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Mead Lovers Digest #1414
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1414, 24 March 2009
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1414 24 March 2009
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
A question on max alcohol in meads. ("Michael Zahl")
Mead Question ("Toomey")
Easier solution to your solution problem...brix by brix ("Butcher, Steven")
Re: On Sourwood Honey ("Randy Wallis")
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Subject: A question on max alcohol in meads.
From: "Michael Zahl" <mzahl@cox.net>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 08:38:44 -0700
Good morning everyone.. Simple questions with story background...
First: What is the maximum ABV that one can get from brewing mead?
Second question: Does the ABV of a bottled mead increase significantly over
time (say 10 to 20 years)?
Third question: What is the best way to determine the homebrew laws in your
state? (Nevada here) I have gotten a variety of answers both online and
from homebrewers who are lawyers or associated therewith.
Reasons for my questions:
I have been brewing for about 8 years, though this spring was the first time
in 3 years that I have brewed, due to lack of space. I have a group of 10
who all have drank my meads in the past, and lvoe them, and wanted to get in
on the brewing fun.
One of my groups members has another freind who's been brewing for over 25
years. SHe's simply known as "The Mead Lady," by most of the pagan/ren
faire community here in southern Nevada.
She sampled a few of my three year old brews during our racking last
weekend. She told me I had a "good Start," but didn't seem impressed, or
very encouraging, though we did spend two hours later in the evening
talking.
During our conversations she told me that her meads get over 25% ABV, and
some of her 20 year old meads are 30-40% ABV. I find this insanely
difficult to believe, considering I always thought you had to distill in
order to get over 24%. She swears she does not distill. She could also not
explain how she got those figures and or how the brews aged up in ABV over
time. She is a naturalist, uses no chemicals, pre boils her musts (where
she also adds tea and citrus for tannin and acid, and warms the must up
again before bottling to kill of the yeasties.
SHe also says she has an ongoing yeast batch, that she draws from and adds
to over time, she said "like a sourdough yeast." Anyone have thoughts on
that? Would an "aged yeast strain" possibly produce a higher ABV?
I also sampled some of her stuff, which three or four of my group raved
over, and while I enjoyed her brews, I wasn't impressed. All of her stuff
is UBER sweet. Mine you can taste the alcohol, much like you can taste it in
a wine. I enjoy both sweet and dry meads (and beers and wines), but most of
our pagan/ ren faire friends tend to have limited pallets and gravitate
toward the sweet ones. I could also not taste ANY alcohol, though I know it
was there.
On a side note, I did enter seven of my meads into the SNAFU (Souther Nevada
Ale Fermenters Union) BJCP competition to be held March 21st. It's my first
time to have my brews "professionally" judged. I'm hoping to get at least
fives scores in the 30's (50 point scale) and maybe a 40 or two! Wish me
luck! I If I do well I might shipp some bottles off to Colorado for Mazers
Cup! I'll report back when I find out how I did!
Thanks for your imput, sorry for the long email!
Michael Zahl
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Subject: Mead Question
From: "Toomey" <2me1@roadrunner.com>
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:51:04 -0400
Hello
Would you elaborate on your comment? 'There is a discrepancy between older
practice in meadmaking, which tends to advise adding acid at the start, and
newer practice, which suggests that it be added after fermentation to avoid
problems from too-low pH. This document is in review/revision on this
point'.
Now that most of my wine is waiting bottling, I'm planning on making 5
gallons (or so) of mead. I (today) subscribed to your news letter, and am
looking for an appropriate recipe. I would be appreciative of any
help/information you might offer. My plan would to use wine making
techniques; Acid Blend, Potassium Metabisulfite, Cotes des Blanc (Epernay2),
Fermaid-K, (or DAP) etc. I don't know how much honey to use, but I would
like to have about 22Brix without sugar.
Any comments, suggestions would be appreciated.
Regards
Jim Toomey
------------------------------
Subject: Easier solution to your solution problem...brix by brix
From: "Butcher, Steven" <Steven.Butcher@fpl.com>
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 2009 13:01:52 -0400
>snip "Louis LeBlanc expressed confusion about measuring alcoholic content
of his mead."<
First of all, not to be trite, but who cares? I never understood the
preoccupation with HAVING to know exactly what the alcohol content
is...unless, of course you are a commercial meadery/brewery. If you've
followed your recipe and the outcome is that you've made a great tasting
mead...who really cares how much alcohol is in it. As Charlie likes to say,
"Relax...have a homebrew!"
Second of all, I don't know why meaders/brewers who are so insistent
on this subject, use old technology to measure it and then complaining
about lack of accuracy. If you want to quit worrying and debating about
specific gravity and you have a little cash to dispense, then buy one of
these puppies and be done with it!
Digital Brix Refractometer
http://www.topac.com/refractSMART1.html
------------------------------
Subject: Re: On Sourwood Honey
From: "Randy Wallis" <vwbettle72@earthlink.net>
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 2009 21:46:22 -0400
Chris
Kind of reminds me of back in the cigar boom when I would read all the
reviews like rich coffee characteristic with a slight earthy taste and a
hint of nutmeg. Strange I would smoke them and pick up none of that. So,
sorry cannot help you with the character but I will say I made straight
mead with sourwood honey about 18-months ago and it turned out great. Very
smooth even at bottling and was ready to drink with little or no aging. I
bought mine at the Raleigh North Carolina Farmers Market when I was up
visiting my daughter. It was my first time using sourwood and I was not
disappointed. In fact last fall when I went back I bought some more and
made a Blackberry this winter. However, for the straight, I made a
5-gallon batch with D-47 yeast and nutrient and that was it. It fermented
beautifully, stopped right on 14% ABV, and dropped clear as a bell. Hopes
this helps. I am sure there are those more perceptive then me for the
character question.
Randy Wallis
vwbettle72@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1414
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