I'm sure that by now there's no doubt in the original poster's mind that the
two fruits are very different. What I haven't seen is someone tell them the
biggest difference between the two. Being the wonderful mead-maker that
I am, I'll gladly chime in.

If you pick the ripe fruit and the core stays in it, it is a blackberry. If
the core stays on the bush, it's a black raspberry.

We've got both growing wild here in the Mid-Hudson Valley. The black
raspberries tend to be smaller and far less juicy than the blackberries.

I'm about to make a raid to bring back a few of the untended wild
blackberry plants. With a little TLC they ought to produce some humongous
fruit.

Regards,
John Calen

I have made several 1 gallon batches of sweet mead in the
past with success. I am now trying a 5 gallon batch with 15
lbs. of orange blossom. I have always used sulfite
sterilization. This batch was started about 2 wks. ago with
100 ppm sulfite. I used 5 tsp. of yeast nutrient. After 24
hrs. I pitched the Vierka Sauterne yeast to a quick and
painless sulfite death. After a week or so I pitched some
more yeast (a German mead type) and got a little activity.
For over a week the must was in the trashcan style
primary. I then racked the must into the secondary fearing
contamination as there was so little activity. There was
some sediment in the primary, and there had been a little
foam on the top, but racking seems to have ceased all
activity. So, two days ago I pitched liquid sweet mead
yeast. Still no activity. The must taste great, but it
still has a slight sulfite taste. How many ppm does it take
to be able to taste it? How long will it take to get rid
of it? Or, do I need more yeast nutrient?

The temperature is in the high 60's. Maybe 70 or over at
times.

The reason for the different yeasts was availability. Then
I tried the liquid in hopes of better yeast.

I remember not too long ago an article by someone who never
sterilizes and has success. I will not sterilze my next
batch.

I saw something called 'Rose Syrup' in an oriental grocery the other

day and I've been thinking about using it in a mead. I was going to
make a simple clover mead and add the syrup near the end to give it a
nice nose and maybe a little extra taste, though I have no idea what a
rose tastes like. As anyone else tried this stuff? I've checked a
couple oriental groceries and they look like an excellent source for
some unusual flavorings and juices. (lychee, kuquat, papaya, etc)

Chuck Stringer
cstringe@indiana.edu

I'd like to compile a list of the basic types of meads and mead varients.
This list seems like the obvious place to get accurate information and
hopefully not start a flame war 🙂

Here's a start, hopefully there aren't too many inaccuracies.

cyser fermented honey with apples
mead fermented honeymelomel fermented honey with fruit ?
metheglin fermented honey with spices ?
melomel fermented honey with fruit ?
metheglin fermented honey with spices ?
pyment fermented honey and grapes
vanillomel fermented honey with vanilla (just kidding but one could

also add mintomel, maplemel, garlomel, peppermel/capsaiomel,
cocomel, cocamel, and potamel while we're at it 🙂
How about baklavamel with nuts and bits of filo paper in solution

?

I digress.

Are there specific names for meads that are dry, sweet, syrupy sweet, and/or
bubbly?

Forrest Cook
email:cook@stout.atd.ucar.edu
ham:WB0RIO

> ….going now for 8 weeks and has a SG of 0.998 – I think it's done,
>right?…… If I do use gelatin, ….
>What other yeasts have folks had luck with?
>Curt
>css2@oas.psu.edu

A totally dry mead will have a S.G. of .985, so depending upon the amount of
residual sugar that you like….it as done …i.e your residual sugar will be
about 1.3%….
Lavlin K-1 and Lavlin EC-1118 Prisse De Mousse yeasts are excellent for mead
production. K-1 is a killer strain, ferments vigorously under low nutrient
conditions, and is resistant to mutation at the higher fermentation
temperatures that mead likes. EC-1118 is a champagne yeast, again, an
isolated killer strain, ferments rapidly and alcohol tolerant.
I would recommend avoiding Montrachet totally from making mead. It is
somewhat temperature/pH intolerant, and has been known to produce more
Hydrogen Sulfide than alcohol under certain circumstances…..

Hope this helps
Ken aka meadmstr@aol.com

>>Brian.Smithey@central.sun.com (Brian Smithey) wrote:
>> In Papazian's "Brewing Mead" section of the Gayre/Papazian >>
>>acid additions when making melomels, as the acid contribution of
>> fruits is variable…

>I think this is an unfortunate result of recipes which try to adjust >mead
musts to meet the criteria of wine musts…and I can't see any >reason it
should be necessary.

In melomels, pH is probably to the SINGLY most important parameter ( besides
ingredient ). In mead, unlike wine, pH and TA ( titratable acidity ) is very
closely related. Actually, depending upon the mineral content of your water,
adding acid may not be necessary.
pH is important for fermentation ( wine yeasts tolerate a wide pH, but are
most active in the 3.0 -4.0 range ) as well as protein stability, and
longevity. Protein solubility is totally pH dependant ( ever have a haze ???
). Most bacterial/microbial contaminants are killed by either alcohol content
/ pH…….. If your must is 3-4 I wouldn't bother doing TA….