Mead Lover's Digest #65 Tue 05 January 1993

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

Contents:

clearing mead (Carlo Fusco)
Red Star wine yeasts — comments? (Brian Smithey)
Apple-Cinnamon Mead – HELP! (Joe Kazura)

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Date: Mon, 4 Jan 1993 14:08 EST 
From: Carlo Fusco <G1400023@NICKEL.LAURENTIAN.CA> 
Subject: clearing mead 

Hello

I just got back from my Christmas vacation and I am catching up on my
digests. It seems that there is discussion about clearing mead. I have just
experienced an odd thing with my first mead that someone might be able to
shed some light on.

I made a kiwi cranberry mead in Sept/92. I have been aging it in the carboy
and waiting for it to clear. A month after fermentation finished I waited for
it to clear. When it did not, I added a package of liquid finings to it [I
don't know exactly what they were but they came with a beer kit…I am
guessing polyclar]. Still it did not clear. Last week I decided to sample the
mead. So, I took a liter out of the carboy and put it into a bottle and
placed the bottle in the fridge. The next day when I went to taste the mead
it was crystal clear! What happened? There was a very fine sediment on the
bottom.

Carlo Fusco
g1400023@nickel.laurentian.ca

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Date: Mon, 4 Jan 93 13:28:12 MST 
From: Brian.Smithey@Central.Sun.COM (Brian Smithey) 
Subject: Red Star wine yeasts -- comments? 

I did some reading in a mead article in a recent Zymurgy issue,
and decided that Epernay yeast sounded like a good match for an
upcoming pyment. When I got to my shop, the only Epernay yeast
was Red Star. Coming from the beer brewing world, I'm not too
happy with this, as Red Star's dry Ale yeast has a terrible
reputation.

Can any experienced mead-makers out there comment on Red Star's
wine yeasts? Good/bad meads made with Red Star, comparision
to meads made with other yeasts?

Thanks,
Brian

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Brian Smithey / Sun Microsystems / Colorado Springs, CO
smithey@rmtc.Central.Sun.COM

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Date:    Mon, 4 Jan 1993 19:02:40 -0500 (EST) 
From: JK_APPLEREP@UNHH.UNH.EDU (Joe Kazura) 
Subject: Apple-Cinnamon Mead - HELP! 

I'm about to brew an Apple-Cinnamon Mead…

I'm using a juicer to produce the fresh juice and I have a large nylon bag
to hold the pulp.

The local brew shop also sold me some "pectin enzyme" to keep the mead from
clouding up.

Here are my questions:

1. Should I not subject the apple juice to temps over 160 deg. to prevent
   the release of the pectin…
   
2. When do I use the pectin enzyme? before, during or after the heating?
   
3. Should I heat the pulp bag or just toss it into the primary?
   
4. How much cinnamon? and when do I add it?
   

I'm shooting for a mildly sweet mead (15-18lbs clover blend) and champagne
yeast.. (brew supply said that this part strain was similar to Pastuer, but
much more predictable?!?)

I'm using about five pounds of Granny smith apples, I want the apples/cinnamon
flavor to me fairly mild…

PLEASE HELP!

Thanks,

Joe Kazura

p.s. this is my second batch of mead!

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End of Mead Lover's Digest

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