Just a reminder. The complete archive is available at
http://hubris.umich.jstor.org/Beer/Threads/Mead, and is searchable via a
link on that page.

Here's the first message ever:

> This message announces the setup of the mead lovers digest and
>the end of the mead lovers mailing list. (There were no messages sent
>to the mailing list). All of you who voted, voted for a digest format
>like the HBD (Home Brew Digest), so here you have it (your vote does
>count!).

>

> As with the HBD, please be sure to send your articles to the
>digest address, mead-lovers-digest`at`nsa.hp.com. Send administrative
>requests (for addition to or removal from the list) to the request
>address, mead-lovers-request`at`nsa.hp.com.

>

> Feel free to start submitting articles. Every day I get
>articles in I will digestify them and send them back out. Enjoy the
>digest! Regards,

>

> — jad —
> John A. Dilley <jad`at`nsa.hp.com>

>

I have tasted a red bell pepper mead that was quite good! I haven't made
one myself, and I'm not sure who was the meadmaker of the one I tasted. He
just showed up at our homebrew club's mead meeting about 5 years ago with a
bomber bottle of this mead to taste. The pepper and honey aroma were
tantalizing and the taste was well balanced between the two as well. If I
were going to make a pepper mead, this is the one I'd do. It was
delightful.

Cheers!

Janis

In Mead Lover's Digest #1027, Dan McFeeley wrote:

• –> You know, I think Mark is a charter member of the Mead Lovers

• –> Digest — posting during the early 1990's when John Gorman

• –> was the first digest janitor. Nice to hear from you!

Hi Dan.

Thanks for the note.

I don't know about "charter member," but yes, I have been posting
since around 1992 or something along those lines. At that time,
Utah State University had rather cryptic e-mail addresses, and if
I recall, mine was slndw.

Here in Oregon, we have plenty of delicious commercial beer
available, so I quickly gave up beer brewing to focus on mead.
After living in an apartment with a basement for 8 years or so, I
was able to lay down a fair quantity of what many other people
say is good mead. I'm far more critical. Silly me; I bought a
house without a basement, so my meadmaking is generally on hold
until I either find better storage or reduce the amount I have
out in the mud room.

Like many mead makers, I initially approached mead like I did
beer — boiling or simmering it for quite a while. My methods
have become simpler as I have become either smarter or lazier,
depending on how you think. These days it's a simple addition of
honey to a quantity of boiling water that leaves me with a must
around 150F. That's it for pasturization. Fruit, when used,
goes in a large mesh bag tied at the top and dropped in the
primary. After a week, a gentle squeeze easily removes the bulk
of what's left, and in another week, I can rack off of fairly
compact lees. Some favorite recipes include simmering a bunch of
ginger in the water before adding the honey or adding two whole
vanilla beans sliced lengthwise to the final carboy to sit for
two months or so (until they sink). I do like pretty dry meads,
but find the strong ginger meads need to have a bit more residual
sugar. The house I bought has lots of fruit trees, vines, and
shrubs. As such, I have some new experimenting ahead of me soon!

On another topic recently discussed here on MLD, I also have a
few cornelius tanks that I store mead in. I always warn friends
before setting them loose. Most are pretty smart and avoid
overindulgence. It's hard to beat a nice keg of mead at a
wedding. Again, it's nice to warn the guests.

Cheers!

• -m

• —

Mark Taratoot
taratoot@peak.org

While we're on hangovers and suchlike …

>

> A mate of mine was here this weekend and I cracked open a bottle of 2002
> Cyser (lightly spiced with cinnamon and cloves). He said afterwards that
> he felt short of breath and needed his asthma inhaler but the shortness
> of breath cleared up immediately after his puff. He also said he gets
> that occasionally with wine, mainly with reds. Interestingly, the cyser
> was the last of my meads where I added tannin and as reds are well known
> for their tannins, could this be the cause of his breathlessness?

>>>>While working today, an herbalist just happened to mention that some
people have allergic reactions to cinnamon. so the mystery gets more
intricate….

• —

melissa

A friend returned from Michigan with 15 pounds of trefoil honey. Looking
for tried and true recipes. Blueberries and blackberries are ripe around
here. Thanks.