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Mead Lovers Digest #1636
Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1636, 29 June 2013
From: mead-request@talisman.com
Mead Lover's Digest #1636 29 June 2013
Mead Discussion Forum
Contents:
Re: Yeast nutrient after ferment (Bob)
Re: Lavender Mead (Stephen Morley)
Re: Lavender Mead (Chazzone)
Lavender Mead (Mark Kissinger)
yeast nutrient (Micah Millspaw)
Re Lavender and nutrients (docmac9582@aol.com)
Re: Lavender Mead (Alex Flinsch)
Re: Lavender Mead (Rebecca Sobol)
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Subject: Re: Yeast nutrient after ferment
From: Bob <bob.kiley@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:43:16 -0400
A few issues pop up. The first, and most dangerous, is the fact that
bacteria would love to eat the nutrients. Normally wine is sufficient
in alcohol and completely depleted of nutrients so not much bacteria can
survive. With nutrients left, they may be able to spoil the mead.
Second, taste. When nutrients aren't fermented out completely they taste
minerally/metallic (DAP) or yeasty (for yeast based nutrients like hulls
and extracts).
I probably would dump the batch, or maybe pitch a new yeast with more honey,
but I don't know what will happen.
It's always a shame to have a ruined batch, but it is inevitable.
- -Bob
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Lavender Mead
From: Stephen Morley <stephen@morley.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 20:43:52 -0400
Funny you should ask. We did a lavender in the distant past.
We used 4oz weight of lavender flowers. Along with 1lb raisins (chopped)
and 1/2 cup blueberries. Add to 1G boiling water off the heat. Let sit for
9 hours. Add this to your honey mixture. Was very strong at first but
settled down over the years and is quite nice now, I'm led to believe. I
think it tastes like toilet water but I guess I just don't like lavender
flavored mead.
Stephen
On Tue, Jun 25, 2013 at 8:24 PM, <mead-request@talisman.com> wrote:
> Subject: Lavender Mead
> From: Jose Perez-Tamayo <jose1191@yahoo.com>
> Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 22:51:15 -0700 (PDT)
>
> I am interested in making a lavender mead using lavender from my garden
> and have several questions:
>
> 1. When adding lavender, is it best to use a simple sugar made with the
> lavender or the lavender buds/flowers?
> 2. Are there issues with possible bacterial contamination if using the
> flowers/buds without some form of sterilization? Campden wash perhaps?
> 3. Is the lavender best added to the primary, or will the flavor be more
> redolent if added to the secondary?
> 4. Are there any recommendations as to the amount of lavender per 5
> gallon batch?
> 5. Is there any to add a slight lavender hue to the mead before bottling?
>
> Thank you for your assistance
>
> j
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Lavender Mead
From: Chazzone <chazzone@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:17:53 -0400
I'm a boiler. I boiled my water, then added the fresh lavender and
honey. I left the lavender in the must until it cooled, then strained
it into the primary and pitched the yeast cake.
This gets peak color and flavor components like a tea. Leaving any
herby materials on too long is a recipe for disaster.
It's been a while, so I don't remember how much lavender I used, but I
got excellent color, and flavor.
I was very happy with the results.
Good luck,
- -zz
------------------------------
Subject: Lavender Mead
From: Mark Kissinger <fish556996@gmail.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 07:27:15 -0400
Hi Jose;
I made a lavender mead from a plant in my yard and it came out really good.
I used the leaves of the plant and stuffed them into a four ounce jar, I
then added vodka to cover the leaves and let that sit for about a month. I
believe the vodka would take care of any possible contamination. I added
the liquid from the lavender to five gallons of mead after primary
fermentation. Good luck.
- --
Mark Kissinger
------------------------------
Subject: yeast nutrient
From: Micah Millspaw <MMillspaw@Silgancontainers.com>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 13:39:02 +0000
>Subject: Yeast nutrient question - addition after fermentation
>From: Henry Murray <henry.h.murray@gmail.com<mailto:henry.h.murray@gmail.c=
om>>
>Date: Mon, 24 Jun 2013 21:38:36 -0400
>Dear Mead Makers
>I add 3 tsp of a yeast nutrient when I first make the wort [honey, water,
and yeast] and measure the specific gravity. After about two weeks of
>fermentation and I transfer to a glass carboy for the first time I add
an additional 2 tsp of yeast nutrient. However, based on the specific
gravity >measurement after the first two weeks of fermentation, its is done.
>Fermented to dryness!
>Question: Given I have fermented to dryness, what if anything does adding
additional yeast nutrient do?
Adding yeast nutrient post fermentation will not help anything and may well
result in a bad taste or off flavor.
Micah
------------------------------
Subject: Re Lavender and nutrients
From: docmac9582@aol.com
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 14:02:35 -0400 (EDT)
Lavender
About a year ago, I obtained some strong lavender sugar water solution
designed to be added to alcoholic drinks. However, it had too much sugar
in it - so I started by simply fermenting the sugars out so I could add
it to taste as a concentrate to prefermented mead. The experiment is
still in progress - but it appears that much of the nice lavender aroma
has disappeared. Based on this, I would suggest prefermenting mead to
about 12-14% alcohol and adding the flowers. By this approach, you do not
need to worry much about any bacterial contamination from the lavender.
Again, I would make it concentrated and then do a serial dilution test to
determine how much to add without overpowering the mead.
I also looked for Lavender honey - but it is appearantly available in the
USA in small quantities at huge prices. However, the Leatherwood Honey
from Australia for some reason has a very strong lavender floral aroma,
and my son made 5 gallons of mead from it that would probably be slightly
better if diluted with some neutral (e.g. clover) mead.
Post-Fermentaiton Nutrient
I know of NO reason to add extra nutrient after fermentation. I believe
this would add an unplesant chemical taste to the mead. In fact, in recent
years, I start all my mead with little or even zero added nutrients (for
a show mead). It depends on the honey whether more nutrients are needed
than from the honey. I have a couple of Orange Blossom meads that went
to about 14% alcohol with 3.5% residual sugar by just adding the yeast to
the must. For most honeys, I add a tsp. or two nutrients for 5 gallons at
the start and then more if the fermentation lags (along with a few drops
of olive oil). However, I must admit that I don't do much with the meads
for at least 6 months to a year or two - and the fermentation is slower
without the nutrients. But, I don't care if it takes two weeks or six
months for the initial fermentation to complete.
I did a controlled test with some buckwheat honey with only a little
initial nutrient and also using the staged nutrient suggested in the
current study materials for the Mead Judge testing exam (part of the Beer
Judge Certification Testing). Both batches were divided and fermented
with either fresh WP-720 sweet mead yeast or my 12 year old cultiver of
the same yest that I reuse from batch to batch. The staggered addition
of nutrients and the fresh yeast fermented faster in both cases. However,
by a year or so, all had clarified and the staggered addition of nutrients
and also my cultivers of yeast finished with lower FGs. Blind testing
in two different groups showed that there was a very slight preference
for the slower fermenting meads and also for my cultiver of the yeast.
This is only one set of test batches. I have another set going now, star
thistle, with and without added oxygen - which also speeds fermentationn,
but I don't know about the final taste.
So if you are in a hurry, certainly add nutrients - but not after fermentation.
Carl McMillin
Brecksville, OH
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Lavender Mead
From: Alex Flinsch <avflinsch@verizon.net>
Date: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 20:37:18 -0400
On Jun 25, 2013, at 8:24 PM, mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> I am interested in making a lavender mead using lavender from my garden
> and have several questions:
Good choice - lavender mead is wonderful.
> 1. When adding lavender, is it best to use a simple sugar made with the
> lavender or the lavender buds/flowers?
I usually make a tea of lavender flowers and leaves. I boil about a
gallon of water, and then add a good sized handful of dried lavender -
stems, leaves and flowers (about 3-4 oz). Then cover it and let is steep
for about an hour.
Heat another gallon of water, then add the honey (about 15-17 lbs) to
it. Mix the lavender tea and the honey water, add cold water to 5
gallons and then ferment with your preferred yeast.
> 5. Is there any to add a slight lavender hue to the mead before bottling?
I usually get a very pale purple out of the primary, unfortunately, it
usually fades in the secondary - still tastes great though.
One thing that I have noticed about lavender mead - it has a tendency to
put one to sleep very quickly - probably more to do with the lavender
than the alcohol - pleasant dreams always occur.
------------------------------
Subject: Re: Lavender Mead
From: Rebecca Sobol <ris@g4coop.com>
Date: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 11:31:15 -0600
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 18:24:45 -0600 (MDT)
mead-request@talisman.com wrote:
> I am interested in making a lavender mead using lavender from my
> garden and have several questions:
>
> 1. When adding lavender, is it best to use a simple sugar made with
> the lavender or the lavender buds/flowers?
> 2. Are there issues with possible bacterial contamination if using
> the flowers/buds without some form of sterilization? Campden wash
> perhaps? 3. Is the lavender best added to the primary, or will the
> flavor be more redolent if added to the secondary?
> 4. Are there any recommendations as to the amount of lavender per 5
> gallon batch?
> 5. Is there any to add a slight lavender hue to the mead before
> bottling?
We made a lavender mead with fresh lavender. It looks like we put
lavender into the primary and more in the secondary, sprigs with
blossoms and used heat to sanitize. Our mead came out light, dry and
sparkling with the merest hint of lavender hue. It got rave reviews
from those who tried it. Our brew notes are here
http://www.unicornunchained.com/mead/ls.html
Rebecca
- --
Rebecca Sobol Longmont, CO
ris@UnicornUnchained.com http://UnicornUnchained.com/
------------------------------
End of Mead Lover's Digest #1636
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