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Mead Lovers Digest #1510
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1510, 13 January 2011
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1510 13 January 2011
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1509, 7 January 2011 (Edward Verhagen)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1509, 7 January 2011 ("Dennis Key")
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Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1509, 7 January 2011
From: Edward Verhagen <wobbleygoose@yahoo.com.au>
Date: Sat, 8 Jan 2011 06:55:58 -0800 (PST)
I use glass carbouys, which I rinse in a strong bleach solution before
and after each racking and rinse until no bleach smell remains. Same for
the racking syphon tube.
Edward
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Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1509, 7 January 2011
From: "Dennis Key" <dione13@msn.com>
Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2011 12:14:22 -0700
Edward,
Something else occurs to me. Bentonite and Sparkloid are not
(IMHO)chemicals like sulfite or sodium benzoate. They are finely powdered
clay that when used according to the label instructions create a suspension
to add to the must. For whatever reason (I'm a nurse, Jim, not a
physicist!)the particles seem to have an ionic charge or something that
attract whatever is making the must hazy. The particles thereby become
heavier and drop to the bottom. Subsequent rackings leave all that behind
and you have a clear mead.
I too do not like to add chemicals to my must. I use sulfite to sanitize
but do not add extra to my mead. I do not believe there is a chemical
reaction involved in the bentonite/Sparkloid process so the must is not
changed and nothing of the mineral is left behind at bottling. Neither me
nor my mead-drinking friends have noticed any difference in taste between
batches that cleared by themselves or by use of the mineral.
BTW, by not using chemicals like Sorbistat I occasionally get the pleasant
surprise of a sparkling mead even though I have left the must in the
fermenter for months and racked it into (I thought) submission.
Dione Greywolfe
Dragonweyr, NM
> >>> I have been making mead for a number of years now using the same
> >>> recipe.
> > Normally the must is cloudy but clears after a few weeks.
> > Lately, it has stayed cloudy.
> > I have used old honey and new honey with the same results, but not all
> > the
> > time.
> > Any suggestions as to what the cloudiness is and how to clear it up?
> > I do not use chemicals in my mead and so want a natural way to clear it.
> > I have tried running it through a wine filter, all that happened was the
> > quality of flavour dropped.
> >
> > Edward
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1510
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