Makin mead

[byathread]

Yeah! That's it! Haha, to be fair, I always stir my must/wort clockwise, so it's probably more true than I think

Hmmm. I never thought about it until you mentioned this but I almost always stir counter-clockwise. Is this supposed to be a masculine/feminine thing? I never heard that. Weird.

Kirk

 

[Mynx]

Clockwise (or deosil) is for positivity and good vibrations etc. Doing something in a clockwise manner brings good into it.

Counterclockwise (or widdershins) is for negativity or the removing of badness/evil. So doing something counterclockwise would help in removing impurities.

So either way works for mead really

 

[jab]

You are all individuals...you are all different!

I'm not.

 

[Oskaar]

What if you're south of the equator?

Oskaar

 

[Mynx]

I think the directions stay the same, meaning-wise. Course when you talk about the seaons, it's a WHOLE other story

 

[Brewbear]

So...if you stir first clockwise and then counter, and then clock, and then counter....you're covered?
Just making sure :-\ I get bored stirring one way only, besides, it helps airate the must...me thinks :-[

Ted

 

[Miriam]

Jeepers...what if you take the kitchen mixer and use that to stir the must? Cosmic chaos in the carboy?! Or contrariwise, harmonics in the hooch? The mind reels at the possibilities...

Miriam
getting goofy

 

[Mynx]

I think kitchen mixers are exempt

 

[Miriam]

My hat is off to you ladies. Its about time you reclaim your status as brewsters, as brewing in all its myriad forms has traditionally been the art of women. And lets not forget about the other noble, vital arts once almost entirely the pursuit of women: doctor/healer/herbalist, agriculturalist, integral roles in politics and religion, etc, etc.

Kinda makes you wonder what the hell us men were doing (besides warfare, hunting, and enjoying the products of a woman's labor)!

Ah well, surely the mystery of the male/female principle is one of the greatest there is. And actually the New Moon Mead thread caught my eye especially I think because of the connection between the moon and women; just an idea I have. But yes, it would be great to hear of more women brewers. Brewstresses? Oh no, let's not start that again : (I still haven't figured out what the feminine of "mazer" should be.)

However, the modern renaissance of mead-making has its female stars, among whom of course is Vicky - then there are Cindy Renfrow, Pamela Spence, who created the American Mead Association, and the late Susanne Price, also a leader in the revival of modern meadmaking. I'm sure there are more that I haven't read of.

Personally, I am the only woman I know of here that home-brews on a regular basis. There is a woman enologist who has established a commercial winery, and she is regarded with respect, but there is only one.

Miriam

 

[Mynx]

I get that alot too Miriam. I'm one of few women on my brewing sites and newsgroups, and in my personal life, I always seem to get mildly odd/shocked looks when I tell people I brew. And then when mead gets mentioned, I usually have to explain what it IS first, heheh.

 

[Miriam]

Interesting to hear that, Mynx. Here, people don't exactly look shocked, but either intrigued or mystified. That is, after they've finished insisting that what I do is add vodka to fruit. Not too many understand that good wine can be made from scratch at home, even in an apartment (or could care less). Then the question most asked is, "So who's going to drink all that wine?" I wonder if people would ask that were I a man. Depending on if the person is friendly or just a bore, I explain that my family and close friends handily help me dispose of it, or I'll just shrug and say,

"Well, me, obviously." ;D

Miriam

 

[Mynx]

Haha, my friends/acquaintences dont even ask who'll drink it all. They know that my boy and I can finish it off nicely. Of course I'm usually kind enough to offer it to the friends too

After they taste it the questions I get are more along the lines of "... so how do you do this anyhow?" and "When are you making more?"

 

[Brewbear]

Brewstesses......say that really fast after a couple of glasses of mead ;D
Never mind the name, the cool thing is that you ladies brew Any name you'd choose for yourselves ( consider One of a Kind Lady Brewer) the impotrant thing is that you do it, and better yet, you are good at it!
Keep on brewing....and if you know a cute, single brewstress, let me know :-\

Ted

 

[Miriam]

Ted,

Funny, I was just thinking that on the brewing forums I belong to, there are very few unattached women - if there are, they lurk. I don't have anything concrete to add, but have a few theories about that. At any rate, if I come across a nice brewstress, er, bewstross, - oh dammit - lady brewer for you, I'll let you know ASAP.

Miriam

 

[Brewbear]

Thanks Miriam,
Do you think that people that brew together, are happy together?
HMMMmmm!! Lurking you say...Do you hear the music from Jaws in the background?

Ted

 

[byathread]

You know the old adage: "those who brew together, stay together!"

maybe not so old... ;D

One thing's for sure brewstresses are in demand! At least for the single brewers.

 

[Mynx]

I personally go by Beer Wench, but Brewmistress works as well

 

[Miriam]

Yes, Brewmistress is easier to say than brewstress and has a certain resonance as well.

Miriam

 

[pain]

It do at that.

I've a book that you might find very interesting (Here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...4233?creative=327641&camp=14573&link_code=as1) called "Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women's Work in a Changing World. 1300-1600," was published by Oxford University Press. It details how the ale trade in the medieval to renaissance period of central Europe was in the hands of womenfolk, and slowly became the pervue of the men. It was an interesting read.

Here's the first paragraph of the description: "Women brewed and sold most of the ale drunk in medieval England, but after 1350, men slowly took over the trade. By 1600, most brewers in London--as well as in many towns and villages--were male, not female. Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England investigates this transition, asking how, when, and why brewing ceased to be a women's trade and became a trade of men."

Vicky

 

[Mynx]

Thanks for the reccomendation Vicky! I'll have to see if that's at my library