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Author Topic: First Mead  (Read 22463 times)

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #150 on: March 16, 2016, 02:45:59 pm »
Man that's awesome Pete. How does that maple aroma and flavor carry through?


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Unbelievable Ken, that's why we are making a huge batch this year. Maple notoriously doesn't come through in beer but I suppose with a larger amount in mead it does. Also maybe using all sap instead of water helps. We also add vanilla beans, black tea and EKG hops. I think that the vanilla enhances the maple sweetness and the tannin/astringency/bitterness/acidity from the tea and hops provide a counterpoint to the sweetness.
Last night I bottled some of this that's been hanging out in an oak cask for about ten days that previously contained 100 proof knob creek. Its a gem.
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #151 on: March 17, 2016, 05:13:43 pm »
1 gal in jug and 5 gal in keg. Time to mature and wait




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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
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Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #152 on: March 17, 2016, 05:30:11 pm »
Nice work Ken!
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #153 on: March 17, 2016, 05:36:37 pm »
Thanks to all the help from you guys....I'm pretty sure I made a melomel.  How long before I swap that airlock out for solid bung?


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #154 on: March 18, 2016, 05:54:36 am »
Thanks to all the help from you guys....I'm pretty sure I made a melomel.  How long before I swap that airlock out for solid bung?


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If you do at all I would wait until racking again. You don't ever necessarily need to, it just makes it so you never need to worry about an airlock drying out. Arguably it would prevent oxidation but aging is partly about allowing oxidation on a small scale.
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #155 on: March 27, 2016, 01:47:56 pm »
Did last racking...of course had to sample. Turning out nicely.



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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline mchrispen

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #156 on: March 27, 2016, 01:57:17 pm »
That looks pretty nice!
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Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #157 on: March 27, 2016, 04:47:55 pm »
I'm digging it. Will bottle in few months and see how it progresses.


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Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #158 on: March 28, 2016, 05:56:01 am »
Pretty impressive clarity already Ken. Is the blueberry prevelant?
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #159 on: March 28, 2016, 05:57:55 am »
Pretty impressive clarity already Ken. Is the blueberry prevelant?

subtle Pete. That's ok - more fruit next time around for sure.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #160 on: March 28, 2016, 07:04:19 am »
Pretty impressive clarity already Ken. Is the blueberry prevelant?

subtle Pete. That's ok - more fruit next time around for sure.
I asked because mine is more of a red wine color, but we tend to put a ton of fruit in our melomels. The blueberry stains the bottles dark blue after awhile.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.

Offline Wort-H.O.G.

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #161 on: March 28, 2016, 07:06:18 am »
Pretty impressive clarity already Ken. Is the blueberry prevelant?

subtle Pete. That's ok - more fruit next time around for sure.
I asked because mine is more of a red wine color, but we tend to put a ton of fruit in our melomels. The blueberry stains the bottles dark blue after awhile.

yeah using 10-15# at least next time.
Ken- Chagrin Falls, OH
CPT, U.S.Army
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Harveys-Brewhaus/405092862905115

http://braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=The_Science_of_Mashing

Serving:        In Process:
Vienna IPA          O'Fest
Dort
Mead                 
Cider                         
Ger'merican Blonde
Amber Ale
Next:
Ger Pils
O'Fest

Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #162 on: March 28, 2016, 07:43:42 am »
Pretty impressive clarity already Ken. Is the blueberry prevelant?

subtle Pete. That's ok - more fruit next time around for sure.
I asked because mine is more of a red wine color, but we tend to put a ton of fruit in our melomels. The blueberry stains the bottles dark blue after awhile.

yeah using 10-15# at least next time.
I have tried commercial examples of blueberry melomel, including Moonlight Meadery, and its always been like "I guess I'll take their word that this is blueberry..." so you are probably more berryliscious than most.
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Offline hopfenundmalz

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #163 on: March 28, 2016, 07:59:20 am »
A guy who used to be a member in our club showed up to a summer picknic with a keg of Blueberry mead. I was 10 or more years old, and had been made with blueberries when brewed. He had than put many pounds of blueberries in it (bagged? Don't know. How much? Don't know) before the picknic. It had the flavor of of a really good blueberry pie. I liked it.
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Offline pete b

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Re: First Mead
« Reply #164 on: March 28, 2016, 09:50:09 am »
A guy who used to be a member in our club showed up to a summer picknic with a keg of Blueberry mead. I was 10 or more years old, and had been made with blueberries when brewed. He had than put many pounds of blueberries in it (bagged? Don't know. How much? Don't know) before the picknic. It had the flavor of of a really good blueberry pie. I liked it.
Sounds delicious. We have 1 bottle from '99 we'll open some day. It will probably be really good or really bad.
Don't let the bastards cheer you up.