Mead Lover’s Digest #167 Mon 05 July 1993

Forum for Discussion of Mead Brewing and Consuming
John Dilley, Digest Coordinator

Contents:

        My latest mead is lacking something. (Mark Taratoot)

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Date: Sun, 04 Jul 1993 15:35:27 -0600 (MDT)
From: Mark Taratoot <SLNDW@CC.USU.EDU>
Subject: My latest mead is lacking something. 

Greetings.

        I have a small mead that is nearing the end of
fermentation and I need some suggestions.

The mead is 5 gallons of basic ingredients:
6 pounds honey
4 t acid blend
6 t yeast nutrient
11 cloves
Lalvin K1V-1116 yeast.

        When I racked this from a bucket to a carboy, there was a bit
of extra that would not fit into the carboy. So I racked it to
a jug, let it clear, and bottled it. It was near completion of
fermentation, but after a couple of weeks it has a slight
carbonation.

        The problem is: when I tasted one of the "extra" bottles,
it had very little flavor. Of course it had the rough flavor I
have come to associate with young mead, but other than that there
was not much flavor from the honey or cloves. This mead was
intended to be a light, refreshing sparkling mead fit for
hot summer afternoons (probably next summer) so I kept the honey
down to a minimum to keep the alcohol content low. Now I would
like to add something when I rack or bottle to give it a bit more
flavor. My thoughts are:

1. Add some fruit. I have two pie cherry trees in the
   front yard. However, my next ferment will be a cherry mead, so I
   don’t want to cherry this one. Also, I don’t want this stuff to
   ferment for too much longer.

2. Add some kind of "tea." I have read of people using
   tea to flavor meads (both tea and herb "tea"). I have considered
   making a "hop tea" and adding that or dry hopping it, but I
   don’t really want hops in my mead.

3. Add some more spice(s). I am considering vanila bean,
   licorice, spruce, cinimon, allspice, etc. However, I don’t want this
   stuff to take on a medicine flavor, so I don’t want too much.

4. Add some fruit essence.

        So, anyone out there used one or more of these? Please
mail me your comments!

Thanks

        -toot

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End of Mead Lover’s Digest

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