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Mead Lovers Digest #1580
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1580, 11 April 2012
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1580 11 April 2012
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: MLD #1579, 6 April 2012 - Kosher & hydrometer readings (arthur_torrey@...)
Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1578, 26 March 2012 (Tim Leber)
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Subject: Re: MLD #1579, 6 April 2012 - Kosher & hydrometer readings
From: arthur_torrey@comcast.net
Date: Sat, 7 Apr 2012 01:27:50 +0000 (UTC)
First off, I'd like to thank all those contributing to the discussion of
the Kosher mead question, it has been most educational, although sometimes
confusing, and I feel like I have a much better understanding the rules
about the issue...
Bottom line as I get it is that while Kosher mead is possible, *I* can't
make it myself since I'm not Jewish... Also it seems like even if one is
Jewish, the process is not easy / automatic, so even the typical production
by a Jewish brewer probably wouldn't be KFP...
Next...
> Subject: Re: hydrometer readings
> From: wilf how <wilf1979@yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, 5 Apr 2012 15:55:39 +0100 (BST)
>
> >Hello all,
> >I've got a traditional mead which has pretty much stopped fermenting.
> >The
> final gravity is however according to the hydrometer sitting at 1.005.
> As I was going to bottle condition this batch I wanted to be as dry as
> possible before priming. I've tried coaxing it along with a bit more
> nutrient, a new yeast population added gradually and a good stir but
> the
> gravity hasn't dropped at all.
<snip>
I have not noticed a significant contribution to SG readings from the
non-sugar parts of a must, though they might cause a point or two shift,
but that would be a constant offset from OG to FG...
What was the STARTING SG? Also what Yeast are you using? - if you have a
high enough SG at the start, then it is possible that your mead has finished
at 1.005 because the alcohol content got higher than the tolerance of your
yeast, so they shut down. In which case, adding more nutrient or yeast of
the same strain won't get anything moving, as the alcohol will do in the
new yeast as well... However adding WATER will lower the % alcohol, and
any dormant yeast will then wake up and chew on the remaining sugars until
you either run out, or the % alcohol gets back up to the tolerance level....
Note that if you ARE at the tolerance level, then you won't get more
fermentation by priming...
I like a slightly sweet mead, but don't like the idea of doing sorbates and
sulfites in my meads, so it sounds like you have accidentally done what
I do on purpose... I start my meads a bit on the "lean" side, and then
every time they go dry (SG below 1.000, I've seen it go as low as 0.095)
I add more honey until I get a brew that has a stable SG for several months
at around 1.005... I must then be very careful NOT to add more water when
I bottle, or I will make bombs...
My % alcohol when doing this is somewhat unknown because of the combined
effect of the feeding and the racking losses, but is roughly set by the
strain of yeast that I use. My usual preference is for Lalvin D-47,
which seems to quit around 14-16%, and is a very reliable starter.
This is somewhat risky, as in theory, temperature changes or other
environmental shifts can cause the yeast to start fermenting again, but
I've been doing it this way for many years, and never had any problems...
ART
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Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1578, 26 March 2012
From: Tim Leber <brewer@leberhall.com>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2012 15:34:03 -0700
Kosher Mead
This is an interesting article about the Kosher status of honey and other
bee products. I won't quote it here, but it seems to me that the more
important question is if the yeast is Kosher for Passover or not.
http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-Do-Bee-Don't-Bee.htm
Tim
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End of Mead Lover's Digest #1580
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