Copy Link
Add to Bookmark
Report
Mead Lovers Digest #1419
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1419, 22 April 2009
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1419 22 April 2009
Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming
Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor
Contents:
Apple cider for cyser? ("Louis J. LeBlanc")
Orange Spiced Mead (Mike Jansen)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1418, 16 April 2009 ("Dennis Key")
Mead (Daniel Wright)
NOTE: Digest appears when there is enough material to send one.
Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com.
Use mead-request@talisman.com for [un]subscribe/admin requests.
Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead
A searchable archive is at http://www.gotmead.com/mldarchives.html
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Apple cider for cyser?
From: "Louis J. LeBlanc" <leblanc@keyslapper.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:40:49 -0400 (EDT)
Hello everyone.
This question is regarding "supermarket" cider for cyser. I know that a great
deal of the cider you buy in the supermarket is treated with potassium
sorbate, which inhibits yeast, but on occasion I'll find one that doesn't list
it as an ingredient. Typically these say they're pasteurized.
So, does anyone have any experience using these ciders for cyser - or even
hard cider? Is there any special treatment you find helps improve the
fermentation in any way? Any bad experiences with these ciders?
What about clearing a cyser? I recently dropped a little bentonite into a
batch of Maple, and it's almost as clear and light as water right now (though
it still tastes amazing). I'm not entirely sure this is desirable in all
cases though.
Any "fine tuning" techniques you may have, particularly where cyser is
considered, are appreciated.
Thank you all.
Lou
------------------------------
Subject: Orange Spiced Mead
From: Mike Jansen <mike@7jansens.net>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:21:48 -0400
Phil (dogglebe@yahoo.com) :
Thanks for the information!
>> I think you may have over-spiced your batch
Do you just leave the spices in during simmer time or for the length of the
fermentation? I took them out after simmering.
>> Your starter was made with one cup of water and two pounds of honey?
You are correct about the typo -- it was actually 2 tablespoons!
>> Champagne yeast dried the living hell out of a mead
I started with champagne yeast for the silly reason that I thought it would
be less likely for me to ruin the fermentation. A few weeks ago I started a
batch with a dry wine yeast (14% ABV tolerance) -- it was just a quart of
cider and a pound of honey. What yeasts would you recommend?
Carl (docmac9582@aol.com):
>> Looking at your ingredients, my guess is that you taste the
>> astringency from the orange and lemon zest and the spices
...
>> Try adding honey in a graduated manner to a sequence of small samples
Do you think if the mead was sweeter, i.e. if I hadn't used champagne
yeast!, the orange/lemon zest and juice would have been fine?
>> After you find the correct level of sweetness for your taste, you
>> might even try adding a bit of an acid blend for balance.
So the juice from the 2 oranges and 1 lemon wouldn't add much acid? I
haven't done much reading on balancing flavors.
Thanks for all the input!
Mike
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1418, 16 April 2009
From: "Dennis Key" <dione13@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Apr 2009 17:58:02 -0600
<snip>
> Champagne yeast dried the living hell out of a mead. There are other
> yeasts to try that will not ferment a batch out as much, leaving some
> honey sweetness behind.
>
> Hope this helps.
>
> Phil
That's easily cured by adding about 1/4 cup per gallon of honey when it
slows way down. Keep doing this until it stops fermenting completely.
You'll end up with an 18-20% ABV with Champagne yeast. With a little
practice, you can get just the sweetness you want every time. I usually go
for a semi-sweet to off dry mead. Yum! (Check out Duncan and Acton's Making
Mead to see how to use SG for this. They call it "pushing the mead.")
Dione Greywolfe
------------------------------
Subject: Mead
From: Daniel Wright <wrightdaniel45@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 01:03:32 -0700 (PDT)
Hi, I always wanted to try mead so think im gonna give it a try. However
i have a couple of questions. Is there an optimum levle of light/room temp
for my plastic bucket? If i use 3 kilo to 10 liter ratio and i dont want
a particulary sweet mead can i just add a bit more yeast? and finaly where
i come from the good old boys make "apple jack" by freezing the hard cider
and periodicly take the ice off the top. Is there a practice like such
that you are aware of that applies to mead?
If you could help me out with this it would be appreitated. thanks, Dan
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1419
*******************************
