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Mead Lovers Digest #1327
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1327, 20 June 2007
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1327 20 June 2007
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
RE: Artificial sweeteners ("Bill Pierce")
Re: Back Sweetening Mead (MeadGuild@aol.com)
Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead (MeadGuild@aol.com)
Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead (Ian) (Dave Drummer)
Artifical sweeteners (Vuarra)
Ancient Orange Mead ("jerry berry")
Re: Subject: Artificially Sweetening Mead ("Jim Fleming")
Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead (Dick Dunn)
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Subject: RE: Artificial sweeteners
From: "Bill Pierce" <BillPierce@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:08:26 -0400
Ian asks about artificial sweeteners for mead. I am a fan of
sucralose (Splenda) in cooking and for general sweetening. It's
very close in molecular structure to sucrose and I cannot tell the
difference in terms of taste (I consider my tastes to be very
sensitive).
There is one caveat, however. Splenda is "cut" with maltodextrin in
order to render an equal volume (not weight) equal to sucrose. The
maltodextrin contributes body (mouthfeel) to beverages, so adding
Splenda to mead will produce a noticeable increase in body. Whether
this is objectionable depends on what you are seeking. You are free
to try adding a small amount (a teaspoon of so) to a glass of dry
mead and decide for yourself. The granules will provide nucleation
sites for any CO2 in solution, so expect some foaming, especially in
the case of sparkling mead.
Unfortunately I don't believe there is a consumer source of pure
sucralose without the added maltodextrin.
Bill Pierce
Cellar Door Homebrewery
Burlington, Ontario
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Back Sweetening Mead
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 12:57:46 EDT
Dave asked:
>>> I have some mead that I fermented from 1.087 down to 0.996 using
>>> Lalvin D-47. .... but I want to try sweetening it slightly with honey.
>>> Any suggestions on the best way to add the honey to insure that
>>> it dissolves completely?
Dick Responded:
>> Thank you for asking this question because I did NOT know the
>> answer and I had to think about it.
>>
>> Final.SG = ((128 oz * 0.996) + (X oz * 1.4)) / (128 oz + X oz)
>>
>> I wrote a 'quick & dirty' binary search program and got an answer
>> of 3.2488 oz will raise the SG of a gallon from 0.996 to 1.006.
>> For 5 gallons, that's 16.25 oz. of honey.
Ian Appended:
> I agree with Dick's equation, but rewrote it to solve for X (I'm an
> Engineer, math is fun for me)
Once you learn simultaneous equations in multiple unknowns, you
are the master of your destiny. After that math is a mind enlightenment
game.
> Plugging the numbers into the following will give the answer:
>
> V = Volume of Starting SG mead (volume ounces)
> S = Start SG
> T = Target SG
> X = oz (mass) of Honey
>
> X = V * (T - S) / (1.4 - T)
> - -------- OR ---------
> X = V * (Target SG - Starting SG) / (1.4 - Target SG)
We both started from the same equation. You correctly transposed it.
I could not get the transposition to work on a calculator because I kept
plugging in (1.4- 1.006) as 1.394. Frustrated, I slapped the untransposed
equation on my computer . Life keeps rough when you can no longer do
arithmetic in your head. LoL and thanks.
Dick
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 13:25:16 EDT
Ian asked:
> Has anyone here ever used artificial sweeteners in their mead?
>
> Either in primary fermentation or as a back-sweetener to prevent
> a secondary fermentation?
>
> What did you use? How well did it work?
>
> I have occasionally tried using Splenda to sweeten Amaretto Sours
> (and some other mixed drinks) to limited success (it combines well
> with the sour mix, not with the amaretto).
>
> I'm honestly not sure what the purpose would be, other than
> potentially preventing a secondary fermentation, depending
> on whether the sugar substitute is digestible by the yeast or not.
To avoid secondary fermentation, you might consider
fermenting dry and back sweetening..
I have not idea of the Brix of Splenda. You could add
1/4 lb to a quart of water, take before and after SG. and
back into both the Brix and the SG. I suspect Splenda
dissolves and doubt it will add volume to the water. On
the other hand (without checking), I suspect a lb of Splenda
is not inexpensive.
What I'd really like to know is the number of calories in a
gallon of a dry mead (FG =1.000 and ABV =14%)!! Then
what the calories are if you raise the FG to 1.02 with honey
vs. Splenda? Given the prices of honey and Splenda, we'd
know the value of Splenda. Of course, we'd then need
Quality Assurance Sampling for which I am always available
PRO BONO.
Dick
- --
Richard D. Adams, CPA (retired)
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead (Ian)
From: Dave Drummer <beammeup@fast.net>
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 14:32:05 -0400
On Jun 17, 2007, at 10:37 AM, Ian wrote:
> . . .Has anyone here ever used artificial sweeteners in their mead?
>
> Either in primary fermentation or as a back-sweetener to prevent a secondary
> fermentation?
>
> What did you use? How well did it work?
>
> . . .I'm honestly not sure what the purpose would be, other than
> potentially
> preventing a secondary fermentation, depending on whether the sugar
> substitute is digestible by the yeast or not.
Per a recent thread, I chose to sweeten my mead with honey, figuring
that it would add back some flavors and perhaps aroma from the honey
in addition to sweetening it. But if I wanted to add just sweetness,
I would use stevia, which I use for sweeting my coffee. To my
taste, stevia seems to have less of the "artificial" taste that
other artificial sweeteners have. I had a batch of cranberry mead
that was so tart I could barely drink it, and I found that 1 or 2
drops of stevia extract per glass sweetened it nicely. Also, my
mother prefers mead and wine sweeter than I do, so I make it to suit
my taste, and she adds a couple of drops of stevia extract to it when
she pours a glass.
Dave Drummer
------------------------------
Subject: Artifical sweeteners
From: Vuarra <vuarra@yahoo.ca>
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 13:53:37 -0700 (PDT)
I would use Splenda if I wanted a sweet mead, only because it tastes like
sugar, but is not processable as sugar. There have been a few questions
about that in previous MLDs, and it works as you say in mead... never had
amaretto, so I can't explain why you feel it tastes differently.
Actually, my wife uses Splenda for a lot of baking, and I don't notice a
difference... except for my waistline.
Vuarra
We don't use the word, "insane", we prefer the term "mentally hilarious".
------------------------------
Subject: Ancient Orange Mead
From: "jerry berry" <memnosine@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 17 Jun 2007 15:22:04 -0600
Hi:
Make the AOM per instructions -well, almos*t- and am finding it delicious.
Dry, an excellent aperitif. But one gallon is not lasting long, so on to a
five gal batch. may sweeten some of it. crystal clear, orange, a beautiful
mead. It's nine months old now, may never reach 2008.
* Couldn't just leave it alone, had to sample as things went along.
JL Berry, Aurora, Colorado
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Subject: Artificially Sweetening Mead
From: "Jim Fleming" <flemingjim1953@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 19 Jun 2007 06:06:28 -0400
Yes!!! and Our advice is NEVER, NEVER, NEVER use artificial sweetener in
anything you're going to age for more than 1 hour...
We ruined a batch of some of our best hooch, using Splenda... Made the most
gosh-awful bitter as bile stuff... the more it aged, the more bitter it
got...
It's fine to use if you back sweeten with it then consume immediately as Ian
most astutely has noticed, but if you age it.... Blaaaaaaach!!! That stuff
got so bitter it was nauseating... We finally dumped the whole batch, it was
heartbreaking to see that lovely golden brew going down the drain...
Our two cents worth...
Jim and Morisa.
>Ian wrote:
>From: Ian <elkor@mindspring.com>
>Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:07:08 -0400 (EDT)
>This is a random thought I had while making my morning tea.
>Has anyone here ever used artificial sweeteners in their mead?
>Either in primary fermentation or as a back-sweetener to prevent a
secondary
>fermentation?
>What did you use? How well did it work?
>I have occasionally tried using Splenda to sweeten Amaretto Sours (and some
>other mixed drinks) to limited success (it combines well with the sour mix,
>not with the amaretto).
>I'm honestly not sure what the purpose would be, other than potentially
>preventing a secondary fermentation, depending on whether the sugar
>substitute is digestible by the yeast or not.
>Regards, Ian
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Artificially Sweetening Mead
From: Dick Dunn <rcd@talisman.com>
Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 11:23:12 -0600
Ian <elkor@mindspring.com> asked:
> Has anyone here ever used artificial sweeteners in their mead?
>
> Either in primary fermentation or as a back-sweetener to prevent a secondary
> fermentation?
>
> What did you use? How well did it work?
Cider-makers have used Splenda (sucralose) with good effect, adding at
bottling time to produce a cider with some sweetness that won't re-start
fermenting in the bottle. Although I've not tried it (since I prefer very
dry ciders), reports from those who have tried it are favorable, and the
food-chemistry analysis says it should be stable and remain sweet for a
long time in bottle. There is malto-dextrin added to Splenda to add bulk,
because sucralose is intensely sweet. (The added bulk allows it to be used
measure-for-measure as a sugar substitute.) But there's not enough to be
a concern for fermentation.
Forget about using Nutra-Sweet (aspartame). It's not stable in an alcoholic
beverage; it breaks down and you lose the sweetness.
I'm sure someone will mention stevia (plant extract), which is extremely
sweet and not fermentable. Personally I wouldn't use it--it's been
rejected in the UK and EU due to toxicology concerns. Although it's
available in the US, it's classed as an herbal supplement, hence not
tested for safety. If you're considering it, read up on it first.
Saccharin has been used in the UK for sweetening ciders, but it does have
somewhat of a metallic aftertaste. Also, of course, it's been banned in
the US for a long time.
- --
Dick Dunn rcd@talisman.com Hygiene, Colorado USA
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1327
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