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Mead Lovers Digest #1237
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1237, 26 December 2005
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1237 26 December 2005
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re:controlling Alcohol Levels ("Charles Gee")
Rose hips ("jamesbrown")
Re: Controlling Alcohol in MEADS (Dick Adams)
Re: Controlling Alcohol in MEADS ("Dan McFeeley")
Commercial Racking (runedog@grandecom.net)
Thanks, Dick Dunn ("Robert Farrell")
Re: Professional Mead Makers (Michael Faul)
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Subject: Re:controlling Alcohol Levels
From: "Charles Gee" <cgee@mhtv.ca>
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 15:13:40 -0800
The answer is to select with care what yeast you are going to use and
pick the one with the right alcohol tolerance. When fermentation ceases
adjust the sweetness level to your preference. You could take a tip from
making Port or Sherry and add a reasonable quantity of strong alcohol to
overpower the yeast. What you use depends on what you can get. Up here
in Canada I tend to use 151 proof rum, but I use Buckwheat honey to make
something similar to a Sherry and I do not mind the A/V getting up
around 18-20%.
To find out about the tolerance of yeasts check the yeast makers website
for example Lalvin RC 212 usually quits somewhere between 12 and 14%.
Charles Gee
------------------------------
Subject: Rose hips
From: "jamesbrown" <jamesbrown@iowatelecom.net>
Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 20:13:56 -0600
I would use 2-3 pounds of dried rose hips per gallon
Be warned, Rose Hip mead needs to age for at least 2 years
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Controlling Alcohol in MEADS
From: rdadams@smart.net (Dick Adams)
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 04:14:14 -0500 (EST)
>> You and I should be neighbors as my meads have never made it below
>> 1.01. If I am correct, D47 has an alcohol tolerance of 14% and your
>> result of 16% is really maxing out on both the yeasts and the
>> fermentables.
>>
>> Consider adding non-fermentable sugars/sweetmers.
> What non-fermentable sugars would you recommend? That sounds good on
> paper. I would have never thought of that. I know people that use a
> conditioner/sweetener that stops the fermentation. I myself am against
> using chemicals in my meads. My sweet meads are made with 15 to 20
> pounds of sugar for a 6 gallon batch. Yes, they are in the 18% to 20%
> alcohol range. I can see where a sweet mead in the 10 to 12 range might
> be nice.
I presume you meant 15 to 20 lbs of honey.
I am never more than three clicks away from the Mead Calculator at
http://www.gotmead.com/making-mead/mead-calculator.shtml.
It says lbs of honey Batch size OG ABV%
------------ ---------- ------ ------
15 6 gals 1.092 12.34
20 6 gals 1.122 16.53
Non-fermentable sugar = maltodextrin
Dick
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Controlling Alcohol in MEADS
From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 08:41:09 -0600
On Wed, 7 Dec 2005, in MLD 1234, Ken Jacobs wrote:
> . . . The mead bottomed out near .998 and is very dry, with an
> alcohol content near 16%. If I wanted to adjust this recipe to
> produce a mead that is more on the sweet side with an alcohol
> content in the range of 12-14%, what should I do. I would also
> take any recommendations as far as book that covers this topic
> well.
You can do a couple of things. Choose a yeast that's a little
less alcohol tolerant, and you'll get the mead your're looking
for. Another way is to monitor the gravity carefully and, if
you've got a freezer big enough to hold the carboy, plunk it
in there and let the yeasties stall out from the cold. Let it sit
there for a good long time to allow suspended yeast to drop
to the bottom, rack carefully off the lees (I've never tried this
method myself, so I can't vouch for how well it works).
Potassium sorbate will work, but only under certain conditions.
As Dick Dunn already pointed out, potasium sorbate will
not stop an active fermentation. Let the mead ferment out to
dryness, let it sit for a while to ensure the yeasties have given
up the ghost, Rack off the lees, add sorbate and then back
sweeten with additional honey to the level of residual sugar
you're looking for. Alcohol level will still be high, but it
won't be as dry a mead. An alternate -- use less fermentable
sugars in making up the muist, calculate the potential alcohol
from the starting gravity to be sure it'll be where you want it,
then let the yeasties finish that out to dryness. Add sorbate
and backsweeten.
Here's a few guides to the use of potassium sorbate -- you'll
see that use of sulfites is important:
http://www.bcawa.ca/winemaking/sorbate.htm
http://www.vawa.net/winemaking-articles/sorbatetable.html
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/bottling.asp
http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/finishin.asp
<><><><><><><><><><>
<><><><><><><><>
Dan McFeeley
"Meon an phobail a thogail trid an chultur"
(The people's spirit is raised through culture)
------------------------------
Subject: Commercial Racking
From: runedog@grandecom.net
Date: Wed, 21 Dec 2005 22:11:45 -0600
Greetings,
Could some of the commercial people explain how they rack? Is it done?
How often? What is the process? It would be interesting to hear the way the
commercial people do it.
CEN
------------------------------
Subject: Thanks, Dick Dunn
From: "Robert Farrell" <bfarrell100@hotmail.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 16:15:11 -0800
Dick,
Many thanks for administering this Digest another year. I have been a
subscriber for several years and have found this forum to be interesting,
informative and genteel. Thanks again, for a great job!
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Bob Farrell
Portland, OR
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Professional Mead Makers
From: Michael Faul <mfaul@rabbitsfootmeadery.com>
Date: Sat, 24 Dec 2005 08:12:31 -0800
How can I help?
Mike Faul
Rabbit's Foot Meadery & Red Branch Cider Co.
Award Winning Mead & Hard Apple Cider
http://www.rabbitsfootmeadery.com
> Subject: Re: Professional meadmakers
> From: "Dan McFeeley" <mcfeeley@keynet.net>
> Date: Fri, 16 Dec 2005 12:14:23 -0600
>
> On Mon, 12 Dec 2005, in MLD 1235, Rob Moore wrote:
>
>
>>Hey, Are any of you guys pro mead makers. I have some
>>questions about making large quantities.
>
>
> Mike Faul of Rabbit's Foot Meadery, Julia Herz of Redstone
> Meadery, Bill Smith of Bees Brothers Meadery have posted
> here, I'm sure there are others I've over looked (many apologies!)
>
> Go ahead and post your questions -- if no one answers right
> away, it's not that there aren't commercial meadery folk on
> this list -- they're just so busy that they may not have time to
> respond right away.
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1237
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