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Makin mead

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Norskersword

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May 19, 2004
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Cool pictures, Joe! How long did it take for those meads on the table to clear? What kind are they? Cool barrel, too!

Someday I know I will have a setup very similar. But that will be years from now.
 

Lagerman64

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Most impressive Joe. I am humbled ;D (for now ;)). "Ninkasi watches her faithful."
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Norskersword said:
Cool pictures, Joe! How long did it take for those meads on the table to clear? What kind are they? Cool barrel, too!

Someday I know I will have a setup very similar. But that will be years from now.

Well, in process there is (2) 3 gallon English meads using Buckwheat and Clover. Its an experiment using 71B and K1V yeast and (1) 1 Gallon English Mead experiment with D47. There is also (2) 1 gallon experiments of Clover Showmead made with Cotes de Blancs with 1 using tannin and 1 without. The barrel is a 55 gallon Oak from a Seagrams distillery in Cincinnati and houses my 3 week CW staright Mead for an everyday mead and visitors.

Clearing using tannin from the start on most batches proiduces a clear mead within a month. Some of the slower yeasts I use take longer.

Joe
 

WRATHWILDE

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Jmattioli said:
The barrel is a 55 gallon Oak from a Seagrams distillery in Cincinnati and houses my 3 week CW staright Mead for an everyday mead and visitors.
Joe

Do you draw samples directly from the tap throughout the meads life span? If so... wouldn't the air introduced affect the mead?

Wrathwilde
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
Wrathwilde said:
Jmattioli said:
The barrel is a 55 gallon Oak from a Seagrams distillery in Cincinnati and houses my 3 week CW staright Mead for an everyday mead and visitors.
Joe

Do you draw samples directly from the tap throughout the meads life span? If so... wouldn't the air introduced affect the mead?

Wrathwilde

Yes, but the Oak Barrel is just for looks. I cut a secret door in the back and installed a CO2 cannister and stainless tank. CO2 replaces the Mead as I drink it. Now you know the rest of the story .... and my secret.

There are also colaspable bladders one can buy instead of the CO2 setup but I opted for Corney kegs and a CO2 tank for convenience.

Joe
 

Norskersword

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May 19, 2004
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That's cheating, Joe! I bet you have all you're guests fooled. ;D

My girlfriend says you look better with the beard shaved and that you should update you're avater.
 

Norskersword

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May 19, 2004
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Hey Joe, do you think this one will get any clearer? I used 1/2 tsp tannin in this also.

I used a very dark wildflower honey. The flash makes it look different but right now it looks like very dark water. It's tasting great though!

This is a two month old mead and it has looked like this for a month now and has stopped producing sediment. I didn't think color could effect clearity but now I think it does. The oak chips seem to have made it darker. I'm just wondering if I should plan on bottling soon. I was going to give it a few more weeks for good measure to make sure it wasn't producing any more sediment.

100_0600.jpg
 
I

irishoneme

Guest
Guest
Great setup, Joe! I have yet to use tannins and was wondering how you introduce them to clear the mead? I currently have a strawberry,raspberry,blackberry concoction that looks like a smoothie after two rackings.
 

Jmattioli

Senior Member
Lifetime GotMead Patron
irishoneme said:
Great setup, Joe! I have yet to use tannins and was wondering how you introduce them to clear the mead? I currently have a strawberry,raspberry,blackberry concoction that looks like a smoothie after two rackings.

I have been, for the past 2 years, using 1/2t per gallon as a standard up front ingredient for clearing and for the character it gives. (dissolved in water and added before pitching yeast) I haven't found that amount to contribute anything but positive effects on the mead.

Joe
 

Mynx

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Apr 8, 2005
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Or me for that matter!

OR Miriam!

Hmmn, I could get into a secondary hobby, making beards for female mazers.

Anyone else reminded of The Life of Brian? ;)
 

Miriam

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Feb 2, 2005
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Mynx, who needs a beard?! Leave that to the guys! Our meads are charged with female energy much needed for ying/yang balance in the brewing world.

And Joe, thanks for sharing your wisdom regarding tannins and clearing. I made a note of that.

Miriam
 

Mynx

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Miriam said:
Mynx, who needs a beard?! Leave that to the guys! Our meads are charged with female energy much needed for ying/yang balance in the brewing world.

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

byathread

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Mar 8, 2005
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Boulder County, CO
Miriam said:
Mynx, who needs a beard?! Leave that to the guys! Our meads are charged with female energy much needed for ying/yang balance in the brewing world.

:D 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)!
 
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