Heads Up On Honey

[white.grant]

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.

Hi BribieG,

The ISB guys did a braggot at the NSW Xmas case swap. You might find this thread about it interesting http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...showtopic=25134

cheers

grant

 

[davewaldo]

Andrew, Yep, I reckon force carbing and a Counter Top Filler would be a fabulous way to Carb Mead. This way you have wait until the mead is crystal clear before force carbing and it also means no Yeast in the bottles. If you have the gear needed I'm jealous!

Chappo, As for aerating, I just use a Air sanitation filter (cheap, see sponsors) a stainless steel air stone, and a good fishtank pump. Using air takes longer than pure O2, but using pure O2 can cause too much O2 into the must causing other problems. Using normal air will never cause too much O2 to be dissolved, and its cheap.

Meads used to be famous for taking months and months to ferment. With current knowledge, and good nutrients, you should be able to ferment a mead in 2 weeks, resulting in a much cleaner, tastier fermentation.

 

[chappo1970]

...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.

Newguy That sounds good. Excuse my ignorance but could Mulberries be used as well. It's just I have two huge mulberry tree's and they have an abundance of fruit that is alway inexcess to our needs. We usually try to make jams, pies, mulberry wine,freeze the rest but a little mulberry mead could be another adjunct to the mulberry line up. It won't fruit again till this september/november but by then I could have 1 or 2 meads under the belt so I could have a shot at it I guess?

 

[AndrewQLD]

Andrew, Yep, I reckon force carbing and a Counter Top Filler would be a fabulous way to Carb Mead. This way you have wait until the mead is crystal clear before force carbing and it also means no Yeast in the bottles. If you have the gear needed I'm jealous!

As an experiment I might bottle some in a PET bottle and force carb using a carbonation cap.
I'll give this a try on the weekend and let you know how it turns out.

Andrew

 

[Bribie G]

Thanks for the link Grant.
For QLDers when I was in Ross's shrine shop I saw he has the glass demijohns and megajohns from Hell, might be worth a look at how much a five gallon is worth. I've decided to bite the bullet and make my next brew a braggot when the brewfridge is free next week and if I like the way it's going, then branch right out and attempt a mead for Xmas.

 

[davewaldo]

Hi Chappo,

Funny you mention Mulberry Mead (its actually called Morat ). I just planted a mulberry tree with this very idea, but its going to be a painful wait for it to mature.

My brother inlaw makes a nice Mulberry wine, I'm keen to try a Mead and a Wine from Mulberries.

You know... if you wanted to off load some of those mulberries...... :lol:

 

[chappo1970]

You know... if you wanted to off load some of those mulberries...... :lol:

I smell a swap in the air?

Done deal David. Truly my trees produce about 3 to 4 washing baskets full of berries. And that's what make's it into the basket. :lol: My kids are down there every day after school feasting when the fruit is on. My kids end up looking like I beat the crappola out of them and white and purple... But your more than welcome to some when the time is right ok! Maybe a drop of your finest mead in exchange of course?

 

[davewaldo]

Sounds like a deal Chappo!

Although, I don't have any mead at the moment thats ready to drink... Its still in bulk ageing, but I'm sure we can come to an arrangement. :beer:

Do you have fruit now? Or has the season just past?

I have a marvellous passionfruit vine which I plan to make a passionfruit Mellomel.

For wine and mead its fine to freeze fruit, in fact its recommended as it helps to break down the cell walls and increase the extraction of juice and flavour. So if you have an abundance of fruit, I would recommend freezing it for use later in the year.

 

[newguy]

Newguy That sounds good. Excuse my ignorance but could Mulberries be used as well.

I don't see why not. You have a lot of them and they taste good, so why not? :beer:

 

[Supra-Jim]

I have to say all this talk of mead has peaked my interest again. Think i am going to chase down those links provided earlier and order me a bottle or two and sample away (before i make 20 ltr of the stuff and age it for 6+ months!!).

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[chappo1970]

Sounds like a deal Chappo!

Do you have fruit now? Or has the season just past?

I have a marvellous passionfruit vine which I plan to make a passionfruit Mellomel.

For wine and mead its fine to freeze fruit, in fact its recommended as it helps to break down the cell walls and increase the extraction of juice and flavour. So if you have an abundance of fruit, I would recommend freezing it for use later in the year.

Actually the season, September to November, has past but I think I have about 10kg frozen in the chest freezer I will check tonight and let you know. Other than DONE DEAL!

I'm very keen to try this out but I best be getting my first AG under my belt before branching to far in another direction huh?

 

[Supra-Jim]

I'm very keen to try this out but I best be getting my first AG under my belt before branching to far in another direction huh?

Mmmmm.. focus you must and remember use the grain!!!

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[chappo1970]

Mmmmm.. focus you must and remember use the grain!!!

:icon_cheers: SJ

Bwahahahaha! :lol:

Someone's quick today SJ?

 

[Supra-Jim]

Morning Chappo,

Just finished my second cuppa so this is as good as i get today, it all down hill.

I have been told i have the googlefu (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=google-fu)

Use it wisely, i try to

:icon_cheers: SJ

 

[brettprevans]

re aeration. I might just use what my old man uses for maxing batter on mass. imagine a giant single beater attached to a drill. thats its. should work wonders with this.

 

[chappo1970]

re aeration. I might just use what my old man uses for maxing batter on mass. imagine a giant single beater attached to a drill. thats its. should work wonders with this.

Sounds terrifying!

CM2 "Tim The Tool Man" suddenly comes to mind? :blink:

 

[brettprevans]

looks something like this. its just bigger is all. you slot it into the drill and off you go.

 

[chappo1970]

looks something like this. its just bigger is all. you slot it into the drill and off you go.

Cool! Just like a big egg whisk really?

I had in my mind something more like a ss mash paddle connected to the drill of death! :lol:

But that should work a treat.

CM2 got a mead recipe in mind yet? I'm still wading thru some but I am starting to settle on a vanilla flavoured mead to start with.

 

[brettprevans]

CM2 got a mead recipe in mind yet? I'm still wading thru some but I am starting to settle on a vanilla flavoured mead to start with.

Page 1, post 10. you may have missed it cause i edited the post 3 times. Im thinking:

Melanie Mead
4L honey diluted to 17L
3L water for steeping of grain
300g choc grain
50g black patent.
200g Melanoidin malt
5 cinanmon quills in the boil.
10 cloves in the boil.

i'll have to do some more thinking on it.

 

[barls]

could be a nice braggot mate.here is the recipe that we went with on the braggot big brew day
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/inde...st&p=374039