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Mead Lovers Digest #1362
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1362, 21 January 2008
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1362 21 January 2008
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
RE: competition medals ("Vicky Rowe")
Re: some numbers (MeadGuild@aol.com)
What is it that oxidizes? (MeadGuild@aol.com)
Re: storage (dan@geer.org)
Fermenters for small batches (ashford@whisperpc.com)
2008 International Mead Competition Schedule ("Vicky Rowe")
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Subject: RE: competition medals
From: "Vicky Rowe" <gotmead@gotmead.com>
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 18:01:45 -0500
>>Dick Dunn said.....
>
>Ummm...'scuse me, but why is this a good thing?
>
>Sure, I suppose it's nice to have a medal to hang on the
>wall...but really, isn't the status or prestige of a medal
>inversely proportional to how many were awarded?
>- --
Thanks Dick, I was over here biting my tongue. That has always been my problem
with the some competitions that take mead (Winemaker does this), that they give
medals to over 50% of the competitiors. Seems to me that getting one of 3 medals
in your category with 50 entrants is *way* better than getting one of 50 medals
in a field of 100......
Wassail!
Vicky Rowe
The Gotmead Webwench
http://www.gotmead.com
gotmead@gotmead.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: some numbers
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:57:17 EST
dan@geer.org blessed us with the following numbers
indicating the decrease in specific gravity seen over
the time interval from pitching to bottling, by yeast.
> yeast SG decrease
> ------------------------------------
> EC-1118 0.102
> 71B-1122 0.100
> K1-V1116 0.095
> D47 0.088
> WLP720 0.085
> Montrachet 0.079
> --------------------------------
> average 0.090
I thank Dan very much not just for sharing these numbers
with us, but also for the diligence in collecting them.
EC-1118, my yeast of choice, in first place came as no
surprise to me. But 71B-1122 being only 0.002 behind
EC-1118 and 0.005 ahead of K1V-1116 did surprise me.
Dick
- --
Richard D. Adams, CPA (retired)
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
------------------------------
Subject: What is it that oxidizes?
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Wed, 16 Jan 2008 23:15:11 EST
What is it that oxidizes?
I keep asking this question and have yet to get
enough explanations that are consistent with
each other.
In beer, it must be either the malt or the alcohol.
In wine, it must be either the grapes or the alcohol.
In Mead, it must be either the honey or the alcohol.
So I took a liter of vodka and infused it with
180 seconds of oxygen in a one gallon jug and
let it sit for three months. I had a friend
taste the oxygenated vodka and a fresh bottle
of the same vodka. He found no difference.
Was three months long enough? Were his taste
buds not sensitive enough?
If it's not the alcohol, what is it?
The only answer I have gotten from surfing the
web is that fruit and vegetables will oxidize
(spoil). That is consistent with oxidation in
wine and beer. But honey doesn't oxidize (spoil)!
What about herbs and spices. Do they oxidize?
I know from experience that Red Savina Habenero
peppers (one time hottest pepper in the world)
is not as strong five years later as it was the
day I ground it - is that oxidation?
So is oxidation only a problem with Melomels,
Braggots, and Open Category Meads?
Does anyone know of an academic in field of
brewing who can give us an explanation based
on empirical research?
Dick
- --
Richard D. Adams, CPA (retired)
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
------------------------------
Subject: Re: storage
From: dan@geer.org
Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 09:34:07 -0500
While Mr. Dunn's history of how wineries and liquor
stores handle case lots of bottles:
> This led to a comedy over some years...winemakers used
> to pack bottles into cases cork-up, with all the side
> label/logo stuff reading correctly with the corks up,
> but with a big note on top, "STORE THIS SIDE DOWN" and
> perhaps another on the packing-bottom of the box
> indicating it should be up. The back-then-careless
> workers would usually stack the boxes with the side
> labels upright, leaving the corks up, ignoring the
> warning(s) on top and bottom of the boxes. Their action
> wasn't entirely unreasonable; after all they wanted to
> be able to read the labels in the warehouse.
>
> Eventually most wineries started caring a lot more and
> caught on to the problem. So they continued with the
> top and bottom messages but inverted the side labels, so
> that the side labels read correctly with the box in the
> intended corks-down position.
>
> But...you can see it coming, can't you?!?...around the
> same time, liquor stores were also starting to care more
> and so began insisting to the staff that they store wine
> boxes with the side labels inverted! To this day I bet
> you can walk into a liquor store and find at least some
> wine boxes stored with "this side down" on top and with
> the side labels inverted. Worst of both
> worlds--unreadable side labels and corks high-and-dry.
> Plus, of course not all wineries made the inverted label
> change, which meant a nuisance in warehouse--even if all
> the cases were oriented as intended, some of the side
> labels would be right and others inverted.
is interesting, I am a numbers guy. I have forty four
cardboard boxes in which wine was delivered to groceries,
wine merchants, and liquor stores. In every single one
without exception, the mark of the bottle in the cardboard
proves that the side labels are upright when the bottles
are cork-on-top. Not one single box has a "this side up"
printed on the bottom. In short, while the purported
explanation may be true, it is nonetheless irrelevant
to the facts on the ground.
I note in passing that storing cardboard boxes loaded
with bottles on their sides does nothing but collapse
the boxes, and that all wine boxes recovered from
merchants have the tops entirely removed.
- --dan
------------------------------
Subject: Fermenters for small batches
From: ashford@whisperpc.com
Date: Sat, 19 Jan 2008 15:37:14 -0800 (PST)
I'm getting ready to make a few small (~1 gal) batches, and was wondering
about the fermenter. I think that something around 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 gallons
should provide some headroom for foaming, and some space in the bottom for the
spent yeast.
I found 5 Liter Erlenmeyer flasks and Florence flasks at similar prices.
http://morebeer.com/view_product/7955/
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=280109345862
The Erlenmeyer will be more stable (physically), but I think the Florence
should be easier to rack from (narrower bottom).
Does anyone have experience with this?
Thanks.
Peter Ashford
------------------------------
Subject: 2008 International Mead Competition Schedule
From: "Vicky Rowe" <gotmead@gotmead.com>
Date: Sun, 20 Jan 2008 17:16:11 -0500
Hi all,
I just got an email with the official schedule for the 2008 International
Mead Competition, Feb. 7-9:
Thursday - This event is limited to industry members (Meadery owners,
industry support businesses) to determine the way ahead for the Mead
Association (Please RSVP to info@meadfest.comThis e-mail address is being
protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it by 1
February to ensure a place in this session) (Limit 50 participants)
* 7:00 - 7:15 Where have we been? - Julia Herz, Gretchen Bliss
* 7:15 - 8:15 Where are we going? - Julia Herz, Harrison and Gretchen
Bliss
o Formation of a new Association
o By Laws review
o Board formation
o Festival Format for next year
o Committee Formation
o Strategic goals - Association benefits
* 8:15 - 8:30 Break
* 8:30 - 9:30 Health of the Industry. - Julia Herz
o Health of the Industry - Vicki Rowe
o Industry Statistics - Vicki Rowe
* 9:30 - 10:00 Way Ahead and Due Outs - Gretchen Bliss
Friday - All Mead Competition supporters, meaderies, judges, and helpers -
Crown Rock Room (Limit 100 participants)
* 7:00 - 8:30 Presentation by Mark Berans of Medovina titled "The Queen
Bee, the Mother of All Fermentation" & "A Collage of the Past, Present, and
Future of Mead"
* 8:30 - 8:40 Break
* 8:40 - 9:00 Preview of BJCP Mead Exam - Julia Herz (tentative)
* 9:00 - 9:30 Presentation by Ken Schramm author of the "Compleat
Meadmaker" titled
* 9:30 - 10:00 Hang out and catch up
Saturday - All Mead Competition supporters, meaderies, judges, stewards,
volunteers and invited guests - guests will register at the door and be
given wristbands for in and out privileges. Participants may be given to
chance to participate in a silent auction for exciting mead door prizes.
(Limit 175 participants)
Meaderies - if you would like to donate items for the door prizes please
contact info@meadfest.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam
bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it with a list and invoice of your
donations for the event.
* 7:00 - 7:15 Social event
* 7:15 - 7:30 Introductions - Gretchen Bliss
* 7:30 - 8:00 Home Mead Maker Awards Ceremony - Petar Bakulic, Glenn
Exline and Deborah Lee
* 8:00 - 8:30 Commercial Mead Competition Awards Ceremony - Marie Bird
Struckman and Danny Williams
* 8:30 - 9:30 Silent Auction - Glenn and Dani Exline
* 8:45 - 10:00 Limbo Party (Light buffet provided by Spruce Mountain
Meadery)
With over 100 Commerical Meads entered in the competition, we would like all
qualified commercial judges to sign up for judging. This is a great
opportunity to try some of the best meads on the market, not only in the US
but in Canada, Slovakia and Poland. Sign up on meadfest.com under Commercial
competition. Download a judging application form here:
http://www.meadfest.com/2008Forms/Judge_Application_2008.xls
If you are going to be at the competition, the HMMC needs your help in
Judging or stewarding. They have 188 meads from all over the US and Canada
that require the best mead judges from around the world. If you are willing
to help judge you can apply at http://hmmc.meadfest.com/hmmc_entry.htm Just
select the Judge Entry tab and fill in your information! Approved judges,
please bring business cards for the judging forms so you can promote your
companies and show entrants the wide and diverse judge pool who evaluated
their entries.
Please be sure to make your reservations now at the Outlook Hotel in Boulder
(www.boulderoutlook.com) soon. Mention the "meadfest" rate to get the
outstanding deals on your room at 65.00 + tax per night.
Gretchen Bliss
Commercial Competition Organizer and
Owner Spruce Mountain Meadery
Wassail!
Vicky Rowe
The Gotmead Webwench
http://www.gotmead.com
gotmead@gotmead.com
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1362
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