Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #1628, 19 March 2013 Date: Tue, 19 Mar 2013 14:48:53 -0600 (MDT) From: mead-request@talisman.com Mead Lover's Digest #1628 19 March 2013 Mead Discussion Forum Contents: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1627, 16 March 2013 (Bryan McCarthy) Re: Alberto's Mead (Chazzone) making decent mead (Robert Lewis) Not tossing a batch or: Re: buckwheat (Spam-a-holic) barnyard mead (casey jones) RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1627, 16 March 2013 (Alberto Colín) NOTE: Digest appears whenever there is enough material to send one. Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead@talisman.com. Use mead-request@talisman.com for [un]subscribe and admin requests. Digest archives and FAQ are available at www.talisman.com/mead#Archives A searchable archive is at http://www.gotmead.com/mldarchives.html Digest Janitor: Dick Dunn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Subject: Re: Mead Lover's Digest #1627, 16 March 2013 From: Bryan McCarthy Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:32:21 -0400 On Mar 16, 2013, at 1:19 PM, mead-request@talisman.com wrote: > Subject: buckwheat mead > From: dennis kennedy Regarding this: buckwheat honey makes a fantastic spiced braggot. If you are unhappy with your mead, try brewing a minimally hopped barley beer with some chai tea spices added. Mix the two batches & put it away for a year. Yum. ------------------------------ Subject: Re: Alberto's Mead From: Chazzone Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 16:11:13 -0400 Hey Alberto! If you don't like what you're getting...stop making it. It'll probably never change into something that you like. Rather better to consider what you liked about the New Zealand mead and make something like that. Think about and write down what you remember about the NZ mead. Flavors, sweetness, aromas... what was it like. Then you can set about making something that resembles that. Or, if you want to go in another direction, then do that. For me, building the recipe is half the fun, and you should never make something that you don't like. Making a recipe can be as easy or as complex as you want, but in the end, it's just fermented honey. So, come on back, and describe what it is that you want, and you'll probably find a few folks on here that would be willing to throw in their two cents. - -zz ------------------------------ Subject: making decent mead From: Robert Lewis Date: Sat, 16 Mar 2013 20:08:42 -0400 Mexico over here! I have to admit I've tried about 5 batches now... I'm not really happy about any of these... I once tried an awesome mead a friend brought from new zealand... Freakin awesome, since then i've been trying to do a decent one! Still not happy. i haven't had new zealand mead, but have had some special Dasnk Mjod from denmark, it's pricey, but they have 4 or 5 spiced meads available here. it might comfort you to know that most commercial meads are poor, and that is a kind rating. I have been making mead for 20 years, i have had some creations worthy of the gods, and a few that i wouldn't even clean my cellar floor with. there are many things that can ruin a mead, and a few basic principles to follow. Good yeast, real honey, sterilization, and balance, to much acid blend, and it's great for marinating mead, not enough, and oh well, kinda dull. there is lot's of great information out there now. If i can make a mead that sings in 1994, with some research, luck, and patience, you can today. ------------------------------ Subject: Not tossing a batch or: Re: buckwheat From: Spam-a-holic Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 14:00:15 -0400 > Subject: buckwheat mead > From: dennis kennedy > Date: Thu, 14 Mar 2013 11:34:13 -0400 > > I loved the taste of the buckwheat honey. When I read up on it, l learned > that there is a western buckwheat and an eastern buckwheat, the western > being sweet and the eastern having barnyard qualities. I made a gallon > batch. I guess I got the eastern variety. It fermented very quickly and > cleared in a couple of months. On the first racking, it was very good. On > the second, the barnyard taste and aroma appeared and is pretty strong. > I'm wondering if the barnyard will disappear with aging, or is there some > flavoring I can use to mask it or neutralize it? I don't want to pitch it > so any help would be appreciated. Can't say if there is anything to the "eastern/western" or buckwheat honey in general but I can say it is nearly always worth it to wait out a batch that goes odd in taste, barring something grossly wrong with it, like an obvious infection. My 1996 (bottled date - presumably started 1994 or 5) batch (no, not buckwheat) was terrible from about 1997 to 2000 or 2001. Then it got better. One of these days I'll have to make the decision and drink the last bottle. Cats, Coffee, Chocolate... Vices to live by. ------------------------------ Subject: barnyard mead From: casey jones Date: Sun, 17 Mar 2013 22:16:50 -0700 the "barnyard" mead sounds like a good candidate for a "christmas" mead, with a clove or two, (they are super pungent) and some cinamon sticks, or perhaps a vanilla bean. any herbs or spices you like but watch out because some can add a medicinie taste. ------------------------------ Subject: RE: Mead Lover's Digest #1627, 16 March 2013 From: Alberto Colín Date: Mon, 18 Mar 2013 13:31:06 -0600 Hello Everybody! Has anyone tried Fermaid K? In "The Complete Meadmaker" Schramm says it's a very close nutrient mix to the one found to be better. However I'm not sure if this is just yeast nutrients or would it count also as mead energizer? Should I use separately regular yeast nutrients and regular yeast energizer and add them accordingly to the Staggered Nutrition Addition? Or Should I buy Fermaid K and use it as indicated (one pitch 6-12 hours after inoculation and a second pitch a stationary phase). Or could I get fermaid K + yeast energizer and follow the Staggered Nutrition Addition? I hope someone has a better undestanding than me of the chemicals on all these options and can tell me what would be the best combination and use. Thanks! Alberto Colín ------------------------------ End of Mead Lover's Digest #1628 *******************************