MythandLore
First Post
Special kind of beer from Belgium.madriel said:
I was refuring to the fruit-lambics in perticular.
Mead?
- Thread starter Heretic Apostate
- Start date
I was refuring to the fruit-lambics in perticular.
abri said:
As someone who makes about 30 - 40 gal. of different meads a year I have to agree with the above. I have had meads that have almost reached 40 proof, most though are easily in the 20 proof range. It is higher than wine and much higher than beer.
Getting drunk on mead: It sneaks up on you so watch out. Also drink plenty of of water while drinking or suffer the morning after effects of what is called "mead head". I am in the SCA and trust me you don't want to be in armor the morning after a night of heavy mead drinking. I think there is even a story in the bible warning about this.
As far as aging mead it really depends on the mead. Dryer meads tend to taste better with a little aging while sweeter meads can taste good right out of the carboy. It also depends on what other ingredants you add. I have made "drinkable" mead in under three weeks, generaly though it takes around 6 - 8 weeks brewing time to make really good mead. The vikings and danes drank thier mead while it was still fermenting (frothing cups of mead anyone?) with the mead getting stronger the longer it took to drink up the vat.
There are actually several different names given to meads depending on what is in them. A "straight" mead is really nothing more than honey /water/yeast. I generaly use around 2+ lbs. of honey per gallon for a straight mead.
As far as making your own, it can be done with nothing more than a gallon jug and few ingreadients. There are lots of recipies out on the net
here is a good start
http://hbd.org/brewery/library/beeslees.html
Relax, don't worry, have some mead
jasper
Rotten DM
Originally posted by abri
Oh and be cautious, it will make you drunk considerably faster than wine. (The amount of sugar, even when it's taste is hidden , will deshydrate you, diminishing your tolerance to alcohol. On top of that some mead are 30 or more proof) [/QUOTE]
30 PROOF never mine than equals 15%
Mead change range from 4 to 17% depending on which yeast you use.
DON"T USE BREAD YEAST! it always tastes like bread
For those in the USA by federal (CHECK YOUR LOCAL) law. Those 18 and over can brew 100 gallons of beer/wine a year. In house of 2 or more adults the limit is 200 gallons. the 100 gallons will convert into 250 cases of 12 oz bottles.
If you can brew tea you can make mead.
basic repice can be found out by you because some of you are too young to drink.
Oh and be cautious, it will make you drunk considerably faster than wine. (The amount of sugar, even when it's taste is hidden , will deshydrate you, diminishing your tolerance to alcohol. On top of that some mead are 30 or more proof) [/QUOTE]
30 PROOF never mine than equals 15%
Mead change range from 4 to 17% depending on which yeast you use.
DON"T USE BREAD YEAST! it always tastes like bread
For those in the USA by federal (CHECK YOUR LOCAL) law. Those 18 and over can brew 100 gallons of beer/wine a year. In house of 2 or more adults the limit is 200 gallons. the 100 gallons will convert into 250 cases of 12 oz bottles.
If you can brew tea you can make mead.
basic repice can be found out by you because some of you are too young to drink.
MythandLore
First Post
So 200 gallons will convert into 500 cases of 12 oz bottles?jasper said:
I'm having bizzare images running thru my head right now of vat after vat of boos being made in my living room.
I gotto stop reading this thread before you guys give me to many crasy ideas and I have to chage my name to MythandAlcoholic.
jasper said:
You can come awlful close to 20% though. Use a fast champagne yeast and carefully "feed" the mead with more honey while it is fermenting. Keep adding honey in small ammounts while it is fermenting until the yeast can't handle anymore.
It produces a sweet "heroic mead" that can come close to 20%. I know someone who cultured a "frankenstien yeast" that was great for making high proof meads.
Pielorinho
Iron Fist of Pelor
My only brewing experience was making a metheglin (sp? a spiced mead) back in '95. We had an experienced brewer helping us, and we made it with ginger, cloves, allspice, and orange peel, I believe.
After three months, we tried it, mixed with good unfiltered apple juice. I poured a big glass of it and sipped it, talking with my friends; it was pretty tasty.
At some point I got up to go to the bathroom. And sat down very rapidly. The mead tasted like cider, mostly, but went to my head as if I'd just drunk a big tumbler of strong wine.
Two years later we drank the rest of the mead. It was absolutely exquisite, some of the best alcohol I've ever had. We drank it for New Year's in 1997, chilled, and it was far better than champagne.
I'd love to start brewing again, but the process intimidates me someting awful. If only I still knew a local, experienced brewer who could walk me through the process....
Daniel
After three months, we tried it, mixed with good unfiltered apple juice. I poured a big glass of it and sipped it, talking with my friends; it was pretty tasty.
At some point I got up to go to the bathroom. And sat down very rapidly. The mead tasted like cider, mostly, but went to my head as if I'd just drunk a big tumbler of strong wine.
Two years later we drank the rest of the mead. It was absolutely exquisite, some of the best alcohol I've ever had. We drank it for New Year's in 1997, chilled, and it was far better than champagne.
I'd love to start brewing again, but the process intimidates me someting awful. If only I still knew a local, experienced brewer who could walk me through the process....
Daniel
Well, I have several Friends who make mead themselves and let me tell ya, When you add apples or cherries to the brwing process it rocks. Cherry mead is the best in the world! I would drink homemade meads over any other alcohol if I could. The problem is it takes nearly a year or more for 1 single batch to mature.
RPJ
RPJ
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