Mead Lover's Digest #32 Wed 11 November 1992

Forum for Discussion of Mead Brewing and Consuming

John Dilley, Digest Coordinator

Digest Coordinator Special Message:

The digest went quiet for a few days — I got a number of mail
messages from people concerned that they were dropped or the digest
was broken. Well, don't worry, everything's fine. I'm working on
an FAQ (in my copious spare time); I'll be posting it in a little
while. Wassail!

Contents:

Where's the Digest? (Guy D. McConnell)

Send articles for submission to the digest to mead-lovers@nsa.hp.com
Send digest addition or removal requests to mead-lovers-request@nsa.hp.com

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Date: Tue, 10 Nov 92 13:32:58 CST
From: guy@mspe5.b11.ingr.com (Guy D. McConnell)
Subject: Where's the Digest? 

I haven't gotten a Mead Lover's Digest since November 3rd. Has it stopped

being sent out or have I been dropped? I guess this is a test to see if it
shows up anywhere.

To the subject of mead, I brewed my first shot at it this past weekend.

It was a take-off on Papazian's Barkshack Ginger Mead. This is my take at it:

Jamaica Blue Mead
5 Gallons

6 pounds Clover Honey, raw
1 pound Orange Blossom Honey, raw
1.5 pounds Corn Sugar
2 ounces Freshly Minced Ginger Root
4 each 3.5" Cinnamon Sticks, cracked
1.5 tsp. Gypsum
3 tsp. Yeast Extract
1/4 tsp. Irish Moss Powder
1 gallon Alabama Blueberries
2 each Lemons, halved
1 pack WYeast #1214 Belgian Ale
3/4 cup Corn Sugar (bottling)

Add honey, corn sugar, gypsum, Irish moss, and yeast extract to
1.5 gallons of water in brewpot. Simmer for 10 minutes, skimming
the foam with a strainer. Add ginger root and simmer for 10 more
minutes without skimming. Remove from heat, squeeze lemons into
brewpot, and throw in lemons. Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.
Strain out lemon halves and ginger and add blueberries. Chill and
pour mixture into primary. Pitch yeast starter, shake well, and
attach blowoff hose. After gravity falls to 1.020 or within 7 days,
whichever comes first, rack to secondary leaving fruit behind. Age
for 1 – 2 months in secondary. When fermentation is complete,
prepare a tea by simmering cinnamon for 30 minutes in a covered pot.
Cool and add to bottling bucket with priming solution. Bottle, age
for 6 – 12 months, chill, and enjoy!

O.G.: 1.050

F.G.: don't know yet

I wound up with ~6.5 gallons including the blueberries. I am using a 7 gallon
glass carboy for a primary with a large diameter blowoff hose. The kraeusen
peaked at about 2 – 3" sometime Sunday and has since fallen. I am getting a
steady bubbling through the hose still. It went well (so far) and I am
looking forward to enjoying my efforts.

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Guy McConnell guy@mspe5.b11.ingr.com or …uunet!ingr!b11!mspe5!guy

"All I need is a pint a day"

End of Mead Lover's Digest

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