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Mead Lovers Digest #1485
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1485, 20 August 2010
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1485 20 August 2010
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Acceptable raspberry flower honey mead? (docmac9582@aol.com)
Re: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead? (mail-box)
Re: Housemoving and Acceptability. (Spam-a-holic)
RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1484, 14 August 2010 ("Rich K")
Re: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead? (John Simmon (M...)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1484, 14 August 2010 (Steven Buczkowski)
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Subject: Acceptable raspberry flower honey mead?
From: docmac9582@aol.com
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:56:50 -0400
John Simmons asked about his proposed procedure for his raspberry blossom
honey mead. It appears you have read quite a bit, because your procedure
looks terrific, with a little acidity, a little tannin (tea), nutrients,
and a good yeast. I have often started my meads upstairs (warmer) for
a quicker start, before moving to the same temperature basement as you.
One decision is whether or not to stop further fermentation before addition
of the raspberries (Campden tablets & sorbate AFTER it stops actively
fermenting) - but with your 3 pounds/gallon honey, it will probably not
make much difference because the alcohol tolerance of your yeast is about
where you are at. One comment is that the addition of the raspberries
(or other fruits/spices) may ASSIST in the flocculation of the yeast -
accelerating the clarity. At the tail end you still may want to adjust
the sweetness {blending batches or + reserved honey}/acidity {acid blend or
different acids or more lemon juice}/astringency {grape tannin} to optimize
the mead to your taste. Different honeys have different amounts of nutrients
in them, so the amount of added ingredients needed varies. I have found
that if a batch sticks before you reach your desired attenuation, a little
more nutrient (DISSOLVED in mead or water so it does not volcano) and/or
moving back upstairs will kick if off again. Again, you are about spot on.
Carl McMillin
Brecksville, OH
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Subject: Re: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead?
From: mail-box <mail-box@comcast.net>
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:11:17 -0400
> Subject: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead?
> From: John Simmons <32bituser@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 21:39:10 -0400
>
> I have a basic question regarding primary fermentation of a mead.
> [...]
> I have at least anecdotal evidence that meads can be left on the initial
> lees for months and longer, with no obvious detriment.[....]
> Does this sound like a bad idea ?[...]
> I know there are a gazillion ways to answer this question.. I am just
> looking for "it will not (necessarily) ruin your mead" or "dont do it, it
> will ruin your mead".
>
>
> Thanks!
> John Simmons
John,
Mead can be left on the gross lees for a long period of time. But there
is a trade off, or a price to pay, however you wish to view it, with the
approach to late additions to your mead which will throw off the
traditional racking schedule. I believe that the way to approach mead
is one of "How will my mead be impacted by this?"
Your initial recipe should make a very nice mead. When you add the
raspberries you'll be adding to this very nice mead. But letting the
raspberry addition wait another month before racking may not be the best
approach. You won't be getting much more out of the raspberries after
about a week, and you'll be allowing time for possible negative effects
to make themselves known. I would recommend that you rack off of any
late fruit additions on a much more rigorous schedule, and incorporate
sulfite additions into these modifications.
Cheers,
Ken
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Housemoving and Acceptability.
From: Spam-a-holic <spamalot@catscoffeechocolate.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 22:34:47 -0400
Housemoving for Todd Perry
If you have large enough equipment, and remember that picking up 5
gallons is enough of a pain that picking up 10 gallons should
generally be avoided, size is not much of an issue. I have given away
most of my one-gallon glass (harder to find these days) jugs becasue
I find it nearly as easy to make 5 gallons as one, and if an
experiment works in 1 gallon, it's frustrating not to have the other
4. I don't usually go so far down the road of blind chance that I
have much expectation of outright failure, where the 1-gallon size is
more desirable. WIthout any equipent changes (other than a new carboy
if you need another) you can simply work in two 5 gallon batches. Mix
them as needed if you feel that they have to be "one batch", or do
them all the same except for one thing if you want to take a
scientific approach to the effects of certain things. Different
yeast, same must is a classic in that line.
Pay attention to sanitation and the timeline is of no concern at all.
Other than there being very few bottles left, the 1996 mead is just
fine here.
Acceptability for John Simmons:
"It will not (necessarily) ruin your mead." I might even go as far
as "it's quite unlikely to ruin your mead."
Lawrence H. Smith, Buxton School Librarian and Computarian
Lawrence@BuxtonSchool.org http://
www.BuxtonSchool.org
Cats, Coffee, Chocolate...Vices to live by.
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1484, 14 August 2010
From: "Rich K" <aldertree2@gmail.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 19:46:37 -0700
Re: Housemoving Mead?
Richard/Todd in Witchita,
Sounds like you have a great project in mind.
<I was thinking about trying to make a large-batch (like 10 or more gal)...>
A lot of guys limit their batches to 5-6 gallons to avoid back injury. You
could still do 10-12 gallons simultaneously in two containers.
Rich in Olympia, WA
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead? (John Simmon
From: Michael Kaiser <kaiseriron2@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:02:23 -0700 (PDT)
> So, here is the question -
> Does this sound like a bad idea ? I am using the raspberry mead to
> illlustrate my idea.. I actually have five different meads that I hope to
> work this way.. all started yesterday, and, hopefully, all will be ready to
> rack to secondary in about two months, for aging.
>
> I know there are a gazillion ways to answer this question.. I am just
> looking for "it will not (necessarily) ruin your mead" or "dont do it, it
> will ruin your mead".
John,
It won't hurt your mead, but it might produce off-flavors to keep the
fermenting must in plastic that long. When I make a melomel, I always, always
ferment to dry or near dry in glass first, then transfer dry mead/must to a
plastic fermenter (bucket), add previously-frozen fruit to the mead/must and
let the fruit sit on the mead till it goes all Gollum-looking (opening the
bucket every 2 days and pushing the fruit down with a sterilized spoon),
then racking off into glass again. This allows you to; A. Ferment in a
closed sterile environment, i.e. glass, so that you don't ruin $30+ worth
of honey. B. Ferment till dry so that adjusting sweetness after the fruit
is added is that much easier. C. Adding fruit to the initial fermentation
will guarantee that a large portion of the aromatics inherent in the fruit
will "blow off" with the CO2. It will still *look* like raspberry melomel,
but it won;t taste as raspberry-y as you would like, and raspberries are
damn expensive too.
Buy the fruit you want to use, rinse/clean it, dry it off and toss it in
a ziplock bag and shove it in the freezer. When your mead has come to the
end of its fermentation, transfer to a plastic pail, add thawed fruit,
and let it sit for a week. Your hard work will pay off when you open an
aged bottle of your raspberry melomel a few years from now, and a whiff
of summertime raspberries, ripe and juicy, hit your nose as you begin to
drink. This method works with all melomels.
> (this is my first post to the MLD, please dont hurt me..
> :-) )
GET HIM! I mean, welcome :)
Michael J Kaiser
Artist/Blacksmith
http://www.KaiserWroughtIron.com
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1484, 14 August 2010
From: Steven Buczkowski <steven.buczkowski@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Aug 2010 19:58:55 -0400
On Sat, 2010-08-14 at 16:19 -0600, mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
>
> Subject: Is this an "acceptable" way to add adjuncts to a mead?
> From: John Simmons <32bituser@gmail.com>
> Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2010 21:39:10 -0400
>
.....
> After primary fermentation is pretty much over, I plan to add 6 pounds of
> raspberries to it. For various reasons, it would be really convenient for me
> to just put the raspberries in the bucket that the must is now fermenting
> in, without racking off the yeast that has flocculated out. I would then,
> hypothetically, after maybe another month, rack into glass secondary for
> aging..
>
Well, you've sampled my meads and you know how I have done it (perhaps I
am some of the anecdotal evidence you speak of?). I'll put my two cents
in anyway and see how they come out in the final statistics.
> I have at least anecdotal evidence that meads can be left on the initial
> lees for months and longer, with no obvious detriment. My goal is maybe two
> months before first racking. A month (a guess on my part) for primary to
> mostly finish, then another month on the fruit.
>
> So, here is the question -
> Does this sound like a bad idea ? .....
I don't necessarily think so. I've done this in pretty every batch I
have made to date: Pitch yeast, come back in 2-3+ months to rack, come
back in 3-4+ months to rack again, lather, rinse, repeat. The results
haven't been that bad, in my opinion.
So far, this has been independent of adjuncts. I probably should NOT
have let the habanero peppers steep for 4+ months but the problems that
caused had nothing to do with sitting on the lees. :-)
Steven
Steven Buczkowski
Graduate Student
UMBC Physics Dept
Smoke Signal: Two long, Two short. I'll send a rider.
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1485
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