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Mead Lovers Digest #1301
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1301, 27 January 2007
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1301 27 January 2007
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
High alcohol fermentation (Was: Re: Question for any Lalvin K1-V1116 y ("B...)
February 9-10 Mead Fest reminder ("Julia Herz")
Lavendar Mead (Ian)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1300, 23 January 2007 ("Dan&jan")
Basic Mead Recipe ("Jim Fleming")
Chamomile mead (Russ.Hobaugh@erm.com)
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Subject: High alcohol fermentation (Was: Re: Question for any Lalvin K1-V1116 y
From: "Bill Pierce" <BillPierce@aol.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 16:24:21 -0500
In MLD #1300, Dick Adams writes:
If you want an ABV of 15% plus, do the following:
- - - Use twice as much yeast as the recipe indicates. That's usually
two packs of 5 grams up to 6 gallons and 3 packs for 7.5 gallons.
- - - Add 1 tsp of yeast nutrient per gallon on the following
schedule.
* 1/2 of the yeast nutrient after pitching;
* 1/4 of the yeast nutrient 3 hours after pitching; and
* 1/2 of the yeast nutrient wheb the SG drops by 1/3.
- - - Saturate the must with oxygen for 90 seconds after you add the
first dose of yeast nutirent.
- - - Stir the must daily until you pitch the last dose of yeast
nutrient.
- - - Cold ferment at 50F to 59F (10C to 15C) or as cold as your yeast
can take it.
- -------------------------------------------
This advice seems sound to me, save for the last point. Dick, why
do you recommend cold fermentation? This is counterintuitive, as
logic would suggest that warm or at least the recommended
temperature (70 - 75 F) would increase the yeast metabolism and
encourage more complete fermentation.
- -- Bill Pierce
Cellar Door Homebrewery
Burlington, Ontario
------------------------------
Subject: February 9-10 Mead Fest reminder
From: "Julia Herz" <jherz@honeywine.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 14:33:16 -0700
I wanted to email the digest to let you all know there are 17 Days left
until the February 9-10, 2007 International Mead Festival - Honey Wines of
the World! Tickets are $30 advance/$35 at the door. Seminars are included in
the cost of your ticket and this year we have 4 GREAT seminars. On Friday,
February 9 we have Beekeeping and Honey by Marion Ellis from University of
Nebraska, and Mead and Food by Ken Schramm of Complete Mead Maker and
Gretchen Bliss of Spruce Mountain Meadery.
On Saturday, February 10 we have Dry Mead with Mark Beran of Medovina
Mountain Honey Wine, Denice Ingalls of Sky River and John Bryans of Munro
Meadery in Canada . Over 100 commercial meads are entered this year and
available for sampling by the public. This is the 5th ever festival and our
largest yet with attendance projected to be 1000 - 1,200 people.
New Hotel Location this year too! Denver Sheraton West, 360 Union Boulevard
. Lakewood, Colorado 80228. 800.525.3966. With a view of downtown Denver and
the worlds largest commercial mead tasting to happen all in the same room
we're guaranteed to have an amazing 5th festival!
Please visit www.meadfest.com <http://www.meadfest.com/> for complete
details and hope to see you there.
Julia Herz of Honeywine.com
and
International Mead Festival - February 9-10, 2007
www.meadfest.com / www.meadfest.org
------------------------------
Subject: Lavendar Mead
From: Ian <elkor@mindspring.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:10:39 -0500 (EST)
One of my first experimental meads was with Lavendar and hibiscus.
I used about a half to 3/4 cup of dried lavendar in a gallon batch. Scale
appropriate for your size.
I can't comment much on the taste, as the hibiscus seemed to dominate the
flavor, and I was doing "young" meads, drinking them within 2 months of
starting so don't have a baseline for how it ages. But the general reaction
to the mead was "Mmm, yummy!" so I did something right.
Where did you get your lavendar? The source is going to be pretty
important. I wouldn't recommend getting lavendar that is prepared for
potpouri as they sometimes spray it with artificial scents and dyes and
preservatives. Also, the "older" the dried lavendar, the less flavor
it will contribute, so the amounts you need will vary. Don't let it
sit out in the open are for days before being used. Sealed ziploc or
glass container are best. Buy it from someplace that stores it in same.
You might consider planting or buying some fresh lavendar and trying that.
Also, the older the lavendar, the more likely there is to be dust in the
container, which can cloud your mead.
Anyway, I simmered it in a tea w/ 3 cups of water (be sure to cover to
keep in the flavor) for 15 minutes (afer hitting a boil) then pitched it
into the container (herbs and all). If I were to do it again, I would
strain out the lavender, as it makes racking a pain. I plan on doing an
experiment where I make a batch filtered and not, to see how it changes.
I let it ferment for about 2 weeks (as I said, young meads) and then
strained out. At this point you'd do a secondary fermentation or serve it.
If you leave the lavendar on too long, it can create a dryness to the mead.
Warning: Do NOT add dried lavendar straight to your primary, as it will
float on top, get slightly moist, and then mildew. It really should be
boiled both to rehydrate as well as kill off anything that is living on
it. (Personal experience speaking there).
You also mentioned roses. I recommend rose as a tea, and not including
the leaves in the primary. Every time I've done this the mead has had a
very dry aftertaste.
Hope this helps.
Regards,
Ian
Subject: Initial Lavender Mead Steps
From: "Jeff Tollefson" <jtollefson245@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2007 21:10:14 -0800
Gonna make a dry lavender mead. Any experiences? I was planning to use an
ounce of dried buds (3/4 pint?) by putting it in a couple large tea bags and
boiling it in a gallon of water, then removing the lavender and starting out
with a gallon of lavender tea. I've seen recipes that just add it in primary
and let it go, straining out the lavender later. I've also seen both done in
a recipe.
What do you guys do? Add it in primary? Boil a tea? Both? What are the
advantages/disadvantages? Is this enough lavender? I'd be glad to hear any
experiences with lavender, roses, or anything similar.
Thanks!
Jeff Tollefson
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1300, 23 January 2007
From: "Dan&jan" <montveil@skybest.com>
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 19:39:23 -0500
MILK
Could one use dry milk??
Dan Veilleux
in the mountains of NC
zone 6a
------------------------------
Subject: Basic Mead Recipe
From: "Jim Fleming" <flemingjim1953@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 24 Jan 2007 23:15:26 -0500
Hello folks, it's been a couple of months since we posted, but we've
finally gotten a simple recipe that we like the look of. It's also a
very easy recipe to actually make, we're gratified to report. We got
the recipe from E. C. Kraus, so we hope that it works well... At least
our Mead Must is alive and bubbling happily away...
We followed this recipe to the letter in our second attempt to make
Simple Basic Mead. The first one was made back in July when we didn't
even know what an airlock adapter for a gallon bottle was... The first
batch also refused to start bubbling and we didn't have the time to
trifle with it, back then. Not so this time, timewise we mean, our
Mead is working away very merrily just as happy as a pig in the pig
lot, LOL!
Wish us luck... Cheers and Take Care,
Jim and Morisa Fleming
Basic Mead Recipe, obtained from E. C. Kraus Inc.
For 5 Gallons Of Mead:
* 13 Pounds of Honey <--- we used processed honey, it's simpler this way.
* 2 Tablespoons Yeast Energizer
* 6 Tablespoons Acid Blend
* 1 Teaspoon Wine Tannin
* 5 Campden Tablets
* Water To Total 5 Gallons
* 1 Pkg. Lalvin ICV-D47 Yeast
* NOTE: If unprocessed honey is being used, it would be best to first
cut the honey with water then heat it on the stove to about 180
degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 5 minutes. This is to allow the
pollen, wax and bits of bee to float to the top so that
you can skim them off before using the honey in a recipe.
- - Basic Process
1. Mix together all the ingredients listed above, EXCEPT for the
yeast, in an open container (primary fermenter). Be sure to crush and
dissolve the Campden Tablets. Cover with a light towel and
let sit for 24 hour.
2. After 24 hours, add one package of Lalvin ICV-D47 Yeast and allow
to ferment 4 to 5 days or until your hydrometer reads around 1.030 to
1.040 on the Specific Gravity scale.
3. After 4 or 5 days, carefully siphon the Mead into a Secondary
Fermenter so as to leave most of the sediment behind. This is called
"Racking". The Secondary Fermenter should be some type of food-grade
container that allows you to attach an Air-Lock to it.
4. Allow the Mead to ferment another 2 to 3 weeks under air-lock, or
until the hydrometer reads .998 or less on the Specific Gravity scale.
Now the Mead needs to clear. This usually takes at least and
additional 2 to 3 weeks, sometimes as long as 2 months.
5. Once the Mead has completely cleared, siphon it into a clean
container and add a second dose of Campden Tablets at the rate of 1
tablet per gallon. It is then ready to be bottled and aged.
------------------------------
Subject: Chamomile mead
From: Russ.Hobaugh@erm.com
Date: Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:58:19 -0500
I was re-reading Ken Schramm's excellent book on making mead last night,
and am thinking about making a chamomile flavored mead. I have 12 lbs of
wildflower honey for this and am planning on using Lalvin D47 to get a
medium finish, but am not sure how much chamomile to add. Also, should I
make a "tea" or just suspend a hop bag with the chamomile directly in the
secondary? Any suggestions are appreciated.
Russ Hobaugh
Goob' Dog Brewery
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1301
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