chappo1970
Piss off or Buy Me A Beer
CM2 BTW how much is the going rate for bulk buy honey per kg in Melb? Just a guide mate?
Heads Up On Honey
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brettprevans
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AndrewQLD
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I've got two meads bottled and maturing as I type. Here's a very good site on Mead , heaps of info there.
The first one is "Joe mattioli"s foolproof ancient orange, clove and cinnamon mead" , very easy to make and fairly quick to mature, tastes very nice chilled, sort of like a white wine but different.
The second one was a 20 lt monster S.G 1.130 F.G 1.002, pretty much straight Macadamia honey, water and yeast nutrient, I used the sweet mead yeast from wyeast. This one has finished sweeter and you can definitely taste the honey. This is a sipper and should be consumed like a liqueur.
Just remember that mead takes a while to age, a year plus for some, and you don't drink it like beer so making 20 lt batches can be a little excessive. If I ever run out of Mead I will stick to the 5 lt demijohn batches.
Andrew
The first one is "Joe mattioli"s foolproof ancient orange, clove and cinnamon mead" , very easy to make and fairly quick to mature, tastes very nice chilled, sort of like a white wine but different.
The second one was a 20 lt monster S.G 1.130 F.G 1.002, pretty much straight Macadamia honey, water and yeast nutrient, I used the sweet mead yeast from wyeast. This one has finished sweeter and you can definitely taste the honey. This is a sipper and should be consumed like a liqueur.
Just remember that mead takes a while to age, a year plus for some, and you don't drink it like beer so making 20 lt batches can be a little excessive. If I ever run out of Mead I will stick to the 5 lt demijohn batches.
Andrew
I've done a bit of a u-ie on the braggot idea. What I really meant to say was that I'm not impressed by the idea of braggot, but on further thought I've never actually drunk it so I'm admittently in a state of ignorance there. I have a couple of spare kilos of Maris Otter that I should use soon and might do something about 6 percent abv with the maris, honey etc. and might give myself a pleasant surprise. At the very least I can make black and tans with it. :lol:
Would I use hops in a braggot?
I had in mind something fairly fast and furious like (24L)
2kg MO 68 degrees
200 g carared left over from my American Amber
45g NZ fuggles flowers 30 mins
Zest of an orange.
ten cloves
2.5 k honey
Nottingham.
Would I use hops in a braggot?
I had in mind something fairly fast and furious like (24L)
2kg MO 68 degrees
200 g carared left over from my American Amber
45g NZ fuggles flowers 30 mins
Zest of an orange.
ten cloves
2.5 k honey
Nottingham.
Supra-Jim
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Not meaning to stalk you CM2, but it sounds like you're only down the road from me. I'm in Glen Waverley
brettprevans
HB so good, it will raise the dead
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ahhh HELP - supra's stalking me! no supra you cant have my airlocks! and i dont have any kittens. only 1 cat and 2 dogs. you can have them either!
im not far from you. prob about 10-15min.
im not far from you. prob about 10-15min.
chappo1970
Piss off or Buy Me A Beer
Andrew thanks for the linkies. I will trawl over those tonight and the next week I guess.
If I can indulge in your Mead knowledge a little bit more. Mead really interests me for some reason?
So ferment is basically the same as beer, yes? Longer but you use the same gear?
What bottles do you use to store/mature the mead in? Wine bottles? Or Champagne bottles (I have a ready supply of those for my ginger beer). Or is a demijohn better?
Cheers
BTW: SJ and CM2 why don't you just get a room?... :lol:
brettprevans
HB so good, it will raise the dead
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long maturation as I understand it. Im planning on getting a couple extra kegs for long maturation brews and ive kept some bottles. ive got a shash of champers bottles also, so i guess i'll experiment.
there was a thread going yesterday on barley wine and a debate going on about cork v caps etc. i think it was called 20 year old barley wine or something.
there was a thread going yesterday on barley wine and a debate going on about cork v caps etc. i think it was called 20 year old barley wine or something.
AndrewQLD
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Wine bottles and standard cork for still mead, Champagne for sparkling mead. I use the demijohns for fermenting and racking, when the mead is crystal clear and finished fermenting I bottle into wine bottles.
It's pretty amazing just how clear mead becomes.
Andrew
davewaldo
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Hi Guys!
I've been getting into Mead making in a BIG way! At the moment I'm making small batches to test different honeys and yeasts.
The biggest difference when making beer is the importance of aeration and nutrient scheduling.
Many people are making mean now without using heat. Most of the serious mead makers say its the best way. Nasties can't live in honey so as long as everything else is sanitised you should be good to go.
Here is my procedure:
1. Mix honey and a tiny bit of nutrient (more will come later) with warmish water (50 degrees?) Mix really well for quite a while, honey and water can look mixed but then settle in to layers.
2. While the "must" (mead wort) cools in the fermentation fridge, I use a small airstone to aerate the must for an hour.
3. Add Yeast once 20degrees. I use D47 yeast, but I have also had good meads from US05. Making starter can be a good idea (see this site for more info on mead: www.gotmead.com)
4. Once the fermentation is active add half of your remaining nutrient and aerate some more (this 1 day after pitching).
5. Aerate everyday until the 1/3 sugar break (this is the point where you are 1/3 of the way to final gravity)
6. At 1/3 sugar break, add remaining nutrients and aerate for the last time.
7. Let it sit until activity stops, at this stage I cool the must down for 2 days to settle the yeast, then rack into a clean vessel for ageing.
I use about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of good nutrient per 5 litres of must. A small amount at the start then a heaped 1/4 teaspoon at the end of lag phase then at the 1/3 sugar break.
Ageing is best done in bulk and in glass. You can even experiment with oak chips (I prefer cubes) and adding fruit to make "melomels"
Once its had a some ageing (6 months) you can bottle. Or let it age more. If using wine yeast, it will need more age before drinking. If using US05, it will be ready to drink within a few months, but should only get better with age. Mead making needs patience.
Hope this makes sense, and is some use to people thinking about mead making.
Cheers,
David.
I've been getting into Mead making in a BIG way! At the moment I'm making small batches to test different honeys and yeasts.
The biggest difference when making beer is the importance of aeration and nutrient scheduling.
Many people are making mean now without using heat. Most of the serious mead makers say its the best way. Nasties can't live in honey so as long as everything else is sanitised you should be good to go.
Here is my procedure:
1. Mix honey and a tiny bit of nutrient (more will come later) with warmish water (50 degrees?) Mix really well for quite a while, honey and water can look mixed but then settle in to layers.
2. While the "must" (mead wort) cools in the fermentation fridge, I use a small airstone to aerate the must for an hour.
3. Add Yeast once 20degrees. I use D47 yeast, but I have also had good meads from US05. Making starter can be a good idea (see this site for more info on mead: www.gotmead.com)
4. Once the fermentation is active add half of your remaining nutrient and aerate some more (this 1 day after pitching).
5. Aerate everyday until the 1/3 sugar break (this is the point where you are 1/3 of the way to final gravity)
6. At 1/3 sugar break, add remaining nutrients and aerate for the last time.
7. Let it sit until activity stops, at this stage I cool the must down for 2 days to settle the yeast, then rack into a clean vessel for ageing.
I use about 3/4 to 1 teaspoon of good nutrient per 5 litres of must. A small amount at the start then a heaped 1/4 teaspoon at the end of lag phase then at the 1/3 sugar break.
Ageing is best done in bulk and in glass. You can even experiment with oak chips (I prefer cubes) and adding fruit to make "melomels"
Once its had a some ageing (6 months) you can bottle. Or let it age more. If using wine yeast, it will need more age before drinking. If using US05, it will be ready to drink within a few months, but should only get better with age. Mead making needs patience.
Hope this makes sense, and is some use to people thinking about mead making.
Cheers,
David.
chappo1970
Piss off or Buy Me A Beer
Difference between still and sparkling is bubbles I guess?
Do the demijohns help you determine it's fermented and it's clear enough for bottling? Obviously after you've achieved the right FG in the first place (before I get jumped on).
Do the demijohns help you determine it's fermented and it's clear enough for bottling? Obviously after you've achieved the right FG in the first place (before I get jumped on).
brettprevans
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ahh good point Andrew, if it aint carbed it could go into any glass bottle and just cap it/cork it. i think I'll do a split batch. 3/4 carbed and 1/4 uncarbed. I reocn the missus will find the carbed one easier to drink. I might 'water' the carbed one down a bit after maturation.
chappo1970
Piss off or Buy Me A Beer
Keep it all coming guys! I'm gunna do this. So any simple, but tasty, recipes you guys recommend to get me into it? I love the sound of a sparkling, which is what I think I tried ages ago, I am going next door to the wine emporium and buy me both to try it out.
davewaldo
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I like to use Orange blossom honey or Alfalfa Honey.
As for carbonated Meads.... Its a little trickier than with beer. If you like sweet meads then you are out of luck, you can only artificially carbonate a sweet mead. This is because the yeast has either reached its alcohol tolerance or has been killed by chemicals (thats why its sweet). Either way you won't be able to naturally carbonate. If you ferment to dryness and the yeast still has some grunt left, you can naturally carbonate just like bottle beer.
As for carbonated Meads.... Its a little trickier than with beer. If you like sweet meads then you are out of luck, you can only artificially carbonate a sweet mead. This is because the yeast has either reached its alcohol tolerance or has been killed by chemicals (thats why its sweet). Either way you won't be able to naturally carbonate. If you ferment to dryness and the yeast still has some grunt left, you can naturally carbonate just like bottle beer.
davewaldo
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Here is a good link: http://www.math.fsu.edu/~gmizell/mead/Recipes/?C=M;O=A
Oskaar's Sweet Mead recipe is quite famous (as is the man)
Oskaar's Sweet Mead recipe is quite famous (as is the man)
stueywhytcross
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We regularly have bee keepers bring hives onto our farm, mainly during the summer when the mallee is flowering.
I've been keen to use some of this honey but from what ive read, eucalpytus honey must not be used for brewing because of the harsh flavours it leaves?
Can anyone clarify this?
Cheers
I've been keen to use some of this honey but from what ive read, eucalpytus honey must not be used for brewing because of the harsh flavours it leaves?
Can anyone clarify this?
Cheers
AndrewQLD
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Chappo,
The demijohns being glass are like a window into your ferment, you can see exactly what's going on and they seal very well with a bung for aging if you want. Fermentation can take months as well.
Citymorgue2, I haven't tried a sparkling yet but I'm tempted, I think a lighter alcohol one would be appreciated too.
davewaldo, do you think force carbing in a keg then bottling with a CPBF would work?
Andrew
The demijohns being glass are like a window into your ferment, you can see exactly what's going on and they seal very well with a bung for aging if you want. Fermentation can take months as well.
Citymorgue2, I haven't tried a sparkling yet but I'm tempted, I think a lighter alcohol one would be appreciated too.
davewaldo, do you think force carbing in a keg then bottling with a CPBF would work?
Andrew
chappo1970
Piss off or Buy Me A Beer
Ok I am just finding more question to ask guys.
Ok how do you aerate the "must" (see I learn)? An airstone with pure O2? Or just plain whacka-you-beaut tube hooked up to a fish tank pump?
Ok how do you aerate the "must" (see I learn)? An airstone with pure O2? Or just plain whacka-you-beaut tube hooked up to a fish tank pump?
newguy
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Sorry for the very short "recipe" earlier - company showed up just before I hit send. I did forget the yeast nutrient. For my first batch I added 1/2 tsp every 12 hours for 4 days. That batch finished fermenting in about 6 weeks. My current batch is different. I added 2 tsp of yeast nutrient to the must but I left on vacation the day after that so I haven't added any nutrients since. Its OG was 1.090 (end of Dec) and about 2 weeks ago it was down to 1.014. It is almost clear now so it's very close to finishing, and that's okay with me as it tastes fantastic as is.
Regarding something that isn't just straight honey and water, I just happened to judge a raspberry mead on Saturday and it was the most fantastic thing I've tasted in quite some time. It's obvious to me now that I've tasted it, but raspberries offer a tartness/acidity that perfectly balances the sweetness of a semi-sweet or sweet mead - and that didn't occur to me before I tasted this particular mead a few days ago. It was simply perfect. The only thing that was even remotely wrong with it was a very subtle woodiness that I could only detect long into the finish - probably from the mead being in contact with the seeds in the raspberries for too long.
Regarding something that isn't just straight honey and water, I just happened to judge a raspberry mead on Saturday and it was the most fantastic thing I've tasted in quite some time. It's obvious to me now that I've tasted it, but raspberries offer a tartness/acidity that perfectly balances the sweetness of a semi-sweet or sweet mead - and that didn't occur to me before I tasted this particular mead a few days ago. It was simply perfect. The only thing that was even remotely wrong with it was a very subtle woodiness that I could only detect long into the finish - probably from the mead being in contact with the seeds in the raspberries for too long.
