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Author Topic: True Story  (Read 3234 times)

Offline 1vertical

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True Story
« on: December 31, 2013, 03:26:34 pm »
Well, 12 years ago when I bought this place, I put in a planting of crop in the field.
It failed....next year I tried again, it failed to establish....the following year I figured
out the problem and that was the soil had so much sand content, that the seed
soil contact needed to grow a crop, mandated packing of the soil on the seeds.
Finally I got the thing established. I put in Red Clover, White Clover, timothy hay
and a little volunteer alfalfa showed up....the surrounding Russian Olive trees bloomed,
and I had Thousands of little winged workers living in a 3 story white furnished dwelling.

These little workers would travel from flower to flower polinating and sipping nectar
carrying it back to the dwelling to process and store it in the form of Honey and other
goodies.

That fall, I went to the dwelling and tore the roof off and stole a bunch of that honey
from all those pissed off little guys....yeah, they did get some licks in on me...and I cannot
say without a doubt that no bee was harmed in the process....but hey this relationship
has been going on with mankind and bees for a long long time. 

Anyhow, I made a few batches of Mead with this honey from the bees I kept and one of
them was niwots vanilla mead recipe, (we sampled this on christmas it has gotten better with age).
The other batch is a Sparkling Mead and the last time I sampled it several years ago, it was
very similiar to champagne. I believe that I used Eau De Vie for the yeast strain.
 Well, Tonight being what it is, New Years Eve and all, I
Plan to sample a 10 year Old Bottle of this sparkled mead for posterity. It has been cellared
in the root cellar all this time.  Looking in thru the green glass, it appears the angels have
gotten about 1/8" share out of the bottle. I am hoping it is still pressured up and bubbly for
enjoyment this evening.  (this has been a start to finish project so to speak and I can't believe
that I have held out here in BFE whyo this long)

Happy New Years everyone!  CHEERS
« Last Edit: December 31, 2013, 03:29:32 pm by 1vertical »
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Offline HoosierBrew

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Re: True Story
« Reply #1 on: December 31, 2013, 03:34:33 pm »
Sounds great !  Enjoy.
Jon H.

Offline tommymorris

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Re: True Story
« Reply #2 on: December 31, 2013, 03:40:24 pm »
I hope you report back tomorrow. I hope the sparkling mead was awesome. Happy New Year.

Offline 1vertical

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Re: True Story
« Reply #3 on: December 31, 2013, 03:46:57 pm »
I hope you report back tomorrow. I hope the sparkling mead was awesome. Happy New Year.
I will try to get a pic if I don't space it out.  Prolly only have the cell ph. camera which
is old school and not da bomb.
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Offline morticaixavier

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Re: True Story
« Reply #4 on: December 31, 2013, 03:52:01 pm »
sounds awesome. Enjoy. Happy New year! Maybe I'll crack into a bottle of 4 year old sparkling mead (or, I guess, two and a half bottles, then the math works) and join you.
"Creativity is the residue of wasted time"
-A Einstein

"errors are [...] the portals of discovery"
- J Joyce

Offline pinnah

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Re: True Story
« Reply #5 on: December 31, 2013, 05:24:31 pm »
Sugar from the land!  Fantastic.
Plus, I am envious of your cellar!

Best wishes for the new Year. 8)

Offline jeffy

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Re: True Story
« Reply #6 on: December 31, 2013, 05:26:45 pm »
Nice story!  I hope it's perfect.
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
Homebrewing since 1990
AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member
BJCP judge since 1995

Offline AmandaK

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Re: True Story
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2013, 05:30:53 pm »
Very cool. I hope it's great.

Cheers!
Amanda Burkemper
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BJCP Assistant (to the) Midwest Rep
BJCP Grand Master/Mead/Cider


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Offline punatic

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Re: True Story
« Reply #8 on: December 31, 2013, 06:40:50 pm »
From one beekeeper/meadmaker to another - Wassail!
and
Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!
There is only one success: to be able to spend your life in your own way.


AHA Life Member #33907

Offline 1vertical

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Re: True Story
« Reply #9 on: December 31, 2013, 11:08:34 pm »
Thanks carl....to report back it had a great POP and the little champagne bubbles
were still fizzing.  The mead was slightly sweet clear and light...SNEAKY...and good.
sorry missed the photo op  The samples evaporated into the gathering and compliments
were sent back in my direction....so, I am good with that!
« Last Edit: December 31, 2013, 11:21:20 pm by 1vertical »
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Offline tommymorris

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Re: True Story
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2014, 08:44:42 am »
Congrats on the mead. We all knew it would be great ;)

Offline euge

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Re: True Story
« Reply #11 on: January 03, 2014, 09:39:46 am »
Awesome! My understanding is that mead can survive for a long time in the cellar. More than 20 years for sure.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline 1vertical

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Re: True Story
« Reply #12 on: January 03, 2014, 10:30:48 am »
Awesome! My understanding is that mead can survive for a long time in the cellar. More than 20 years for sure.

I cannot see it lasting that long in MY cellar euge....lol... ;)
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Offline blatz

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Re: True Story
« Reply #13 on: January 03, 2014, 01:33:52 pm »
great story!
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

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