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Mead Lovers Digest #1331
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1331, 17 July 2007
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1331 17 July 2007
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Re: Spontaneonous Sulfite Increase (docmac9582@aol.com)
RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1330, 8 July 2007 ("Jeff Tollefson")
FAQ query (Menardsk@cs.com)
Mead Competition (MeadGuild@aol.com)
Mead Courses and Textbooks (MeadGuild@aol.com)
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Subject: Re: Spontaneonous Sulfite Increase
From: docmac9582@aol.com
Date: Sun, 08 Jul 2007 23:28:25 -0400
With the apparent spontaneous sulfite increase of a rapidly producted
batch of mead, it sounds like metabolized potasium sorbate to me.
You were conducting each of the steps quite fast, with filtering of the
mead partially to stop the yeast fermentation.? If all of the yeast were
not dormant, the added sorbate could be metabilized giving what I have
heard described as a "rotten germanium taste and smell that is difficult
to remove.??Perhaps dilution with other mead or adding other stronger
flavors or spices might help.? In the future I would suggest adding the
metabisulfite and waitng a day or two make sure there is little or no
yeast activity before adding the sorbate. Carl McMillin Brecksville, OH
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Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1330, 8 July 2007
From: "Jeff Tollefson" <jtollefson245@hotmail.com>
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:29:12 -0700
>Subject: Spontaneous Sulphite Increase?
>From: "Shaggyman" <shaggyman@kc.rr.com>
>Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2007 11:06:04 -0500
>
>I recently made a 5 gallon batch of pyment with Burgundy concentrate, using
>the same recipe I have used for 50 or so batches. Everything went as
>normal, with OG of 1.100 and FG of 1.010. When finished, I added
>Sparkolloid and 5/16 tsp of potassium metabisulfite to kill off any
>remaining yeast, as always. After clearing, I added 1.5 tsp potassium
>sorbate and filtered with a .5 micron filter, bottling immediately after
>filtering. Bottles were washed with an oxygen based cleaner, rinsed twice
>with a strong sulphite/citric acid solution, then power rinsed three times
>with hot water before drying. Everything SOP so far. After a couple weeks
>in the bottle, it tasted fine, although expectedly a little rough for so
>young a pyment made with red grapes. However, a week later, the stuff
>tasted like it had 500 ppm sulphite- totally undrinkable!
>After being recorked for several hours, when reopened there was a
>noticeable
>hiss of escaping gas as the cork was removed, and it tasted worse, if
>possible. I tried a couple more bottles with the same results. I double
>and triple checked by logs to see if I had somehow double dosed or
>something, but all seems normal.
>AND the exact same thing happened with a batch of Chablis pyment made and
>bottled at the same time, although the horrible taste is not so strong- but
>it is still undrinkable.
>In 15 years I have never encountered such a nasty turn of events.
>Any clues on what is going on?
>Is it worthwhile to purchase a test kit to measure the free SO2?
>Is there something else that could cause such a horrible taste?
>(Tearing few remaining hairs from head)
>
>Lane O.
>AKA: The Great And Powerful Shaggyman
This is just a guess, but at any point before, during, or after fermentation
did you add tap water directly to the mead? Maybe your mead got an unusually
high level of chlorine in it? Or maybe the people in charge of your city
water supply increased the chlorine levels?
When I first started meadmaking I attempted to use bleach water to
"sanitize" corks (I know...).
Over time the chlorine caused a chemical reaction in the mead and rendered
it tasting terrible and completely undrinkable.
Is there any possible way that chlorine could have gotten into your mead?
I'm only suggesting this because you seem to have ruled out microbial
infection and oxidation.
------------------------------
Subject: FAQ query
From: Menardsk@cs.com
Date: Fri, 13 Jul 2007 21:41:19 EDT
I would like make my first Mead, I will use Bartlett Pear's. Do I peel the
pear's to ferment or ferment with the skin on? 2nd question does anyone have a
good proven dry mead recipe to share. 3rd is it a good idea to freeze and
thaw the pear's first?
Thanks to all
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Competition
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 01:08:26 EDT
Vahalla III will be held at the Iron Hill Brewery in West Chester, PA
on October 10th. The link is at the BJCP Competition Website, but
I do not believe the drop off locations have been established.
Dick
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Courses and Textbooks
From: MeadGuild@aol.com
Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2007 01:33:03 EDT
Does anyone offer Mead Courses and/or textbooks similar to those
offered by Siebel Institute for Beer?
Dick
- --
Richard D. Adams, CPA (retired)
Moderator: misc.taxes.moderated
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1331
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