beeswax favor? Oaking?

[richard lambert]

I have two meads resting now thanks to you guys and good info. I can't help but go in and theive from time to time. But have notice that both of my meads have a flavor of beeswax ???,you know the wax lips you got as a kid. My first question is will this go away with time? It is not unpleasant but not great I helped havest the honey so I know we filtered all the comb out.So what? My second question is regarding the oaking of my dry mead. I've read many of your blogs but have not come up with a definitive answer for how long, how to get it into a carboy, and what kind of oak, what is toasting? Any help from the masters would be appricated. ;D

 

[Muirghein Tarot]

Re: beeswax favor? Making?

Not a 'Master' by any one's standard but I do know some of those answers from my reading.
Toasting is quite literally just that, toasting. Like bread is toasted. The wood is exposed to flame and heat to slightly burn the surface to a certain degree of toasting. Lightly toasted and you get a more pronounced oak taste, medium toast the taste of vanilla begins to dominate and in heavy toast the vanilla will over power the oak flavor.
What kind of Oak. White oak ether American or European is the main type of wood used. Your H.B.S. should have a supply.
The oak will come in several ways it depends on what you find. They make it in a tea bag like sack, wood chips, wood beans, staves(sticks) or spirals which are sticks with groves cut in them. All should fit into the top of a carboy without to much work. It is a good idea to wash the sawdust off the wood before you put it in or you will have something else to clear out of your mead.
How long? That is the tough one, because it depends on your taste. As little as a week to as long as two months. You should check it every five to ten days to see how it's doing. If left in for to long the oak flavor can come to surpass even the honey, leaving you with oak flavored mead.
Bee's wax taste. Not a fricking clue! Sorry.
hope that helps.
Tarot.

 

[JamesP]

But have notice that both of my meads have a flavor of beeswax ???,you know the wax lips you got as a kid. My first question is will this go away with time?

Give it time, it should be OK.

I have had one batch where either the honey or something else had a weird flavour (probably not the honey).

Dry mead has harsher flavours, but with time will mellow. Adding sweetness (honey or sugar) makes the flavours more honey-like, but possibly a less complex flavour.
Try stirring in a few grains of sugar to what you have thieved, and see how the flavour changes.

I finished off the last of my first ever mead (3 years old) that I had back sweetened last year, and it was amazing - it had mellowed the harsh Alc/tannin flavours.
I am now wanting to do a test: aging for a couple of years dry before back-sweetening, versus back-sweetening then aging - just to see if there is a difference in the final product.

 

[Dan McFeeley]

. . . My second question is regarding the oaking of my dry mead. I've read many of your blogs but have not come up with a definitive answer for how long, how to get it into a carboy, and what kind of oak, what is toasting? Any help from the masters would be appricated. ;D

The oak masters on this list can give you lots of helpful info, but they'll need a better idea of what kind of mead you're working with. Can you post the recipes you worked with? That would help a lot.

Yours in mead.

 

[richard lambert]

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Posts: 15



Re: dry mead fermention whats NORMAL?
« Reply #5 on: 05/03/06 »

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Hears is the recipe gang.
13 lbs honey wild fower/orange/palm
4 gal spring water
3 tbsp. energizer/nutrients
1 tbsp. tannin
3 tbsp acid mixture to balance ph to 3.6
1 packaage of kv1 1116 rehydrated
good sanitation

 

[Oskaar]

Richard,

Would you post up your recipe please? That will help to determine what you used, and what the "wax lips" and harshness mean at this stage althought I'm pretty sure it's just youth and impertinence.

What type of oak character are you looking for. The oaking will help to reduce some of the harshness as the tannins from the wood will help to bring some softness to the mid. I'd go with medium toast American oak at about two ouces in a five gallon batch. Let it sit for about 3-4 weeks before you start tasting for influence on the mead. I think you'll notice an improvement in the harshness.

Hope that helps,

Oskaar

 

[richard lambert]

Always good to hear from the masters. I am very excited about the advent of mead in mi casa. I will put the lightly toasted oak in right away. I miss my mead being active. The waiting part is to me the hardest!Hear is the recipe.
13 pounds of wild flower honey palm/ orange very dark
5 gallons of spring water
2 tbsp of energizer/nutrient
1 tbsp tannis
3 tbsp acid blend toajust the ph to 3.6
1 pkg of kv1 1116
I did it natural great sanitation
Oskaar please tell me about lavender mead have 6 bushes in bloom. What does it taste like? Have a good recipe?I have always what to produce wine/ drink wine. Now I have a little bit of confidence to do so. thanks for the help