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Mead Lovers Digest #1182
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1182, 9 May 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1182 9 May 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Filters (Avraham haRofeh)
Re: All Natural Selection (Avraham haRofeh)
Re: Spraying mead from filtering (docmac9582@aol.com)
Re: All Natural Selection (Evening Star)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1181, 5 May 2005 ("Dennis Key")
Re: oxygen absorbing crown caps (JazzboBob@aol.com)
Re: Used Oak Barrels ("Dan McFeeley")
Judges & Entries Needed, 12th Annual BUZZ Off May 21st ("Christopher Clair")
American Honeybee Epidemic (beekeepers@stringwizards.com)
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com.
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Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: Filters
From: Avraham haRofeh <avrahamharofeh@herald.sca.org>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 08:29:15 -0400
> As for the sterilizing of crown caps I wash in hot water and detergent to
> get rid of wax/grease rinse very well and dump into a metabisulphite
> solution and use them wet from that. Who on earth needs to boil anything
> to achive sterility?
If you're trying to avoid the use of sulfites because of allergies, then you
have to use boiling (or bleach, but that often leaves off flavors, and you
can't add it to the actual mead).
****************
Reb Avraham haRofeh (mka Randy Goldberg MD)
Quarterly azure and argent, four mascles counterchanged
RandomTag: Sometimes it takes a fool to rush in to get the job done.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: All Natural Selection
From: Avraham haRofeh <avrahamharofeh@herald.sca.org>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 08:34:12 -0400
> I would assume if I went natural the acid would be done by a
> juice mixture (apple comes to mind) if so any suggestions on
> amount and types of juices to add??
I generally use the juice of half a lemon to a five gallon batch, and that
seems to be a sufficient amount of acid for a straight mead.
> Again following instructions, I used a starter pack of yeast
> nutriant. I read somewhere that raisins are perfect for this
> job. Again how much should I be looking to add?
I use a double handful, chopped coarsely.
> Are there any advantages/disadvantages to using a glass carboy
> over plastic bucket?
Carboys are much heavier and much less safe when you have to hoist it up to
table level to rack, though you can minimize this if you can find the
polycarbonate carboys made by Better Bottle. You can't stir a carboy as
easily, and if you're doing a melomel, it's a lot harder to deal with fruit
in a carboy, unless you're talking about small things like berries.
****************
Reb Avraham haRofeh (mka Randy Goldberg MD)
Quarterly azure and argent, four mascles counterchanged
RandomTag: Never forget: 2 + 2 = 5 for extremely large values of 2.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Spraying mead from filtering
From: docmac9582@aol.com
Date: Fri, 06 May 2005 11:05:43 -0400
Re: GreenManRN problem with spraying mead while filtering
I have had the same problem. Too "Scotch" to buy filters for each 5 gal
(or less) for the fine filters. Had to bottle mead for daughter's wedding,
with not enough time (only 7 months advance warning and no knowledge of
mead at the time). Had to put glass carboys in bath tub with hot water
when it stuck and with ice cubes to help stop fermentation and drop yeast
when she said it was terrific at that point. I rented a filter pump.
For ALL filtering, I used aluminum foil "tent" around filter to collect
the eventual spray and direct it into the tray. Did this after 1st spray
of suggery mead coating everything within several feet of the filter,
including me. What a mess.
Tried reconditioning filters in Chlorox to dissolve/disintegrate yeast
(with long water rinse and soak protocol), but only partially successful.
Perhaps another gallon or two. Not worth the effort.
Samples of the original wedding mead, now 6-7 years old and tasting
terrific, have some precipitate in bottom of the presentation bottles (no
problem except need to carefully decant to keep from making mead cloudy).
This in spite of what appeared to be crystal clear mead. In fact, when I
first filtered, I thought it was clear even before coarse filter. Then it
looked very clear and the unfiltered suddenly looked hazy in comparison.
The same after a second filtering - the first filtered mead not looking
nearly as clear when compared to a second filtering. The final 23 gallons
of mead (served in liter carafs at the tables with a presentation bottle
for take home for each guest) looked crystal clear for about the first
year before what I assume is a combination of yeast, protein, and acid
crystals started forming a slight ppt at the bottom of the bottles.
At one time I was looking to buy a filter pump, before realizing that
time is a great filter. Now, I have time and let time do the filtering.
After 1 to 3+ years in a glass carboy topped off with only about an
inch air space in the neck (after racking off the yeast for a final time
when it looks crystal clear) - Now it is REALLY clear, with just a bit of
sediment at the bottom of the carboy. I tend to leave the mead in the 5-7
gallon carboys until I need it to drink or blend or submit to competation.
Saves space and bottles and becomes crystal clear as it improves with age.
So no more filtering for me unless time become a problem.
Best of luck.
Carl McMillin, PhD
Scientist and now student mead maker with > 100 gallons fermenting at any
one time
------------------------------
Subject: Re: All Natural Selection
From: Evening Star <eveningstartwo@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 08:21:49 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: All Natural Selection
From: "Trevor James" <James@management.uottawa.ca>
Date: Mon, 02 May 2005 12:07:40 -0400
I am a very newbie at making mead. My fisrt batch is currently
in the primary fermenter. I noticed a few posts back that there
are some "All Natural" brewers. I would like to go the same
way, but there is little details for the final brew that I can
find.
PH/Acid
- - -------
I know yeast needs a slightly acidic environment to work, but I
can not seem to find any values (PH or %) that I should be
looking for. I used an Acid Blend (following the instructions
as close to as I could) and had an initial reading of 0.1% (SG
1.118).
I would assume if I went natural the acid would be done by a
juice mixture (apple comes to mind) if so any suggestions on
amount and types of juices to add??
Yeast Nutriant
- - --------------
Again following instructions, I used a starter pack of yeast
nutriant. I read somewhere that raisins are perfect for this
job. Again how much should I be looking to add?
Primary Firmentation
- - --------------------
Are there any advantages/disadvantages to using a glass carboy
over plastic bucket?
I am by no means an expert but I've brewed for the last 8 or 9 years.
To answer some of your questions: I don't use acid, I don't use
nutrient, I don't use sanitizer. I do use all glass carboys and
household bleach to clean. I'm a real purist but I do use pectic
enzyme to clear after bulk ageing mead.
Most of my meads are fruit based but not all and if you use bleach,
rinse, rinse, rinse!!
Maureen
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1181, 5 May 2005
From: "Dennis Key" <dione13@msn.com>
Date: Fri, 6 May 2005 09:33:32 -0600
In reply to Trevor James' question concerning an acid environment for
the best fermentation: A few years ago I read in this digest that the
yeasties really rock at a pH in the vicinity of 4.0 which is certainly
on the acid side. (Neutral is around 7.5). Since then I have had very
good results adjusting the must to this area using CaCo3 (calcium
carbonate or chalk available at your brew store). You could, of course
use almost any acid source (citrus juice, acid blend, etc.) to lower the
pH but I've always found the fresh must to be between 2.8 and 3.2
without adjustment therefore not needing to be lowered. I add an acid
mix I get from my supplier (mallic, tartaric, citric) at the end of
fermentation when the mead begins its settling and clearing process. I
am very conservative in the amount I use at a time and taste after every
addition until I reach a taste that is very subjectively my own.
Duncan and Acton in Mead Making always call for the addition of acid at
the beginning, but their recipes take upwards of a year to ferment out.
The result is quite good and they say they start a fresh gallon every
month which satisfies their consumption. Like many of us, though, I
think fermentation time can be shortened considerably with the pH
adjusted to around 4.0 without losing anything of the desired character
of your mead.
Merry Mead and Merry Partake!
Dione Greywolfe (aka Dennis Key)
------------------------------
Subject: Re: oxygen absorbing crown caps
From: JazzboBob@aol.com
Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 00:44:14 EDT
I also use the oxygen absorbing crown caps for my beers and meads that are
going to be aged. It's not that important for quickly consumed beers, but
they do make a difference in the long run. Try an experiment and split up the
type of caps used when bottling. I bet you'll notice a difference after a few
months if you try the mead or beer side by side. I just opened a 1997 bottle
that had no signs of oxidation. The gray plastic cap lining material
bubbles up and swells a bit as it absorbs the oxygen. DO not boil them at
bottling time. I find a simple soak in iodophor is fine. Also, keep the
unused packages of caps well sealed and out of humid areas so they stay
fresh. The caps provide good evidence to your bottling procedures by staying
fairly normal or swelling if there is oxygen present.
cheers, Bob Grossman
_jazzbobob@aol.com_ (mailto:jazzbobob@aol.com)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Subject: Oxy Crown Caps
From: David Craft <chsyhkr@bellsouth.net>
Date: Mon, 2 May 2005 12:56:28 -oxygen absorbing crown caps 0400
Greetings,
I always use oxygen absorbing crown caps for beer and mead that I intend
to keep for a while. I cannot vouch that it works, but is worth the extra
money for the time and money I have invested in my beverages.
David Craft
Crow Hill Meadery
Greensboro, NC
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Used Oak Barrels
From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Sat, 7 May 2005 09:40:28 -0500
A few digests back, there were some questions being asked on low cost
used oak barrels, whether they were reliable or not. I've never used a
barrel myself, as intriqued as I am about the idea. I would want to use a
standard size oak barrel due to the surface to volume ratio and subsequent
increased oxidation rates for the smaller sizes -- and that's a big batch
for me to make all at once! It turns out that the standard size oak barrel,
200 liters or about 53 US gallons, is the perfect compromise between length
of aging time in winemaking v/s the size of the barrel.
Of course, this is as applied to winemaking. No one has done extended
studies on the use of oak in meadmaking, or at least, there isn't much
published in English. Chuck Wettergreen and Wout Klingens have reported
that oak is used extensively by meadmakers in Brittany France.
Here's the URL again for finding low cost oak barrels:
http://winebusiness.com/UsedBarrels/
Oskaar, over on the GotMead forums, gave me some good advice on shopping
around for good used barrels. From his own experience, you can find good
barrels that will be reliable. The oak sugars and lignin/vanillins will
not be as potent as the levels found in a new barrel. Depending on how
much they've been used, the contribution of oak to the mead may be fairly
now -- in other words, just about right.
Infection from tainted barrels shouldn't be a problem unless the company
specifically states the barrels are only good for outdoor decor, planters
or bonfires. Most wineries would not want buyers of their used barrels
to get ones that are tainted -- the rumors that would start would be bad
for their reputation.
Check the barrel to see if it's good by smelling the interior. It should
smell sweet and/or winey, or even neutral. Anything else is a barrel that
shouldn't be used.
Hope this is helpful!
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
------------------------------
Subject: Judges & Entries Needed, 12th Annual BUZZ Off May 21st
From: "Christopher Clair" <buzzclub@verizon.net>
Date: Mon, 09 May 2005 07:07:15 -0400
One more week for entries and we are still looking for judges! Come out for
the fun and gain valuable judging experience from National, Master, and
Grand Master judges! See details below.
Thanks and good luck!
Christopher Clair
buzzclub <at> verizon.net
http://hbd.org/buzz
Brewers Unlimited Zany Zymurgists (BUZZ) is proud to announce that the 2005
BUZZ Off home brew competition will be held on Saturday, May 21st at Iron
Hill Brewery & Restaurant in West Chester, PA. For another year we will be
a qualifying event for the prestigious Masters Championship of Amateur
Brewing (MCAB) as well as the Delaware Valley Homebrewer of the Year. All
BJCP recognized styles (2004 guidelines) including meads and ciders are
eligible for entry. For complete details and forms, please visit the BUZZ
web site at http://hbd.org/buzz.
Entries will be accepted between May 1st and May 15th. For drop off and
mail in locations please refer to the BUZZ web site. Please, do not send
entries to Iron Hill.
BJCP Judges and stewards will be needed. If you are interested please
contact me or another committee member (contact information can be found on
the web site). All judges must be BJCP certified (any ranking).
Good luck and cheers!
Christopher Clair
buzzclub <at> verizon.net
http://hbd.org/buzz
------------------------------
Subject: American Honeybee Epidemic
From: beekeepers@stringwizards.com
Date: Mon, 9 May 2005 12:12:54 -0700 (PDT)
Varroa mites are a problem. So is American Foulbrood. The big problem
seems to be that so many beekeepers are going out to California to rent
bees for pollination, that the mites are able to spread quickly.
It appears that beekeepers who are "non-migratory" don't have nearly as
much problem.
In my case, I use a garlic/powdered sugar mixture, which has protected the
bees for a year now. The garlic kills the mites on contact, and the
powdered sugar attracts the bees and causes them to "groom" themselves.
The real problem for mead makers is honey supply: there are fewer and
fewer "local" beekeepers every year.
Jim Chase
Waco, TX
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1182
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