Mead Lovers Digest #1279

eZine lover (@eZine)

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Mead Lovers Digest

 · 7 months ago

Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1279, 11 September 2006 
From: mead-request@talisman.com 

 
Mead Lover's Digest #1279                                  11 September 2006 

            Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming 
                      Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor 

Contents: 
  RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1278, Herbal Meads? ("Len Wenzel") 
  Dry Melomels...No Matter What (jtollefson83@comcast.net) 
  hello group of Mead Lovers and Mead Makers ("Jim Fleming") 

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Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1278, Herbal Meads? 
From: "Len Wenzel" <lenwenzel@cogeco.ca> 
Date: Sun, 3 Sep 2006 10:53:41 -0400 

Lately I have been thinking of what herbal meads might be like, most 
especially thyme, and tarragon.  Thyme has a clean scent that is very 
aromatic, and tarragon to me seems very much like licorice with a citrus 
overtone.  Has anyone had experience with either of these herbs in a 
mead? How much is enough, how much is overpowering? My aim I guess is to 
infuse a aromatic quality to the mead, along with a decent taste. 

Len Wenzel 

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Subject: Dry Melomels...No Matter What 
From: jtollefson83@comcast.net 
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2006 19:45:10 +0000 

Hey guys, 

I've been doing meads for a couple of years now and can never seem to get 
melomels right. It seems that whatever I do, they always go dry, even if 
that means going past the tolerance of the yeast. I use Schramm's method 
of adding fruit at the end or near the end of fermentation and I suspect 
that it results in a fed fermentation every time. For example, last time 
I used 71B-1122, which has a tolerence of 14%, it finished at 16% by the 
time I racked off the fruit. 

Here is my recipe for a 1 gallon batch: 

Trader Joe's clover honey (3 lbs) 
1/2 tsp tannin 
1 tsp Fermaid-K Yeast Nutrient 
71b-1122 
Water 
SG: 1.020 

- -After 2 days, added 1 tsp DAP Yeast Nutrient and stirred. 
- -After bubbling stopped completely and it started to clear, I racked on to 
 about a pound of pinapple. 
- -6 weeks later it's crystal clear and done at 0.995. 

Any advice? I don't seem to have the ability to make a sweet melomel. I've 
had this problem with other yeasts as well. 

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Subject: hello group of Mead Lovers and Mead Makers 
From: "Jim Fleming" <flemingjim1953@gmail.com> 
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 2006 10:28:17 -0400 

Hello every one... 

I'm Jim Fleming... And wife, Morisa and I, are devoted Mead Lovers... 
We fell in love with the wonderful stuff after one tiny and expen$ive 
jello shot glass of the stuff we sampled at an Olde English 
Renaissance Festival last year in NY State. 

Since then we've managed to make a one gallon batch of Orange Spice 
Mead, back on 17 Jul 06, which is almost ready for 1st racking. My 
goodness the ugly stuff that hasn't settled out of the 
must/liquor/wine/Mead!!!! 

We've cheated once, and that was to taste a tiny sample, no more than 
two ounces between the both of us. What disappointed us was the fact 
that it was exactly as the name describes: Orangey and Spicey in 
taste... There was/is a tiniest bitter after taste, (which we blame on 
the spices) and Orangey taste which of course is our fault as well, 
since we added it... 

Don't get us wrong, it's good, and tasty, and has a nice jolt to it 
too. And Jim has every intention of consuming it, and perhaps allow 
friends to sample it, if it's good enough, after racking... 

But it's not Show Mead. It's Orange/Spice Mead... 

Anyway we wanted to say hello to the Group, and post ourselves, etc... 

If the consensus of the group wants to see the recipe, all you need to 
do is go to: 

www.winepress.us then go to the forums section, then to the mead 
making section... 

Joe Mittioli's Orange Spice Mead recipe is the procedure that we used... 

Take Care, and Cheers, 

Jim and Morisa 

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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1279 
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