General questions

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When I asked my lovely Norwegian daughter whether Norwegians drank mead she said no, very little, as it's extremely expensive--even more expensive than almost everything is there. It does seem a shame, but I do send it back with them whenever they visit. They'll be here in May, that's 8 bottles they can take from my "cellar" to theirs!

Well, my 24l batch set me back around $600-700, of which around $150+ was for just the honey. Any batch from now on will end up at ~$20/l, so it's not cheap. Add aging etc etc and it's more expensive than most wines. And I got my honey *cheap*. So...unfortunately, most Norwegians don't drink much mead. And the crap you can get, like an old friend of mine said when he heard I was making mead, tastes like "really bad, perfumed piss" ;)

Our gas just peaked at US$2.5 ;)
 
A liter? Ouch!

The kids just bought a flat. 54 square meters. $340k. That's worse than California. :)

At least you'll have a great Nordic beverage to serve your friends, something that isn't generally available in Oslo!
 
Actually, if that's in Oslo, my first thought was "that wasn't too bad". There's a critical shortage of housing in and around the capital, so my flat (15m by train outside Oslo) has gone up around $100k in two years. It's a pretty solid investment :)

But then again - we make more money than you do. But then again, again ( :p ) we pay more taxes ;)
 
You'd think! In my neighborhood I could get a 5 bedroom house with a pool for a hundred grand less than that!

Note to self: Get a job in the USA for a Norwegian company paying Norwegian salaries :p

I remember when I lived down under...for less than what a student apt would cost me here, my girlfriend and I rented a penthouse apartment with a great view of the skyline (actually, there were no houses between us and the skyline) :eek:
 
just a quick general question, i know mead should be stored in a cellar or some where similar, well im keeping mine in a little cubby hole in the bedroom, its warm ish but not sweating hot and its in the shade but its still sees some light. is this a problem or would you advise covering it up to keep it in the dark?

thanks alot
 
Are you in the UK? I'm no pro, but mine's in the kitchen. Keeping the room at 18-19 degrees C, and don't see the problem with that. Besides, it'll keep it less dusty and easier to sanitize...I'm sure someone will offer better advice, but is it inside the temps stated on the yeast packets?
 
Are you in the UK? I'm no pro, but mine's in the kitchen. Keeping the room at 18-19 degrees C, and don't see the problem with that. Besides, it'll keep it less dusty and easier to sanitize...I'm sure someone will offer better advice, but is it inside the temps stated on the yeast packets?

yes mate in england, the yeast im using doesnt have a recommended aging temperature, but like i said the room isnt to hot , was just concerned about the light and if any one knew if id has to be stored in the dark?
 
Well, I'm in Norway, and I don't worry. When I move it from the bucket to the carboy I'll try to shield it from light, but it's not like you have to keep it in a dark room. At least that's my impression, but as you can see from this thread I'm fairly new ;)
 
yes mate in england, the yeast im using doesnt have a recommended aging temperature, but like i said the room isnt to hot , was just concerned about the light and if any one knew if id has to be stored in the dark?

You don't need to keep it in pitch blackness, but in general you'll want to limit exposure from direct sources of light, especially UV light from sunlight and bright fluorescent lamps. You can shade it effectively with a piece of cloth, if all else fails.
 
True, the issue is worse for more transparent storage containers. But even tinted bottles allow some light transmission, and for beers (where hops are particularly susceptible to "skunking" when exposed to any UV light), manufacturers now even package dark amber (aka brown) bottles in cardboard carriers that minimize exposure to direct light.

Practically speaking, is a little light a bad thing when you are fermenting in a translucent plastic bucket? Probably not, although I still wouldn't place my bucket directly in the path of a beam of sunlight. When the mead is transferred to an aging vessel (such as a glass carboy), I'd recommend ensuring that it be kept as dark as can practically be done. If you don't have a fully darkened room, then cover your carboy with something that will minimize light transfer into the mead. I also recommend bottling in dark tinted bottles, unless you have a fully darkened place to store them for long term aging.
 
My bucket's now covered like a grandma on the beach! :p Probably hasn't taken any damage - there's not really that much sunlight this time of year ;)
 
Actually, if that's in Oslo, my first thought was "that wasn't too bad". There's a critical shortage of housing in and around the capital, so my flat (15m by train outside Oslo) has gone up around $100k in two years. It's a pretty solid investment :)

But then again - we make more money than you do. But then again, again ( :p ) we pay more taxes ;)

... and in Canada, we pay more taxes and make less money. Wait, how does that work again?!?
 
My bucket's now covered like a grandma on the beach! :p Probably hasn't taken any damage - there's not really that much sunlight this time of year ;)

For what it's worth, I've got one batch that's started to go brownish (it was a very clear white previously) after sitting for (literally) years on a shelf in front of a window where the light's only partially blocked... so far I think that's the only one where there's been a noticeable change that can be attributed to light exposure...
 
... and in Canada, we pay more taxes and make less money. Wait, how does that work again?!?
California has traditionally been one of the most expensive places to live in the US, but the last couple of years have seen housing prices drop by almost half--good for buyers, sucks for people who bought at the peak.

Famous last words: We did it because she wanted to (also known as "'we' really wanted to do it")

Both my son's old and new flats are in Sagene (their old flat was right across the street from the kirke), which can't be that far from downtown Oslo, as he made me walk it several times whilst I was there last summer. I'm sure it will be a good investment for them, I only wish it was here instead of there!

But he says there's a brewshop not too far away, and of course, it's much easier to lager beer there than here. :)