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Mead Lovers Digest #1539
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1539, 16 August 2011
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1539 16 August 2011
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
When is a mead not a mead (Paul Millns)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1538, 10 August 2011 Some thoughts on Ginger (jaz...)
Joe's Ancient Orange Mead (Bruce Casner)
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Subject: When is a mead not a mead
From: Paul Millns <hivekeeper@hotmail.com>
Date: Wed, 10 Aug 2011 16:21:36 +0000
Hi
I was talking to colleagues earlier today about mead and it was sad to hear
that their experience of commercial mead in the UK was that it is overly
sweet and boring. Further discussion lead me to think that refined sugar
had been used to produce a sweet mead of 12% alcohol, so my question is -
do some commercial mead producers use refine sugars to make their honey
'go further' and what are the legal limits to doing this in different
parts of the world. I do not use refined sugar but rely solely on honey
or honey and fruit sugars as in the case of melomels
Regards
Paul
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Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1538, 10 August 2011 Some thoughts on Ginger
From: jazzbobob@aol.com
Date: Thu, 11 Aug 2011 00:23:36 -0400 (EDT)
Some thoughts on Ginger effects in Mead...
I have made several ginger meads and ales including a best of show winner
in the Dixie Cup. I have read many recipes over the years that call for
varying amounts of ginger. I believe there are a couple of factors at work.
Different types of ginger vary in taste and flavor. Some types of fresh
ginger can have a lot more intensity and bite. I've tasted differences in
Hawaiian, Chinese, and Indian sources of ginger and found organic ginger to
be exceptionally strong. I also notice a change in ginger taste depending
upon using fat rhizomes or thinner roots. Starting with the choice of
ginger, all of these variables can effect the strength and taste.
I also observe a wide variety for treatments of ginger. Recipes can
suggest chopping, shredding, or grating and may or may not specify peeling.
There will be a big difference if the ginger is boiled, steeped, or added
directly to the fermentor. The recipe in Zymurgy called for placing
the ginger in a hop bag and pushing it back into the fermenting mead.
The floating bag would restrict the amount of ginger continually exposed
to the fermentation and may not contribute as much flavor as if it was
left immersed in the fermentor and strained out at the racking.
As an experiment and education to your taste perception, try making some
ginger tea by simply chopping the ginger and allowing it to steep in room
temperature water. Then take the same amount of ginger and boil it for
five minutes.
Another major taste perception relates to the honey quantity, alcohol level,
and residual sweetness level. A sweeter mead will balance and create a
candy like ginger taste compared to a sharp and dry ginger mead made with
less honey. A stronger alcoholic mead will also effect the perception of
ginger taste.
I believe many of the ginger effects and tastes are all relative to the
balance and context of the recipe. I use 1 oz per gallon when making a
mild sweet sparkling mead with an 0G of 1.070 and a final gravity of 1.1020
by using ale yeast. The same recipe fermented with wine yeast usually has
a FG of 1.000 and tastes dry and sharp. I have used 4 ounces per gallon
when making a strong mead with an OG 1.140 and a FG of 1.120 and not found
it overwhelming. These recipes boil the ginger in water for 5 minutes
before adding the honey to dissolve it in the hot water and chilling it down.
cheers, Bob Grossman JazzboBob@aol.com
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Subject: Joe's Ancient Orange Mead
From: Bruce Casner <casner@tds.net>
Date: Sat, 13 Aug 2011 15:59:18 -0500
I am about to bottle my third batch of Joe's Ancient Orange Cinnamon
Mead. The first followed Joe's recipe exactly, the second was three
gallons because the first disappeared so quickly, and the third is six
gallons because the second batch disappeared too quickly.
The first two batches I bottled when clear, but the fruit never
descended as Joe says it will. This time, I just left the carboy
sitting and waited. Today, almost three months after starting, the
fruit is descending slowly; Joe's indicator that the batch is ready to
bottle.
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1539
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