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Mead Lovers Digest #1200
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1200, 16 July 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1200 16 July 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Mead with Figs? ("Dan McFeeley")
Re: Mead with Figs? (Mail Box)
Erics Braggot Recipe Questions ("Adam Boyle")
Recipie Request (Spike)
How can you repair an Oxidized batch of mead? ("Mike Castelluccio")
No More Headspace ("Douglass Smith")
Subject: Mead with Figs? (Steve Thompson)
Subject: re: Plastic Carboys (Steve Thompson)
Mint in mead (Bradley Hunter)
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Subject: Re: Mead with Figs?
From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 14:55:33 -0500
On Mon, 11 Jul 2005, in MLD 1199, A.J. Rhoda asked:
>I've got a fig tree that just popped up a huge crop.
>They're going to be here for about two weeks and there
>re always more than I know what to do with. I was
>hinking of doing a mead with a couple pounds of figs.
>Any Ideas, suggestions, etc on this?
In general, two to four pounds of fruit per gallon is a
good figure to worth with when making melomels.
Here's a good guideline. Take a look at this URL
for fig wine: http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/reques6.asp
Generally, about 3/4 lb sugar is equivalent to 1 pound
of honey. For melomels, make your adjustments
accordingly.
Hope this is helpful!
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
Kankakee, Illinois USA
"Meon an phobail a thogail trid an chultur"
(The people's spirit is raised through culture)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead with Figs?
From: Mail Box <mail-box@adelphia.net>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 16:57:46 -0400
> From: "A.J. Rhoda" <aguidor@yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 09:19:06 -0700 (PDT)
>
> I've got a fig tree that just popped up a huge crop.
> They're going to be here for about two weeks and there
> are always more than I know what to do with. I was
> thinking of doing a mead with a couple pounds of figs.
> Any Ideas, suggestions, etc on this?
A.J.,
My in-laws have a fig tree that produces a huge amount of fruit each
season. I've been making a fig mead for the the past few years from the
excess fruit, something like 11-13 lbs in a 5 gallon (American) batch.
The melomel has great body, and the fig aroma and flavor comes through
strongly. As long as their tree lasts I'll keep producing it yearly,
and I've got a sapling awaiting me the next time we're up visiting. :-)
Go for it, it'll be well worth it!
Cheers,
Ken Taborek
------------------------------
Subject: Erics Braggot Recipe Questions
From: "Adam Boyle" <adamtboyle@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 13 Jul 2005 20:14:09 -0500
In response to Erics questions about Ale yeasts in Braggot. D-47 the yeast
I used has a alc. tollerence of 12-14%. I have heard that Irish, California
and Brittish ale yeasts will reach these percentages. If they can
metabolize all the sugars in honey is a different question. My next batch
of Braggot will be a combination of Irish Dry Stout and Mead. Something
like:
3.3 pounds of Dark malt extract (liquid)
1/4 lb. Crystal malt
1/4 lb. Roasted barley
1/4 lb. Chocolate malt
1/4 lb. Flaked barley
1 oz. Nugget hops,
1 oz. Willamette hops
6 lbs. Clover/Wildflower honey
Irish Ale Yeast
The last batch didnt have enough Malt character to match my honey, the honey
was overpowering. The residual sugar was right on. With this batch I think
that the alch. % should be around 7-8%. I'll give it a try and tell the MLD
how it turns out, as soon as I free up a carboy.
As fer the girlfriend, I've tried all kinds of beers on her. I usually have
Summet Hefe Weizen, Guinness, Blvd. Dry Stout, Summet Maiiboch, Harp, Bass,
etc. in the fridge and she wont touch em. She'll take a sip if I make her
but other than that I dont expect that she'd ever buy anything other than
Bud.
------------------------------
Subject: Recipie Request
From: Spike <spikedmead@gmail.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 07:55:32 -0700
Hello!
I have recived a request to make some orange-chamomile mead. I ave
never used either in a mead. Do any of you have a good recipie or any
suggestions when working with these ingredients? Thanks in advance!!
Spike
------------------------------
Subject: How can you repair an Oxidized batch of mead?
From: "Mike Castelluccio" <mcastelluccio@excite.com>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 20:44:46 -0400 (EDT)
How can you repair an Oxidized batch of mead?
I have a batch of mead ageing, and I have not been as attentive as I should
have and now the mead is showing signs of oxidation. Has anyone tried to
restart fermentation to flush out or dilute the oxidation flavor?
I have a 5 gal batch of blackberry ? ginger mead that usually tastes like
heaven, but only when I take care of it. My thought was to make 1 ? 2
gallons of sack mead and start a strong fermentation from an active
culture, and add in the oxidized batch gradually to the active batch and
ten continue the ageing. I have read about manufacturers adding the aged
wines to the young ones to help age the young batch. There was a mention
of teaching the young batches with the old batches, but I don?t know if
that applies to oxidized meads or wines.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
------------------------------
Subject: No More Headspace
From: "Douglass Smith" <gtg089b@mail.gatech.edu>
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 22:55:43 -0400
I have an interesting situation (I don't know if it should be escalated to a
problem just yet...). My current batch of mead, started about a week an a
half ago, has consumed its headspace. I was sure that I left about an inch,
or a little less, in headspace, but today I looked, and the bubbles were
traveling up the neck of the airlock. There's even a ring of yeast inside of
the airlock's neck. Also, unless it was the result of a careless passerby,
it looked as if the mead had tried to toss the airlock off altogether.
Should this be a point of concern? I don't too much like the idea of yeast
trying to ferment *in* my airlock (not to mention the now constant contact
with the rubber stopper).
- - Doug Smith -
------------------------------
Subject: Subject: Mead with Figs?
From: Steve Thompson <srthompson@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 14:59:30 -0400
Subject: Mead with Figs?
From: "A.J. Rhoda" <aguidor@yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Jul 2005 09:19:06 -0700 (PDT)
<<I've got a fig tree that just popped up a huge crop.
They're going to be here for about two weeks and there
are always more than I know what to do with. I was
thinking of doing a mead with a couple pounds of figs.
Any Ideas, suggestions, etc on this?>>
You might consider making a Cyser with the figs added for body. I
typically add raisens and dates to mine...
Steve
------------------------------
Subject: Subject: re: Plastic Carboys
From: Steve Thompson <srthompson@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 15 Jul 2005 15:03:49 -0400
>>>>
From: David Collins-Rivera <lostnbronx@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2005 12:23:31 -0700
I bulk-aged a five gallon batch of strawberry mel in a plastic carboy once,
a carboy from a water delivery service, and it did, indeed, lend a
noticeable (to me) plastic taste to the mead. Friends of mine said they
couldn't taste it at all, but I think they were being kind. I never used
that carboy again, except as temporary storage while I was either cleaning
out my glass carboy, or gathering up equipment in prep to bottling. Short
term exposure like this didn't seem to hurt any of the later meads.
>>>>
I'm ready to purchase a couple of 5 gallon carboys, I'm curious, did
you use the water jug variety or the "Better Bottle" brand PET
containers (or something similar). I've heard that the H2O containers
are pervious to O2.
Anyone on this list have any experience with these:=20
http://www.better-bottle.com/
They are a lot lighter for those of us that pay shipping :) I'm
curious if longer term aging would be comparible to glass?
Steve
------------------------------
Subject: Mint in mead
From: Bradley Hunter <hunter@midcoast.com>
Date: Sat, 16 Jul 2005 08:18:02 -0400
I recently ran across a copy of last years AHA 's Mead Day official
recipe.
Mead Day is always on the first Saturday in August and, as that is
fast approaching, I thought I would take the opportunity to use up a
few ingredients I have sitting around.
I will be modifying the recipe accordingly to fit my on hand
ingredient list.
The recipe calls for 8 oz. of bruised spearmint leaves to be muslin
bagged in the secondary fermenter.
I do not have access to fresh spearmint but I do have a lovely organic
patch of 'gingermint'
{ mentha x gracilis } which is described for use as 'culinary'.
Does anyone out there have any experience with this mint and would it
be an acceptable substitute for the spearmint? In similar measure?
I may consider adding the fresh leaves as suggested in the secondary or
I may soak the leaves in vodka for a few weeks and add that as needed ,
or both!
I will also depart from the original recipe in that it calls for 18
lbs. of clover honey and I will be using 14 lbs. of , now solid,
wildflower honey plus 2 gals. of wonderful custom pressed , now frozen,
field run apple cider which included several russet varieties, crabs
and some unknown high tannin ones.
So now this is technically a cyser but , for me, the proportions are
unusual as I normally make my cysers with about 4 or five gals. of
apple cider and only 5 or 6 lbs. of honey so I've flip-flopped the
proportions.
Anybody used similar ratios with success?
I'm also using Montrachet yeast instead of the Prise de Mousse yeast
they recommend .
I know Montrachet has a reputation for 'off smells' initially but that
always disappears in time, in my experience, and I like the character
in the end product.
I now have a recipe totally unlike the original but it still sounds
pretty good to me..........
Any thoughts or comments would be appreciated.
Check out www.beertown.org/events/meadday/index.html.
Thanks,
Brad
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1200
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