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Mead Lovers Digest #1488
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1488, 11 September 2010
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1488 11 September 2010
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
carbonation (Chris Fales)
really long term aging ("Micah Millspaw")
long term storage of mead (Steve Ruch)
Mead Lover's Digest (Finger)
Strawberry Mead Rubber mouth feel/after taste (David Edgecomb)
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Subject: carbonation
From: Chris Fales <chris.fales@yahoo.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 12:06:13 -0700 (PDT)
I recently made a black current melomel and am having a problem with
fermentation - and carbonation - after bottling, resulting in blown off
corks and a mess.
The original batch was made with abut 2# honey per gallon plus the
unsweetened currents. I pitched a Red Star Cote de Blancs wanting it to
be a little fruity and not too dry. When fermentation stopped - SG at or
slightly below 0.00, I tasted and found it too dry so when I racked it I
added about 1# more honey per gallon. It fermented for several weeks and
then stopped at about 1.01. It remained at that level with no apparent
action in the bubbler for over two months. When I bottled it the SG was
unchanged from 1.01 - a little sweeter than I had hoped but a tasty 'desert'
beverage. Durring bottling there was some foaming in the bottle which I
foolishly discounted. About 10 days after bottling the first corks began
to blow off. I uncorked an intact bottle and found that the mead had a very
nice head - too much - and lots of sparkle. The taste was still pretty good.
Though I was hoping that it had dried out a bit I cannot say for sure
that it did. SG was about 1.01 or maybe if I was optimistic 1.008. I did
not use any sulfate at any time and would prefer to avoid it if possible.
Does anyone have experience with this? Could there be a wild yeast
introduced during bottling? Was the second addition of honey insufficiently
mixed? Should it be held longer in the secondary? For my next batch I
plan to use a Champagne yeast in hopes that it will go till it is done,
and then it is done. Any opinions?
thanks,
------------------------------
Subject: really long term aging
From: "Micah Millspaw" <MMillspaw@Silgancontainers.com>
Date: Wed, 1 Sep 2010 14:23:44 -0500
> Subject: really long term storage
> From: tattoo123@webtv.net (Steve Ruch)
> Date: Fri, 20 Aug 2010 09:56:42 -0700
>
> How high a % would I need to get to to be reasonably sure the mead
> would be good in 15 years?
> Thanks,
> Steve
I have had some practice with aging meads and have a few suggestions.
Minimum OG 25 P. bigger is better for stuff to age.
If you are going for the long haul, 20 plus years, do not use a light
honey, go with buckwheat or heather. The delicate stuff, while it will
not spoil will not taste like you would expect (hard lessons there).
Braggots age very well, I have some 25 year old stuff that is awesome.
Red pyments seem to do well with time.
Consistent storage temperature is very important.
I have done both filter and CP bottled meads and sur lees meads with
equal results. Go with personal preference.
Micah
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Subject: long term storage of mead
From: tattoo123@webtv.net (Steve Ruch)
Date: Sat, 4 Sep 2010 07:46:53 -0700
After leaving this out at room temperature for well over a year and
it stopping at 1.030 I put it in the cooler at 40. This was fermented
with champagne yeast, which I used on two previous batches that went
below 1.010. I am thinking about putting it back out at room temperature
for awhile again just to be sure it won't go any lower and then bottling
it. I don't do mead very often and haven't invested in corking equipment
so this will be put in martinellis sparkling cider bottle and beer
bottles with crown caps.
------------------------------
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest
From: Finger <johncleal@yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 08:22:59 -0700 (PDT)
I have a cranberry melomel with pectin haze. Treatment ?
John Cleal
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Subject: Strawberry Mead Rubber mouth feel/after taste
From: David Edgecomb <diode21@msn.com>
Date: Thu, 9 Sep 2010 18:59:55 -0600
I Started a batch of Strawberry Mead first week of March this year. About
a 6 gal batch with 10 lbs of Strawberries and 12 lbs of wild flower honey
(not my first choice) SSG was about 1.076. I used the blue dry yeast pack
from Red Star as I have had good results from this yeast. After about
a week I added another 5 lbs of Honey. I racked it 2 time since then and
have it clearing now with a nice deep red in my 5 gal carboy. The left over
was about a half gal that I mixed in with another project. The other day
I sampled a glass and it had an ok flavor but the after flavor was like
I was just chewing on a rubber ball. Not sure if there was contamination
involved but I do not have this flavor in any other meads I have running
(about 15 gal in all 4 different types) Before I do anything I am sure to
wash rinse and sanitize all items that com into contact with the mead. What
could give this off flavor?
David
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1488
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