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Beer Brewer Making Mead!

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mannye

mannye

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Oct 10, 2012
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Miami Beach, FL
Hello! Nice forum you've got here!

I'm a 20year+ beer brewer in the tropics (Miami Beach) and I am lookiong forward to my first batch of mead. Some questions:

First, anyone on here from Florida? I would love to sample if you're close enough!

NExt, I'm very interested in both still and sparkling mead. I understand the aging process is A LOT longer for mead more akin to a wine. Is it any different for sparkling mead and still?

Thanks! I'll be doing a lot of reading the next few days so I can ask some more inteligent questions, but I'm very excited to get started! We have some local beekeepers that I'm going to visit to see if I can get good quality honey for my mead.
 
First, welcome to the forums.

Florida ? No, but there are some, one of our mega mead sages, Medsen Fey, is, I believe, Florida based, and has considerable understanding of method/technique of mead making in warmer climes.

As for its similarity ? Yes, its closer to wine than beer, generally speaking.

Ageing is "par for.the cause" when mead making. Yet there are many variables so I can't just say that you age for X amount of time. The higher the alcohol, often the longer it can take, yet that isn't "set in steel". There's a number of techniques that can mask the taste of young meads, some work, some don't.

But don't be put off by the "apparent" fact that many young meads really do taste hideous. It's one of my enjoyments, that you get a batch finished, cleared, etc and its not nice.12 months later you taste it again and its like something completely different......

Good.luck with your efforts......
 
Excellent! Thanks!

I noticed a lot of UK participants which is awesome.

I was such a big fan of The Doctor I went to work for the Beeb as Creative Director (BBC Worldwide LatAm). It was the ultimate fan thrill to have both Dr. Who and Amy Pond's email for that time! Not to mention going to London and actually getting in the old movie TARDIS and playing with a real life Dalek. (they had those props at Television Centre...I'm still buzzing)

My beer fridge is actually undergoing a remodel into a TARDIS this winter! It's too hot to work outside in the summer.

I look forward to making lots of mead and meeting some new friends!
 
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Hello and welcome to the forums!

We're a pretty eclectic bunch here, lots of room for a few Whovians here and there, as you can see. ;D Take a browse through the NewBee Guide and Meadmaking FAQ, links are on the yellow panel to the left. A good book on meadmaking is Ken Schramm's Compleat Meadmaker, well worth picking up.

So was this the 1996 movie TARDIS you got to explore? Cool!

--
 
Dan McFeeley said:
So was this the 1996 movie TARDIS you got to explore? Cool!

--
Click to expand...

Indeed. It was sitting just outside one of the doors of the BBC building. There's also a Who-themed conference room in the Worldwide headquarters that would make any Whovian have a stroke it's so cool. I insisted every meeting I had be in there... so they scheduled me in the Charlie & Lola room of course... (a Children's show themed room) British humour. :rolleyes:

Even my car is TARDIS color...and I am working on getting a '69 TARDIS plate.

GoodCompanycopy.jpg
 
Well it took a long time to get my stuff together but the plan is finally coming together! Clearing out the garage to make it a dedicated brewery. Should have everything up and running in about two months! Fun!

Most of it will be beer, but there will be space for at least two fermenters of mead!
 
Arrrrgh! It's taking so long to sell my car I'm afraid I haven't been able to get anything started yet.

Anyone want a 1969 Road Runner convertible? It's blue!
 
B. Goldwater said:
Whatya asking for it?
Click to expand...

45K! It's cheeeep!

Well regardless, I can't wait anymore and I got on Amazon and started ordering stuff.

I got:

6 pounds of Orange Blossom honey from Florida
An Erlenmeyer flask with airlock 2000ml (2liters I guess)
Lavin D47
IO Star sanitizer because shipping was free
Fermaid K
Yeast energizer
rehydration nutrient


I should have my last beer batch filtered and kegged by Sunday and all this stuff arrives Monday. So I'll use the beer fermenter and equipment to get this show on the road already.

Am I missing anything? How much mead can I make with 6 pounds? I'm going to keep it simple simple simple. Most likely JOAM since it's my first mead. Did I get too much stuff for making the JOAM?
 
THawk said:
You know, you can always exterminate the car and vaporize it... then claim the insurance off of it... ;D
Click to expand...

HAHA... That's what you do with a Chevy...not a Mopar! Also, the only thing I vaporize isn't legal in Florida yet!
 
You may have the urge to swipe a Dalek, pop a carboy inside of it and run the airlock out the top of his head to make it look like it was having a meltdown! Send us pictures :) WVMJ
 
WVMJack said:
You may have the urge to swipe a Dalek, pop a carboy inside of it and run the airlock out the top of his head to make it look like it was having a meltdown! Send us pictures :) WVMJ
Click to expand...
Probably have to run the airlock tubing down the head stalk thingy, or the ray gun thingy Jack.

The Dr Who purists would give you major crap for spoiling the lines of a darlek with bits of tube or airlocks coming out of the head.......

Hell, make a fermentation chamber in the shape of a darlek ;D..... one that shouts "Exxxttttteeeerrrrmmmmiiiinnnnaaaaattttteeeee" everytime you open it up to check the brew or get a bottle.

After all, that wouldn't be far off with some of the mega high gravity batches we see mentioned hereabouts, would it........:eek:8)
 
fatbloke said:
Probably have to run the airlock tubing down the head stalk thingy, or the ray gun thingy Jack.

The Dr Who purists would give you major crap for spoiling the lines of a darlek with bits of tube or airlocks coming out of the head.......

Hell, make a fermentation chamber in the shape of a darlek ;D..... one that shouts "Exxxttttteeeerrrrmmmmiiiinnnnaaaaattttteeeee" everytime you open it up to check the brew or get a bottle.

After all, that wouldn't be far off with some of the mega high gravity batches we see mentioned hereabouts, would it........:eek:8)
Click to expand...

Come to think of it, Daleks do kind of look like kegs... It will go well with my Tardis fridge.
 
mannye said:
Come to think of it, Daleks do kind of look like kegs... It will go well with my Tardis fridge.
Click to expand...

You know, if you can make it airtight, you can use the top as the lid and have the airlocks where the flashing white lights normally are... you can probably make the eyestalk as a decorative handle to open the thing... ;D

Though I'm not sure if the airlock will be effective at a 45 degree angle...
 
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