will leave a taste you probably do not want. I have no idea what
"diammonium phosphate" is for but you probably do not need that either. I am
all for organic meads. Honey, water, yeast and the occasional nutrient.
Other than fruit or fruit juice and or herbs I can not think of any
necessities that could make a better mead. I have lots of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd
place trophies to prove my point...
The 1118 is a fast yeast and most likely did a lot in the primary. Did you
taste it when you racked? Was it still sweet or was it dry? Did you get a
starting SG or just wing it? You can use these things to check where you
are. Short of any scientific decision making ability I would let it go for
another 2 months and rack it if there is a lot of sediment on the bottom and
then let it sit for another 2 months then bottle. If in 2 months there is
little or no sediment I would wait another month to rack (why mess with a
good thing) and taste to decide to bottle or not.
------------------------------
Subject: types of pears
From: Marty and Janice Woodcock <martynjanice@shaw.ca>
Date: Sat, 16 Apr 2005 18:39:02 -0600
I just bottled a small batch of crabapple melomel that I started last
fall. It has a nice crisp flavour. I am thinking about making a perry
next. I have not made one before so I was wondering types of pears would
be best? Any tips for avoiding problems with pears? Thank you in advance
for any assistance.
Janice
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Oak
From: Michael Faul <mfaul@rabbitsfootmeadery.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2005 17:52:39 -0700
I can buy you brand new American Oak barrels for $250 each. You tell me
what you want in as toasting level and they are yours
Mike
>>>I found out I can get year old french oak 50-gallon
>>>wine barrels for $20. The only bee keeper I know said
>
> tel,
>
> New oak barrels are hundreds of dollars, so $20 for a 50-gallon
> french oak barrel would set off my too-good-to-be-true alarm. It
> reminds me of an old joke:
>
> How do you tell if a used barrel is infected? Easy, they're the ones
> that are for sale.
>
> Caveat emptor,
>
> Erroll
------------------------------
Subject: Re: HOT Capsicumel Mead
From: Michael Kohne <mhkohne@discordia.org>
Date: Mon, 18 Apr 2005 09:16:10 -0400
> From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
> Date: Mon, 11 Apr 2005 12:27:59 -0600
>
> I've taken somewhat the opposite approach with my capsimels...I remove and
> discard the membranes and seeds, and just coarsely chop the flesh of the
> chiles. My approach is not to -avoid- the heat, but rather to be able to
> pick up more chile flavor per quantum of heat. In the same vein, rather
> than use habaneros, I've used a mixture of not-so-hot chiles--anaheims,
> poblanos, with a few jalapeños and/or serranos--but on the order of a pound
> of chiles per gallon of mead. I'm guessing I end up with a comparable
> amount of heat to what Art gets, but with a lot more of the flavor of
> the chiles I use. (I'd love to be able to pick up the flavor of a habanero
> in a mead, but I can't see a way to use enough habanero to do that without
> making the mead absurdly hot.)
Two other things you might try to get more fruit taste per heat: shaving
more of the inner of the chile, and roasting before using them. Both of
these were things I picked up from watching Good Eats (Alton Brown's
show on Food Network).
Scarily, a quick google found what is apparently a set of fan-prepared
transcripts of the show. If you read this one, search down for Scene 6,
he discusses various options for getting more flavor vs. more heat:
http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season4/Chile/ChileTranscript.htm
- --
You should be smarter than the equipment you are trying to operate
Matt Osborne
Michael Kohne mhkohne@discordia.org
------------------------------
Subject: Hot meads
From: "OCurrans" <OCurrans@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 18:05:10 -0400
I guess I am not as much of a man as some on this list. Firewater and eyes
popping out don't seem like a pleasurable event. BUT, I have three gallons
of tomato mead, bulk aging, that is "missing something." I think a LITTLE
BIT of heat may be just the thing. How would you tone it down for this wimp?
Howard Curran Oviedo, FL
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Over-oaking
From: "OCurrans" <OCurrans@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 18:18:00 -0400
Subject: Over-oaking
From: Steven Sanders <geigertube@yahoo.com>
Date: Tue, 29 Mar 2005 09:14:22 -0800 (PST)
All:
I over-oaked a couple of my meads with toasted french
oak, and they kind of smell like a wood shop. Will
this age out? I'm assuming yes, but confirmation will
make me feel better. :)
Steven,
I ran an experiment with Oak last year. I took a traditional mead
that was bulk aging and split off three one gallon test bottles. Into each,
I placed 6 oak cubes each of French, Hungarian and American Oak, and set
them aside for one month. At that time each smelled and tasted like a wet
2X4. I was ready to throw them out, but, my buddy said to let them sit for a
couple of months (what did I have to lose). I am VERY glad I listened to
him. Each has turned out wonderfully, with a flavor and character of their
own. They seemed to get better while they lasted. I will do it again, just
more than a gallon.
Howard Curran Oviedo, FL
------------------------------
Subject: capsimels
From: Jim Johnston <jim@tervolk.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Apr 2005 20:46:38 -0500
On Apr 16, 2005, at 1:47 AM, mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> I'm curious whether you have to replace the gaskets each time on those
> swing-tops...or just use them only for capsimel.
I tried using swing tops once on a capsimel. The rubber seals
dissolved and I had to replace them anyway. Maybe I used too many
peppers...
Jim
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1177
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