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Mead Lovers Digest #1459
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1459, 19 February 2010
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1459 19 February 2010
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1458, 11 February 2010 (Spam-a-holic)
RE Maple Mead ("David Houseman")
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Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1458, 11 February 2010
From: Spam-a-holic <spamalot@catscoffeechocolate.com>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:48:57 -0500
On Feb 11, 2010, at 1:26 PM, mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> Like finding buried treasure, was ecstatic when I came upon several bottles
> of mead from 2- 3 years ago. Subsequently found a case of blueberry melomel
> and cyser that I had brewed in 1993-1994 time frame.
>
> I know the 2-3 yr old meads are quite drinkable, but I'm approaching the
> melomel and cyser with a little more trepidation. The melomel finished at
> ~15% alcohol and when first tasted (in 93) could best be described as "hot",
> which I attributed to the high alcohol - wasn't all that drinkable at first,
> was put away and forgotten. (As all homebrewers know, the good batches
> seldom last for long!)
It's good to break that habit, or to deliberately fool yourself and
hide cases or six-packs. Otherwise you never know what the good stuff
might have aged into - which is often but not always even better
stuff. I hardly even bother to open meads within the first couple of
years - one comes to regret that later on when they get really good,
and you only have 3 bottles left.
> General question - I know it depends on many variables, but as a general
> rule, assuming storage at basement temps (60-65F) with no exposure to
> heat/light, can meads (and variants) be kept long term (10 - 20 yrs) and
> still be drinkable? Does the addition of fruit in a melomel make for a
> longer or shorter life. Do tannins - either from fruit or added separately -
> act as a stabilizer to extend life?
Generally, I find that good sanitation leads to no problems with old
stuff, including old stuff that some(I must suppose people with poor
sanitation) claim isn't high enough alcohol, etc. to "last that
long". I envy you a decent cellar, which can only improve your odds.
Nothing in there that won't make you spit it right out (or toss it as
soon as you open it) is going to insidiously poison you, from
everything I understand.
I still have a few bottles of the 1996 batch. Well, it was bottled in
96, might have been brewed in early 95. Records a bit sketchy. It was
really nice for about a year after being bottled, then it got weird
(no honey flavor at all, some bitterness) for about 4 years, then it
got great (honey flavor came back from wherever it was hiding in the
chemistry, bitter left) and has pretty much stayed there. Dry
sparkling non-stabilized live yeast in bottles sort of stuff. No
fancy nutrients, etc. either - honey water yeast (an ale yeast, as I
recall.)
As a less extreme example, I have a (beer) mild (actually a couple of
them, though one is near-gone) which is nigh onto 18 months old - and
this is stuff which the worriers are sure has to be drunk right up
quick since it's very low alcohol (3% or so). It's better than ever.
Old age is not a problem, mostly.
Sanitation being equal, I can't see any reason for fruit or tannins
to make a big difference. If adding the fruit involves a lower degree
of sanitation, you're off into the same area that the "au naturel"
cider folks play in - "will the wild beasties smile upon me, or do
something awful in my brew?"
On second thought, that old stuff is certain poison - ship it here
and I'll dispose of it properly for you ;^0)
Lawrence H. Smith
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Subject: RE Maple Mead
From: "David Houseman" <david.houseman@verizon.net>
Date: Thu, 11 Feb 2010 18:39:10 -0500
I haven't made a maple mead but I have fermented maple syrup. While this
isn't really a mead because there is no honey in it, (maple wine?),
fermented maple syrup is excellent. Grade B maple syrup has more flavor
than the more expensive grade A. Buy in bulk at some whole foods stores.
1/2 syrup, 1/2 water and some yeast nutrient with a basic ale, wine or mead
yeast. Start out with 1/2 syrup to 1 or 1.5 parts water then add syrup as
the fermentation is underway. Let this age for a year or so. The maple
flavor isn't prominent but there are wonderful sherry notes.
Dave Houseman
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1459
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