Mead Lover's Digest #86 Tue 09 February 1993
Forum for Discussion of Mead Brewing and Consuming
John Dilley, Digest Coordinator
Contents:
Spices for metheglin (Mark Schuldenfrei)
Ooooops (Sean Myers)
Belgian Ale Yeast #1214 (Sean Myers)
Belgian Ale Wyeast & honey (Jacob Galley)
Woodpecker Cider (Sean Myers)
What to expect (Mark E Lewis)
Milk and Honey/Cherries (COYOTE)
Yeast nutrient (jason)
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Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 10:11:00 EST
From: schuldy@bedford.progress.com (Mark Schuldenfrei)
Subject: Spices for metheglin
Forwarded message:
From spencer@goodman.itn.med.umich.edu Mon Feb 8 09:59:25 1993
From: "Spencer W. Thomas" <Spencer.W.Thomas@med.umich.edu>
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 09:58:54 EST Message-Id: <9302081458.AA04738@guraldi.itn.med.umich.edu> To: schuldy@bedford.progress.com (Mark Schuldenfrei) In-Reply-To:
Subject: Spices for metheglin
I had written:
cardamom with orange peel (no zest!) is good too.
Spencer Thomas wrote me privately, and said:
You mean no pith? The zest is the orange part with the flavor. The
pith is the white bitter part.
Yes, he's right. Sorry for the error.
schuldy
Mark Schuldenfrei (schuldy@progress.com)
[I'm just showin' you my opinions: this ain't a gift]
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1993 10:03:42 -0800
From: smmyers@ossem.srv.PacBell.COM (Sean Myers)
Subject: Ooooops
Hi Gang,
It looks like I posted my cider question to the wrong list. Sorry !!!
By the way I'm still checking on that yeast info.
Sean
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1993 09:51:56 -0800
From: smmyers@ossem.srv.PacBell.COM (Sean Myers)
Subject: Belgian Ale Yeast #1214
Date: Sun, 7 Feb 93 17:56:29 CST
From: Jacob Galley <gal2@midway.uchicago.edu>
Subject: Belgian Ale Wyeast & honey
Jacob Galley writes:
> Someone was interested in making a mead with Belgian Ale Wyeast,
> because of the fruity esters it produces. I have a rather strange
> metheglin aging right now, in which I used this yeast. I haven't used
> it in a beer yet, so I have no comparison, but it has produced a very
> strange roughly bubble-gum-ish flavor. Maybe this is because the
> fermentables were from honey and not grain? (My knowledge of the
> sugars involved is foggy, but I remember that they are different.)
> Anyway, this is a flavor which needs to mellow out before the stuff is
> worth bottling.
Jacob,
Some time ago I snarfed this off of Rec.crafts.brewing. It may help you
to understand what's going on. Also, I have a great article on yeast that was
also snarfed that I'm going to post if the author says it's o.k.
Anyway, here it is:
Martin Lodahl writes:
> Belgian Ale #1214
With both clove-like phenolics and alcohol spice, the Belgian will
tell you right away that it's no ordinary yeast. Tartness often
develops over time. Ferment warm or with inadequate aeration and
you're likely to get a bubblegum-like note. Intended for abbey
beers, and works very well for that.
Happy Cidering,
Sean
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 1993 09:56:51 -0800
From: smmyers@ossem.srv.PacBell.COM (Sean Myers)
Subject: Woodpecker Cider
Hi All,
Just this weekend, I got a chance to try my first cider. It was called
Woodpecker. Anyway, how does this cider compare with ciders that you can brew
yourself ? It seemed kind of watery and had a hint of "rotten apple" flavor.
I understand that that "rotten apple" flavor was just the apple fermentation,
but is that it ? I kind of expected something a bit more pleasant.
Sean
Date: Mon, 8 Feb 93 10:53:17 PST
From: mel30@sim.mfg.amdahl.com (Mark E Lewis)
Subject: What to expect
Well I've done it…
The first 'real' batch of mead is in the primary. I'm simply using
15 pounds of a 'light amber' honey (taste as though it is predominately clover)
for a 5 gal. batch. I boiled the honey in water for about 15 minutes, and
dumped it into pre-boiled water to complete the 5 gallons. When cool, I
pitched 5 gr. (not enough?) of champagne yeast.
So, the question is: should this be developing a high krausen (sp), or not?
I generally brew beer, so have grown accustomed to a large krausen in the
primary. I realize that I didn't use much yeast, but I did rehydrate it.
Should I have used a yeast nutrient, or is this a typical fermentation
characteristic for a mead? Any thoughts on dumping in more yeast, or is it
safe to go ahead and transfer to the secondary carboy? Add nutrient? Other?
Thanks for any advice!
Date: 08 Feb 1993 14:16:08 -0600 (MDT)
From: COYOTE <SLK6P@CC.USU.EDU>
Subject: Milk and Honey/Cherries
Well, I never heard back on the milk and honey deal, so I went ahead
and tried it from what I remembered. Here's how I did it:
3 small cans sweetened condensed milk (figured it had already been pasteurzd)
2.5 # honey
juice from 1 lemon
some malic and tartaric acid
tannin
yeast nutrientand of course …. yeast! (Red Tail Ale Yeast Culture)
I also threw in a splash of 12 year old scotch for the fun of it.
It has seemed to start fermenting. The goop was TERRIBLY sweet!
I was aiming for 1 gallon, but it was SO viscous that I watered it
down to 2 gals. The lemon juice has seemed to do it's trick, and
curdled the milk. I believe it had begun feremnting. There are bubbles
around, but it is still quite thick, and doesn't allow the normal churning.
It will be an interesting venture if nothing else!
If anyone has tried anything like this- I'd love to hear from you.
Like- what the hell is this stuff gonna taste like anyway!!!!
UPDATE The Pear/Apple mead finally started spewing forth bubbles of happy
CO2, as the long lag came to an end. It is busily plupping along now.
The lime seems to really dominate the smell coming out of the airlock.
Hmmm. Seems pleasant enough though.
I have it upstairs now (~70 deg F) but will be working it down to the basement
over time (~50 deg F) as it settles down.
NEXT PROJECT: Cherries in the Wind
I have to jugs of cherry juice (mixed fruits)
and 6 # cans of Oregon Cherries.
I will add LOTS of honey, and the usual chemical adjuncts.
I think I'll go with sherry yeast this time. Any comments?
I think cherry has been my most favorite fruit to add to any ferment.
Brew on Brethren of Bee, Barley, and Vine
John (The Coyote) Wyllie SLK6P@cc.usu.edu
Date: Mon, 08 Feb 93 18:26:02 -0800
From: jason@beamlab.ps.uci.edu
Subject: Yeast nutrient
Is yeast nutrient essential in a normal everyday
mead.
Comments?
J
End of Mead Lover's Digest
- Mead Lover’s Digest #0099 Thu 18 March 1993 - December 24, 2005
- Mead Lover’s Digest #0098 Tue 16 March 1993 - December 24, 2005
- Mead Lover’s Digest #0097 Sun 14 March 1993 - December 24, 2005