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 trulyknotmadly
impromteau therapist
 
Registered: 03/18/12
Posts: 95
Loc: texas 
Last seen: 6 months, 27 days
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 Mead 
#16222591 - 05/13/12 02:40 AM (1 year, 11 days ago) |
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The only home-brew we generally make at my house is mead. Anyone got any adds for mead that would take it to a new level? I'm trying to push for some vanilla bean to go in, but the hubs is kinda a purist. However, I was wondering if anyone had any other teks that they liked to use in the process, if we even have cats here that like to make mead. Thanks.
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"You're only given a litttle spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams (1951 - )
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 trendal
point of inflection
Registered: 04/17/01
Posts: 19,182
Loc: Ontario, Canada
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I have a nice cinnamon mead that is bulk aging right now! I just added 4 or 5 cinnamon sticks to the mead during fermentation, and removed them during my first racking (about 2-3 months). Had a VERY strong cinnamon smell to it, the last time I checked. I am hoping it will be ready for the christmas season!
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What you know you can't explain,
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That there's something wrong with the world.
You don't know what it is, but it's there....
Like a splinter in your mind...
Driving you mad.
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setb
Stranger
Registered: 01/30/11
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You can get some interesting flavors using oaks of different types and different toasts. Some oaks impart a nice vanilla flavor.
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"The wise know their weakness too well to assume infallibility; and he who knows most, knows best how little he knows." - Thomas Jefferson
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Brainiac
Rogue Scientist
Registered: 04/29/06
Posts: 13,259
Loc: 與您的女朋
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Re: Mead [Re: setb]
#16224238 - 05/13/12 02:38 PM (1 year, 11 days ago) |
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Lambic....
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jboredone
Money-The root of all evil....
Registered: 01/19/12
Posts: 1,991
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I made 3 different kinds of mead a while back...My next kind is gonna be a cinnamon and brown sugar mead.... 2.5lbs honey,1lb brown sugar,2 cinnamon sticks, 1tsp yeast, energizer per gallon......
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trulyknotmadly
impromteau therapist
Registered: 03/18/12
Posts: 95
Loc: texas
Last seen: 6 months, 27 days
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My husband's a purist, so we might just have to get another carboy for that mess. I just wanted to add some vanilla and he spazed. So hopefully, over the next few weeks, we can work on starting new batches. 
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"You're only given a litttle spark of madness. You mustn't lose it." - Robin Williams (1951 - )
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Moody Vaden
Strangler
Registered: 09/26/10
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One vanilla bean, and one stick of cinnamon. Oh. yes.
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LunarEclipse
Mr. Dogma Free
Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 10,705
Loc: The Hand
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Quote:
trulyknotmadly said:
My husband's a purist, so we might just have to get another carboy for that mess. I just wanted to add some vanilla and he spazed. So hopefully, over the next few weeks, we can work on starting new batches.
So words like metheglin or melomel or pyment or God forbid cyser would likely make your hubby really go off?
Well being the master brewer master mead maker and just plain master I say hogwash! Add what you want get your own carboy. There is no sharing other than Today National Homebrew Day everyone! Yee haw.
Anyway vanilla can be just a hint don't go nuts just add a little. Maybe 1/3 or 1/2 bean in secondary 5 gallons. It's a flavor enhancer too.
My preference is to make a melomel with fresh hand picked blackberries. That stuff is so good it's scary. 16% ABV yet tastes like fruit juice. My plum mead had all the fruit from the tree I could pick. 50 lbs. in 5 gallons. That stuff was scary good too.
Maybe mead itself doesn't appeal to me that much. Yea I've made them and drank them. Several honeys all organic. boooring....imho.
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Don't submit to dogma.
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Larrythescaryrex
teardrop on the fire
Registered: 07/20/00
Posts: 10,720
Loc: further down the spiral
Last seen: 12 days, 6 hours
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dark candi syrup
great fermentations in Indianapolis is the only place I've seen it in the states. they ship reasonably.
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Sunset_Mission said:
"larry the scary rex
verily scary when thoroughly vexed
invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex
mercifully massacring memories masterfully
relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully
mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs
invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs"
April 24th 2011
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Larrythescaryrex
teardrop on the fire
Registered: 07/20/00
Posts: 10,720
Loc: further down the spiral
Last seen: 12 days, 6 hours
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also check out the works of Sir Kelmn Digby for "pure" in the since of historical mead additives.
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Sunset_Mission said:
"larry the scary rex
verily scary when thoroughly vexed
invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex
mercifully massacring memories masterfully
relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully
mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs
invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs"
April 24th 2011
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Riboflavin
Registered: 03/06/05
Posts: 1,371
Loc: Midwestish
Last seen: 20 hours, 40 minutes
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Hey, if you folks are interested in mead, there's this podcast I listen to that just had a great episode on a recent mead start up. It goes into their business tactics as a meadery start up which may or may not bore you, but later on in the show it does get into the type of honey they use and fermentation techniques. I would like to get into it here soon myself, I like to home brew beer, but I know the girlfriend loves mead and it would be nice to make something for her.
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/874
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All that groks is God.
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LunarEclipse
Mr. Dogma Free
Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 10,705
Loc: The Hand
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Quote:
Riboflavin said:
Hey, if you folks are interested in mead, there's this podcast I listen to that just had a great episode on a recent mead start up. It goes into their business tactics as a meadery start up which may or may not bore you, but later on in the show it does get into the type of honey they use and fermentation techniques. I would like to get into it here soon myself, I like to home brew beer, but I know the girlfriend loves mead and it would be nice to make something for her.
http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/874
Thanks for the link. Will check it out later.
It's interesting to me the range of heating of the honey prior to ferment. You have the raw camp, the pasteurize camp, and the boil the hell out of things camp. As you can imagine the brewer mentality is to kill it then cool it. Or at least Charlie P.
Personally I fall into the pasteurize camp. Raw is hard because dissolving is always a pain. I like to heat a portion of the batch water to about 180 F then add my honey to that. As long as you get the final dissolved honey/water to 140 F you have killed anything and haven't affected the flavor as much as boiling. When adding fruit in secondary I will typically add more honey too and heat just a little water/honey to 140 then add fruit and reheat to 140. Then cool and add to the batch.
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Riboflavin
Registered: 03/06/05
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From what I've heard actually boiling it can kill a lot of the flavor in the honey, I'd probably go with pasteurizing too. I've heard it's supposed to be very resistant to infection but I just don't want to risk losing a batch, especially because honey isn't cheap.
Apparently, with a proper feeding schedule of yeast nutrient, you can actually turn out an excellent mead inside of three months instead of a year.
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All that groks is God.
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LunarEclipse
Mr. Dogma Free
Registered: 10/31/04
Posts: 10,705
Loc: The Hand
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Quote:
Riboflavin said:
From what I've heard actually boiling it can kill a lot of the flavor in the honey, I'd probably go with pasteurizing too. I've heard it's supposed to be very resistant to infection but I just don't want to risk losing a batch, especially because honey isn't cheap.
Apparently, with a proper feeding schedule of yeast nutrient, you can actually turn out an excellent mead inside of three months instead of a year.
I'm not sure what you mean by schedule, I just put in a tsp with 5 gallons initially. The ferment is usually done in a couple months but like (most) wines the flavor improves with aging.
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Don't submit to dogma.
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Visionary Tools
I <3 Thomas Jefferson
Registered: 06/23/07
Posts: 6,743
Last seen: 3 days, 1 hour
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Quote:
trulyknotmadly said:
My husband's a purist, so we might just have to get another carboy for that mess. I just wanted to add some vanilla and he spazed. So hopefully, over the next few weeks, we can work on starting new batches.
I agree with him. If you want vanilla and shit with your mead, just steep whatever plants in some vodka or whisky, then blend that with it.
For me, mead, it's a wonderful creation, made by the bees and the flowers of a region, the cask used to hold it imparting colour as well as a smoky flavour.
I love mixing drinks. Absolutely love it. Mead is one of those drinks that taking away or adding to does not improve it.
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slide down a pole than with your legs spread and using your pussy as a brake. Ask the fire department 
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Larrythescaryrex
teardrop on the fire
Registered: 07/20/00
Posts: 10,720
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I just got a first at a mead competition.
I'd never boil honey. I'd sulfite it before I'd boil it.
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Sunset_Mission said:
"larry the scary rex
verily scary when thoroughly vexed
invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex
mercifully massacring memories masterfully
relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully
mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs
invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs"
April 24th 2011
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Riboflavin
Registered: 03/06/05
Posts: 1,371
Loc: Midwestish
Last seen: 20 hours, 40 minutes
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Quote:
LunarEclipse said:
Quote:
Riboflavin said:
From what I've heard actually boiling it can kill a lot of the flavor in the honey, I'd probably go with pasteurizing too. I've heard it's supposed to be very resistant to infection but I just don't want to risk losing a batch, especially because honey isn't cheap.
Apparently, with a proper feeding schedule of yeast nutrient, you can actually turn out an excellent mead inside of three months instead of a year.
I'm not sure what you mean by schedule, I just put in a tsp with 5 gallons initially. The ferment is usually done in a couple months but like (most) wines the flavor improves with aging.
I can't say much about it as I've never made mead before, but this pdf talks a little bit about staggered yeast nutrient additions
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCgQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ahaconference.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fpresentations%2F2010%2FMead_Maker_of_the_Year_Panel.pdf&ei=xNMdT_fiEJGGsAKm0vnPBQ&usg=AFQjCNGNSAzv61StB4JE0fBWoKAOlFW1jQ
"Staggered Nutrient Additions
For the typical 5 gallon batch of mead, the staggered nutrients are 2
teaspoons of diammonium phosphate – DAP (~8 grams) and 1
teaspoon of Fermaid K (~4 grams). We add one quarter of the mixture
initially (with the yeast) and the remainder a quarter at a time. There
are a couple of alternative addition schedules. The first one is
essentially a quarter of the nutrient a day until it is all used up. The
alternative is an addition of a quarter every other day until it is all used.
You can even find a few great mead makers that just add all the
nutrients right along with the yeast. No mater what the nutrient
addition schedule is, the use of nutrients is important since honey has
very little of its own."
Not sure what the advantage of staggering nutrient additions is versus just adding them all at once.
edit: Just noticed this in that article
"The main newer idea actually comes from the
commercial wine making world – staggered nutrient additions (SNA).
SNA gives the yeast some just-in-time nutrients to keep the yeast in the
growth phase and to reduce the off flavors and produce less fusel
alcohols. In addition, we will be discussing driving out the CO2 during
the primary fermentation and fruit in primary.
You can make really good mead that will be ready to drink in a couple
of months, that is faster then making a good lager beer. The whole
process is really quite simple and does not involve heating of the must.
Good sanitation practices are still imperative to making a good mead
just like making a good beer depends on sanitation."
I guess the idea is that it helps produce less off flavors initially to make the mead drinkable sooner?
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All that groks is God.
Edited by Riboflavin (05/29/12 08:49 AM)
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Riboflavin
Registered: 03/06/05
Posts: 1,371
Loc: Midwestish
Last seen: 20 hours, 40 minutes
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Quote:
Larrythescaryrex said:
I just got a first at a mead competition.
I'd never boil honey. I'd sulfite it before I'd boil it.
So do you not pasteurize either?. Will even pasteurizing kill a lot of the flavor? If so I'll just chance it raw with a healthy yeast pitch.
found this handy dandy honey supplier locater.
http://www.honeylocator.com/locator/find/
Also what types of honey have you folks used and had good results with? There seem to be a few different options out there.
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All that groks is God.
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Larrythescaryrex
teardrop on the fire
Registered: 07/20/00
Posts: 10,720
Loc: further down the spiral
Last seen: 12 days, 6 hours
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no pasturization, never.
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Sunset_Mission said:
"larry the scary rex
verily scary when thoroughly vexed
invoke the shadows and dust, cast a hex
mercifully massacring memories masterfully
relocate from Ur to 8th density and become a cosmic bully
mulder and scully couldn't decipher his glyphs
invoke the shadows and dust, smoke infernal spliffs"
April 24th 2011
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jboredone
Money-The root of all evil....
Registered: 01/19/12
Posts: 1,991
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I used orange blossom, clover, and wild flower.....
--------------------
Peace Pot Micro-Dot God Loves You High or Not!!!
In order to grow old and wise, you must once have been young and dumb!
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17320755
http://www.shroomery.org/forums/showflat.php/Number/17320443/page/2
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