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Mead Lovers Digest #1266
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1266, 10 June 2006
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1266 10 June 2006
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Announcing Magpie's Meadery (Upstate NY!!) (Ross Cohn)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1265, 4 June 2006 (TFallat@aol.com)
Re: Mead Judging ("Lane O. Locke")
Re: Tried And True Yeasts (Dick Adams)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1265, 4 June 2006 (canwebowlnow@aol.com)
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Subject: Announcing Magpie's Meadery (Upstate NY!!)
From: Ross Cohn <artnculture@yahoo.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 06:34:28 -0700 (PDT)
>From Magpie:
COME ONE COME ALL!
Greetings to all my old friends, and to all the friends I have not yet met.
Come join me for this culmination of my long time dream.
At last, after many years of hard work and dedication, the entire world can
enjoy the taste of Magpie Mead.
Opening the weekend of June 2-3, Magpie Farms Winery will host a mead tasting
on Friday from 4pm-6pm and Saturday from 10am-8pm. On Saturday there will also
be a demonstration event showcasing the Arts and Skills of the Medieval times
presented by the SCA and The Shire of Sterlynge Vayle, and will include an A&S
competition.
Current wine list is:
Black Razzberry
RedRazzberry
Elderberry
Honey
Boysenberry
Price is 14.99 plus tax.
For Additional Information Email Magpie
Magpie Farms
1849 State Highway 41
Bainbridge NY 13733
magpie@magpiemead.com
http://www.magpiemead.com/
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1265, 4 June 2006
From: TFallat@aol.com
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 10:36:29 EDT
Just another thought for Edward Martin and his melomel.......how about some
oak chips? I'll take the chips and soak them in rum, bourbon, scotch or even
grand mariner and add them to the a beer or mead to give it a different
flavor profile. You'd be surprised what that can do for a nice hoppy IPA or a
sweet mead.
Terry Fallat
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Judging
From: "Lane O. Locke" <shaggyman@kc.rr.com>
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 09:32:40 -0500
> Subject: Mead Judging
> From: Ken Schramm <compleatmeadmaker@wowway.com>
> Date: Mon, 29 May 2006 10:01:29 -0400
> If you think this post was too long, I apologize. You should see
> what I left out.
>
> Ken
Indeed. Ken, I would like everyone to see what you left out.
Probably mean another book
I have a pretty good size pile of 1st place and BOC ribbons, (alas no
BOS) but I have pretty much stopped entering competitions unless they
are mead-only and close enough to personally attend. In some of the
combined shows, it seems as if the judging has gotten more bizarre over
the last five years or so. I have seen mead and ale as combined
categories.
Some judge's comments have left me wondering just what sort of liquid
they thought they judging, point spreads that had to be negotiated
between the judges, and interpretations of styles that left ME wondering
what sort of liquid I had entered.
A good friend once entered a pyment (that had won Best of Show a month
before in a Midwest show) in another Midwest show which turned out to
have 2 of the three judges from the last show judging pyments.
You guessed it-instead of 47-47-49, it got 35-37-39!! Same mead, same
judges, same style guidelines.
Different kind of chairs, I think.
Back to lurking in the cellar.......
Lane O.
AKA: The Great And Powerful Shaggyman
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Tried And True Yeasts
From: rdadams@smart.net (Dick Adams)
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 2006 15:51:43 -0400 (EDT)
Eric Snyder <snyderep@mac.com> wrote:
> I am a beginning meadmaker and have 2 batches in fermentation right
> now. Into the first batch went 17 lbs. Orange Blossom honey, nutrient
> and water, nothing more.
You didn't mention batch size or the original gravity of the
must. These are important dimensions for analyzing situations.
Also I add the nutrient in stages, i.e., 1 tsp per gallon with
50% at pitching, 25% three hours later, and 25% after the OG has
dropped by 30% - I learned this from a wise old mazer. ALSO you
need to use a blow-off valve.
> Initially I pitched the Wyeast liquid sweet mead yeast, but after
> 4 days of no activity
By 'no activity', do you mean 'no bubbles in the airlock' or
'no change in specific gravity? Only the latter is a measure
of fermentation!
> I went back to my local homebrew store where they recommended that
> I re-pitch with Red Star Cote de Blanc dry yeast. I did this and
> soon after I noticed activity in the airlock and it has been
> bubbling away for almost 3 weeks now.
>
> In fact I have noticed that fermentation as measured by the bubbling
> has sped up in the last week. Something to note about the liquid
> yeast, it was a bit on the older side but still within acceptable
> limits according to the homebrew shop folks. It also took a full 24
> hours to activate after smacking the smack pack.
I use dry yeast and, thus, hav no comments on liquid yeast
> I started a second batch again with 17 lbs. of honey, this time
> clover. I pitched with Cote de Blanc right away this time and noticed
> activity in the airlock within 24 hours. Should I give the liquid
> yeast another go? Is it really superior for sweet meads and perhaps I
> had a bad packet? Anything wrong with Cote de Blanc? Will Cote de
> Blanc dry these batches out too much? I'm curious as to what the 'go
> to' yeast is for most folks.
Some time ago made 15 gallons of must and split it into three 5-gal
batches. I pitched Lalvin EC-1118, Lalvin K1V-1116, and Cote de Blanc.
I much preferred the batch using EC-1118 and haven't used Cote de Blanc
since then. But this is a matter of personal tastes and you should
use yours.
Other things you didn't mention:
Adding oxygen before pitching;
daily stirring for the first week; and
taking hydrometer readings.
Dick
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1265, 4 June 2006
From: canwebowlnow@aol.com
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 2006 04:00:21 EDT
I'm just starting out myself, but I've used the Cote de blanc yeast
successfully for three batches now. It does ferment dry, but it's easily solved
by topping off the bottles with a bit of honey water before capping. Just have
to make absolutely sure your yeast is dead and gone completely, or you end up
with carbonated mead at best and bottle bombs at worst. So far none have
exploded for me though...
Janelle
In a message dated 6/4/2006 5:07:33 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
mead-request@talisman.com writes:
Subject: Tried And True Yeasts
From: Eric Snyder <snyderep@mac.com>
Date: Sun, 28 May 2006 22:21:23 -0400
I am a beginning meadmaker and have 2 batches in fermentation right
now. Into the first batch went 17 lbs. Orange Blossom honey, nutrient
and water, nothing more. Initially I pitched the Wyeast liquid sweet
mead yeast, but after 4 days of no activity I went back to my local
homebrew store where they recommended that I re-pitch with Red Star
Cote de Blanc dry yeast. I did this and soon after I noticed activity
in the airlock and it has been bubbling away for almost 3 weeks now.
In fact I have noticed that fermentation as measured by the bubbling
has sped up in the last week. Something to note about the liquid
yeast, it was a bit on the older side but still within acceptable
limits according to the homebrew shop folks. It also took a full 24
hours to activate after smacking the smack pack.
I started a second batch again with 17 lbs. of honey, this time
clover. I pitched with Cote de Blanc right away this time and noticed
activity in the airlock within 24 hours. Should I give the liquid
yeast another go? Is it really superior for sweet meads and perhaps I
had a bad packet? Anything wrong with Cote de Blanc? Will Cote de
Blanc dry these batches out too much? I'm curious as to what the 'go
to' yeast is for most folks.
Thanks, this is turning out to be a very enjoyable hobby,
- - -Eric Snyder
Janelle Leek
Brigit Find
Wolves Den/Clan Risio
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1266
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