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Mead Lovers Digest #1524
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1524, 12 June 2011
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1524 12 June 2011
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Shut down the Mead-Lover's Digest? (Mead Lovers Digest Admin)
Shut down the list? (Talon McCormick)
Re: Shut down the Mead-Lover's Digest? ("David Houseman")
close down? (Lou Wilkinson)
Hydromel (Chris)
A Question on Oxygenation (Chris)
dying beverage or too successful? (Micah Millspaw)
Carrot Blossom honey (Jeff Rothrock)
RE: Slowdowns at MLD (Vuarra)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1523, 9 June 2011 (Jeff Peck)
NOTE: Digest appears whenever 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 and admin requests.
Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead#Archives
A searchable archive is at http://www.gotmead.com/mldarchives.html
Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn
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Subject: Re: Shut down the Mead-Lover's Digest?
From: mead-request@talisman.com (Mead Lovers Digest Admin)
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:30:13 -0600 (MDT)
For this particular subject, I'm taking an active role as janitor: I'm
adding my notes in [...] to postings about keeping the digest going or
not.
One thing I didn't mention in Digest 1523: Even if I were to shut down
the MLD, I would keep the archives available "forever".
There were a handful of replies on- and off-list about whether to shut
down--about a dozen total I guess. Consensus is "Don't shut it down."
OK, so be it.
But consider: If there aren't any postings, how would you know whether
it's shut down or not?!? I waited 3 times as long as the previous
maximum delay between digests, and there still weren't any postings in
the queue. I had toyed with the idea of just waiting it out, to see if
anybody would ever post again...but decided instead that there's a
responsibility to new subscribers to let them know what's going on.
The welcome message and digest header will be adjusted to caution people
to expect long delays.
Dick
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Subject: Shut down the list?
From: Talon McCormick <nmccormick2@cfl.rr.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 7:04:11 -0400
I think it's more a result of the current financial climate as to why
posts have dropped off. As people are finding it more expensive to simply
live, they're not spending on their discressionary items such as brewing.
I know this is the reason why I've not been very active in my brewing for
the past 4 years.
["Conventional wisdom" holds that people tend to make more at home when
they're financially pinched...at least this is what homebrew people have
observed. -janitor]
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Subject: Re: Shut down the Mead-Lover's Digest?
From: "David Houseman" <david.houseman@verizon.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:19:04 -0400
Dick,
Seems to me that these things are cyclic. Don't have stats but it seems to
me that the cider postings have picked up from some past periods. HBD has
had some new life with the AHA TechTalk demise. I think there will be
more mead postings as people return to mead making or discover it. This
has been a valuable resource when needed. Why not combine the making of
beer, cider and mead to a single forum (HBD?) so that there is a single
resource for the making of home fermented beverages.
David Houseman
[There are some cycles, tho usually hard to understand what's behind them!
But in this case with the MLD, it's been more like a downward spiral. As
to a single forum--NO, at least not in terms of bringing cider together
with other beverages. They don't have enough in common. But anyway, the
Cider Digest is cruising right along. -janitor]
------------------------------
Subject: close down?
From: Lou Wilkinson <LWilkinson@schilli.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:21:17 -0400
Speaking only for myself....I like it.
I only make a couple 5 gallon batches of mead a year...but I enjoy the
conversation, tips, etc from the more experienced members.
I don't say much because I don't have much experience and, hence, not much
to say.
But I found, and still find, the digest a valuable resource...the limited
bandwidth actually ensures that i read everything that comes out instead
of just hitting "delete" like I do for some of my heavier lists.
As far as distribution...it doesn't make any difference to me...update,
not update, it's all about the content.
I can't remember but a couple months ago, we had a brief discussion with a
list-member that makes mead the same unscientific way that I do...honey +
water + herbs or ginger or not, let it do it's thing...
If nothing else, that was great...to find out that there's someone else
that takes my casual approach to making and enjoying mead.
------------------------------
Subject: Hydromel
From: Chris <asby0@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:34:38 -0500
I have a nice Tupelo Honey from Florida. I want to make a hydromel. I've
made plenty of basic strength meads and several sack strength meads but
never hydromel.
I don't want to dry it out. That's my biggest fear. I want a starting
gravity of around 1.070 and a final of about 1.012 to 14.
Standard wine yeasts will not grant this attenuation. I'm considering
using a beer yeast. I'm an all grain brewer.
Has anyone here made hydromels at the gravity ranges I've specified? And,
if so, what yeast did you utilize?
Sent from my iPhone
------------------------------
Subject: A Question on Oxygenation
From: Chris <asby0@yahoo.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 07:47:43 -0500
If I'm preparing a high gravity mead (1.145) . How far into the ferment
can I apply O2 without staling the mead? I applied O2 on the first day
and the second day. Can I apply O2 on the fourth day?
Sent from my iPhone
------------------------------
Subject: dying beverage or too successful?
From: Micah Millspaw <MMillspaw@Silgancontainers.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 13:18:58 +0000
Is the participation level so low because the hobby has peaked out? Or
has the level of the art improved so much on the commercial side that
there is no need for the home making of mead?
[If the hobby has peaked out, perhaps the MLD really -is- becoming
irrelevant! Except then, folks who want to promote the hobby should
be using the MLD as a tool in their efforts.
As to improvements on the commercial side, experience with beer and
cider suggests it should be the opposite: Increasing commercial
availability should increase interest in making it at home. -janitor]
This is a long running forum and I have been on it for many years, I
read, but seldom post any longer. So, how relevant is it to me, to you,
to everyone, is that what we are discussing now?
Ironically this could be more interesting than discussing mead making itself.
Micah Millspaw
------------------------------
Subject: Carrot Blossom honey
From: Jeff Rothrock <jeff.rothrock@gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 12:14:50 -0700
Hey there, long time subscriber, first time poster (thanks in part to the
most recent digest)
I recently purchased 24lbs of carrot blossom honey from the folks at Flying
Bee Ranch in Salem, OR. This is pretty tasty stuff, and other than making
a traditional to showcase it's unique character, I have no idea what to
do with the rest of it.
So, any ideas? The honey is similar to mesquite honey, but with an earthy,
mineral quality. It also has a pleasant tanginess I've never had in
honey before. The honey smells delicious with a hint of vanilla.
I was thinking of making a metheglyn with some, but am having trouble
coming up with spices that would compliment nicely with this varietal.
Any ideas are greatly appreciated!
- -Jeff Rothrock
------------------------------
Subject: RE: Slowdowns at MLD
From: Vuarra <vuarra@yahoo.ca>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 21:16:42 -0700 (PDT)
While you make some fascinating points about your readership, I have found
one thing about mead. It is incredibly expensive to make right now.
[This comment surprises me, but there were several similar comments. Is
this a topic in its own right for the MLD? Are people seeing honey prices
that are really prohibitive? -janitor]
In the meantime, I've turned to beer and wine. When the price of honey
falls again, I have a few carboys that will be awaiting a long term tenant.
Just my two cents.
Vuarra
The world really isn't any worse. It's just that the news coverage is so
much better.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1523, 9 June 2011
From: Jeff Peck <lyulfr@comcast.net>
Date: Fri, 10 Jun 2011 11:58:03 -0700
Hi!,
I rarely post, not much to say... However, I consider this
digest to be a valuable resource, and would hate to see it shut down.
Just to stir up some conversation, does anyone have a good recipe for a
Dark Braggot? My 1st attempt didn't work out so well, as I didn't
realize that braggots don't age the way meads do.
Jeff
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1524
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