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Mead Lovers Digest #1519
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1519, 5 April 2011
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1519 5 April 2011
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Problems in ferment? (Paul Shouse)
Re: Problems in the ferment (docmac9582@aol.com)
RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1518, 29 March 2011 (David Edgecomb)
"Burnt Rubber" ("Spencer W. Thomas")
Re: One Gallon Batches (mail-box)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1518, 29 March 2011 (mail-box)
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Subject: Problems in ferment?
From: Paul Shouse <paul_shouse@kmug.org>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:00:05 +0900
In my experience active Champagne yeast produces bad flavors that have to
be aged out. All other things being equal that is probably your problem,
since you were careful in cleaning and your water makes good beer. Unless
you need to use those carboys, let them age as they are then age them some
more after you bottle them. Chances are the off tastes you mention will
go away with time. I won't try to reignite the chemical additive debate,
but excess sulphur dioxide can cause burnt match flavors. Make sure that
your sterilizing rinse is all out of all equipment before you add your
goodies to the carboy.
Hope this helps,
- -Paul
>Subject: Problems in ferment?
>From: "M. Graham Clark" <mclark04@gmail.com>
>Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:13:46 -0300
>I am having some problems with a few batches of mead I have on the go and
>thought that maybe the more experienced can help.=20
... clip ...
>They had all stopped fermenting (no activity or
>change in gravity since the last reading a month earlier). They all tasted
>of slightly of burnt rubber.
...clip...
>I used champagne yeast for all three.
...clip...
>Thanks in advance,
>- --
>M. Graham Clark
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Problems in the ferment
From: docmac9582@aol.com
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:12:02 -0400 (EDT)
M. Graham Clark had a slight burnt rubber taste in his meads.
Question: How did you prepare your water and honey?
Some mead makers boil the honey/water solution, but in 100+ batches I
have been boiling the water (to get rid of chlorine) with addition of a
partial potassium metabisulfite tablet (to get rid of chloramines), and
then add the honey to the hot water (so the temperature is greater than
160F for long enough to kill most beasties in the honey and for ease of
mixing without losing significant aromatics).
I have a trail batch comparing this post-boil honey addition to a 10 minute
boil, but haven???t yet conducted enough side-by-side tasting to decide
which I prefer. I thought it would be the non-boil hands-down, but at 1
year and limited tasting, I am not as sure as when I started the experiment.
Carl McMillin, Brecksville, OH
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1518, 29 March 2011
From: David Edgecomb <diode21@msn.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:40:16 -0600
M. Graham Clark said
>When I last tasted/took a gravity reading
> was in early February. They had all stopped fermenting (no activity or
> change in gravity since the last reading a month earlier). They all tasted
> of slightly of burnt rubber.
Yes I have had that same problem as well. I too am a sanitation freak. I
use comercal grade sanitizer for restaurants and Wash Rinse Sanitize after
every use. Even if I am racking multiple carboys.
David
------------------------------
Subject: "Burnt Rubber"
From: "Spencer W. Thomas" <hbd@spencerwthomas.com>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 11:36:20 -0400
A "burnt rubber" smell is one of the descriptors applied to yeast
autolysis. It may age out, or it may not. I had a batch that I let sit
on the yeast for a long time after fermentation had finished that had
this character. It took several years before I could tolerate it, but it
did eventually go away.
=Spencer in Ann Arbor
------------------------------
Subject: Re: One Gallon Batches
From: mail-box <mail-box@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:49:05 -0400
Just this past weekend I bottled 4 one-gallon batches.
I don't make metheglyns as a general rule, and these were three
metheglyns and a traditional for which I had only a small quantity of
blackberry varietal honey. They all turned out well, except for one
which did not clear despite having had literally years to clear. A
one-gallon size is fiddly, and if you're confident of the recipe then
I'd recommend just sizing up to 5 gallons and calling it a day. But if
you're trying spice combinations which you are not sure of, as I was,
then it's the cautious way to hedge your bets against the a mixture
which isn't very good.
I'm not sure I understand the objections against picking up and shaking
the jug. For my 5 gallon batches I'll open the bucket every day for 2-3
days and stir in order to provide more O2, so why not do the same with
the gallon jug? Pull off the airlock and swirl the sucker for a minute,
then re-stopper.
On fining, I agree with the consensus to just allow time to work its
magic. But note my still cloudy batch. It contained about a 1 tsp.
total of various crushed/ground spices, and one or more apparently
didn't settle well.
On yeast, I made the three metheglyns on the same day, and split a
single packet quart starter between the three. I'd not worry about
using too much or too little dry yeast, but instead pitch an active starter.
Cheers,
Ken
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1518, 29 March 2011
From: mail-box <mail-box@comcast.net>
Date: Wed, 30 Mar 2011 21:51:12 -0400
> Subject: Problems in ferment?
> From: "M. Graham Clark"<mclark04@gmail.com>
> Date: Fri, 25 Mar 2011 12:13:46 -0300
>
> I am having some problems with a few batches of mead I have on the go and
> thought that maybe the more experienced can help. [...] They all tasted
> of slightly of burnt rubber.
> Thanks in advance,
> - --
> M. Graham Clark
>
Graham,
You may be smelling Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S). The following site can help
you identify the cause and the potential cures:
http://www.bcawa.ca/winemaking/h2s.htm
I hope this helps!
Cheers,
Ken
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1519
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