"You're sitting in a tavern, having a drink . . . " in the real world

[jasper]

Mead can vary in taste as much as wine. There are sweet meads & dry, light meads & dark. It is the oldest ermented beverage (predating beer). It died out towards the end of the Middle Ages because it became cheaper to make beer. Beer also ferments much faster. Mead takes a long time to mature because the antibacterial qualities of honey inhibit the yeast somewhat.

gee that contridicts the mead reciepe one of friends is translating from the middle ages. I think she said 3 days total. Mead takes 14 days to years depending on what else was placed in the honey and water mixture. And the yeasts. Mead can be anywhere between 3% to 16% aka up to 32 proof. Then you can start adding on distilling methods.

 

[Enkhidu]

I'm going OT for a moment, but your first post reminded me of something. When I went to the Ohio Renaissance Festival a couple of weeks ago, there was no mead to be found at any of the booths. I've never had mead, but I understood it was a staple of these events. Just beer and, for some reason, Arbor Mist wine. Oooh, I was furious! The turkey leg I had barely softened my rage. Mead, mead, I want mead, damn it!

Tewligan, if you're near Cinti, go check out Jungle Jim's. If anywhere in the tri-state has mead, it'll be there.

 

[kengar]

gee that contridicts the mead reciepe one of friends is translating from the middle ages. I think she said 3 days total. Mead takes 14 days to years depending on what else was placed in the honey and water mixture. And the yeasts. Mead can be anywhere between 3% to 16% aka up to 32 proof. Then you can start adding on distilling methods.

I probably should clarify my previous statement. A lot of fermentation time has to do with the variety of yeast. Other factors have to do with available nutrients in the brew, the specific gravity, etc. The sugars in the honey can be -at least partially- converted to alcohol in a relatively short time (a few days or so), but most mead enthusiasts wouldn't drink it until it had fermented for far longer (weeks or more). After that, the longer it conditions in a sealed bottle, (typically) the better.

The same is true for beer. The barley can be as fermented as much as it's going to get within a few days (4-5% abv). The beer itself is drinkable at that point, but it will taste a lot better if you let it go for a few extra days, then keg it and let it sit for a week or so.

I have a braggot (beer-mead hybrid) that has been fermenting in my basement for nearly a year. It's been moved to a new fermenter a couple of times to get rid of some sediment, but it's still ticking away. Once I get my CO2 tank refilled, I'm going to keg it and let it condition for a month or so before even trying it.

FWIW, japser, most "authentic" medieval mead recipes are pretty awful, IMHO. YMMV though.

 

[Tewligan]

Tewligan, if you're near Cinti, go check out Jungle Jim's. If anywhere in the tri-state has mead, it'll be there.

Yeah, that's what I was thinking. If it's edible, chances are good that Jungle Jim's has it. I haven't been there for a while, but I may just make a special trip this weekend on my quest for mead. It's like a food amusement park!

 

[cptg1481]

Mead

At age 37, I had my first helping of mead this Saturday at the Maryland Ren Fair, have to say though I liked it heartily, it was not exactly what I expected.

It was a sweet, clear, golden colored wine with a smooth finish. Very minimal alcohol in the after taste.

I guess I always just assumed that it was sort of cloudy, like a wheat beer and all frothy at the top? I guess I've seen too many Viking movies, you know the ones where they drink huge horns of mead from specially decorated horns. You know its always frothy at the top as they slosh it all over the maidens and stuff.

Is there a variety that is not like wine? A link to where I could buy it would be swell if anyone has it.


Captain G.

 

[Pielorinho]

The only brewing I've ever done is a batch of metheglin, a spiced mead with ginger, cloves, lemons, and cinnamon. After two years aging, its was absolutely sublime.

The mead I've had that's sold commercially (usually at Ethiopian restaurants, but occasionally at a friend's house) is pretty hideous, and mkaes Gallo Fruit Coolers look like a subtly-flavored dry beverage.

Daniel

 

[d12]

IF it involves JF falling off stage, or otherwise embarrassing herself, or at least something equally funny, I'd be interested!

Actually she was invited to take the microphone to sing one number (this was a piano bar). She was really good. Really really good. She'd obvioulsy had voice training at some point in her life. It was more a surreal experience than a funny one.

 

[Old One]

Different Stuff...

I guess I always just assumed that it was sort of cloudy, like a wheat beer and all frothy at the top? I guess I've seen too many Viking movies, you know the ones where they drink huge horns of mead from specially decorated horns. You know its always frothy at the top as they slosh it all over the maidens and stuff.

Captain G.

You are thinking of Heffe or Krystal (sp?) Weitzen that often gets passed off as mead in Hollywood !

~ Old One