. . . and alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverages other than beer and spirits. Post discussion on recipes, methods, equipment and the like about these drinks here.
by drtom » Monday Sep 11, 2006 9:46 am
Hi All
The recent mentions of mead got me curious. I did some reading, and have put on a small test batch (2L only!). Here's what I used:
500g "rainforest" honey
2 chamomile tea bags
1 regular tea bag (bushells IIRC)
1/2 tsp yeast nutrient
1 sachet coopers ale yeast
Boiled all ingredients except the yeast and yeast nutrient for 10 mins, skimming frequently.
Poured into carboy (Actually a 2L sherry bottle - don't drink the stuff - just use it for cooking). Added nutrient. Fitted airlock and allowed to cool.
Once cool, pitched yeast.
Will let you know how it goes.
T.
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by Chris » Monday Sep 11, 2006 1:22 pm
Straight honey mead- the hardest one to get right. Good luck.
If you go ahead with a bigger batch, many of the problems that you encounter with a smaller batch won't be nearly as pronounced.
Also, consider using the Wyeast mead yeast.
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by drtom » Monday Sep 11, 2006 9:39 pm
FWIW, it has been brewing for less than 12 hours, and already the airlock is bubbling about every second or so. And here I was worried that the wort (I'm sure that's not what you call it for mead, but I'm not sure what the right term is) was too high gravity for a generic cooper's ale yeast (OG ~100, EST FG ~0).
T.
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by gregb » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 5:15 am
If it is the Coopers Ale yeast from a white tin, I'd not be surprised if it fermented away merrilly. That stuff is like superboy on red cordial.
Cheers,
Greg
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by damonpeyo » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 10:29 am
I have heard some people put... *cough*
pot *cough* while it's fermating away.
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by rwh » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 10:34 am
drtom wrote:...the wort (I'm sure that's not what you call it for mead, but I'm not sure what the right term is)
It's "must" I think. Same as wine.
w00t!
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by drtom » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 11:55 am
ah, yes. thank you!
T.
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by Chris » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 12:05 pm
Yeah, must is right.
As for your yeast, if your fermentation sticks and you can't get it going again, finish it off with a champagne yeast.
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by drtom » Tuesday Sep 12, 2006 12:32 pm
Yeah, I've used champagne yeast before - for an insane belgian that I did. Actually, I think the brew was just cold in that case. I've got a heater now, so I should be able to tell.
T.
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