Archie Zietman Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Hello. Last week my parents gave me the OK to start brewing mead. I may be 6 years too young to legally drink it, but my parents have let me have my share of manischewitz, and grappa over the years, and are fine with it, so long as I don't sell it or give it away to minors or drink it on non-special occasions. So far it tastes great, it's an improvised apple-cinnamon recipe. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Hi, 4 years too young to drink here, Did you look up on the net how to make mead? (Parents let me drink a little too.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 2, 2005 Author Share Posted October 2, 2005 gotmead.com but once I got the gist I improvised, and went on instinct. It's coming out great. My science teacher from last year commisioned a knife and a small bottle from me. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strine Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 They expect you to vote on a who will run this country at the same time they allow you to hit the heavy stuff. The latter is not compulsory but it helps in executing the former!...18 is the votin' 'n' drinkin' age here. Oh to be 18 again I've never tried mead I wonder if it would help my tin-whistle playing as much as the Guiness does :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oakwoodforge Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Mead, Helping white people dance, sing and multiply since 1500 B.C. Be warry the Mead hangover: along the lines of a 50 lb Little Giant going full bore inside yer Head :mrgreen: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HWooldridge Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 I tried some honey mead but it just wasn't quite right on my taste buds. Much prefer dark bock beer for social occasions and Bushmills Irish Whiskey for serious work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted October 2, 2005 Share Posted October 2, 2005 Mmmmmm... Mead. :drool: Had some fantastic blackberry mead once. Sits right up there with oatmeal porters for me. Love it. I've been thinking of getting into home brewing myself. A buddy consistently turns out some awesome nut brown ales. Every couple of months he shows up to work and hands me a clinking backpack and just winks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 gotmead.com but once I got the gist I improvised, and went on instinct. It's coming out great. My science teacher from last year commisioned a knife and a small bottle from me. How long does the kind you're making take before it is ready? Looked at the site, all I saw take a few months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 3, 2005 Author Share Posted October 3, 2005 mine has been going for a week'n a half. I just racked it, to clear a 1/2 inch thick layer of sediment on the bottom, and watered it down slightly, to keep the carboy full. There's barely any fermentation going on right now, but the balloon/airlock is still upright and inflated, and I'm gonna wait for it to deflate before bottling. Should be in about a week or two, bread yeast being as strong as it is. mmmmm... And Strine, I'm not a drunk, I was sober when I voted and went Kerry thank you very much!!! 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bwilloughby Posted October 3, 2005 Share Posted October 3, 2005 Honey Mead is Incredible!!!! That and Hard Cider!! I never got into the taste for beer. I had this brand and it was like smoooooooth honey candy http://homepage.eircom.net/~bunrattywinery/Edit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Wait you were sober when 'voting', but your 'parents' gave you the ok. Oh, never mind, I'll just get more confused. Tell me how it turns out. I think I might try and make some soon. What'd you make yours out of that you had to rack it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 4, 2005 Author Share Posted October 4, 2005 nonononono! It was a not very well executed joke, saying that only silly drunks are pro-Bush. I didn't actually vote, I was saying that I am just not very enamoured with Bushie baby and his administration, and was more for Kerry during the elections. never mind, forget it. :oops: Mead was 1 gallon of apple juice, and 3 pounds of honey simmered for 20 minutes, with cinnamon and cloves and nutmeg. Then I let it cool down till it was tepid (less than warm) and then mixed 1/2 of a cup of water with a 3 pack of fleischmann's rapid rise bread yeast, and pitched it in. do it in the sink, as soon as the yeast hits the must(applejuice/honey etc) it foams up like anything and then you cap the bottle with a balloon with two pinpricks in it. works great as an airlock. happy brewing! Don't get confused! Hard cider is great, especially the stuff you get in north france. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elkdoc Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Archie, sounds like you are a true craftsman... 8) Let us know how it turns out! Actually, how about using your new blacksmithing skills to fashion some hardware for your brewing hobby? Bottle racks, bottle openers, etc. Maybe even a large-scale rack to hold your fermentation bottles/buckets. How cool would that be? :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 4, 2005 Share Posted October 4, 2005 Archie, sounds like you are a true craftsman... 8) Let us know how it turns out! Actually, how about using your new blacksmithing skills to fashion some hardware for your brewing hobby? Bottle racks, bottle openers, etc. Maybe even a large-scale rack to hold your fermentation bottles/buckets. How cool would that be? You'll have a synergy of your energies... :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 just bottled it. I filtered it through coffee-filter-paper, and then into bottles. I corked them and then dipped the tops up to an inch down their necks in melted wax, just to be sure it was airtight. Then I opened the first bottle, and it is GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD!!!!! yum! yum! now to make a few iron racks to hold it. I'll be giving most of it away though, a gallon goes a LONG way. so long that I din't have enough bottles for the last third of the gallon. I got 6 though. I'm gonna save one for a special occasion with lots of people. One goes to my cousins and aunt and uncle in engyland, because I'm missing my cousin's bar-mitzvah one to my mad italian neighbor who makes his own wine beer and whisky by the barrel-load and one for a friend whom I'll be staying with in chicago in a few weeks. still leaves me 2 bottles for the here and now! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 9, 2005 Author Share Posted October 9, 2005 oh BTW it's a semi-dry apple-mead with about 18% alchohol content. like hard cider squared! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 How do you know the alcohol content? Did you use the calc, or is there a method I don't know of? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 10, 2005 Author Share Posted October 10, 2005 bread yeast stops fermenting and dies at around 18%, and my yeast stopped fermeng which means the yeast are dead which means the alchohol content is about 18% I may be wrong though. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 10, 2005 Share Posted October 10, 2005 I made some today, just traditional honey with a tad bit of orange juice. I think I got over zealous with the yeast, as there is a bunch sitting at the bottom. grrr.... Anyway, I'll let it sit for a few weeks and see what happens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 bread yeast stops fermenting and dies at around 18%, and my yeast stopped fermeng which means the yeast are dead which means the alchohol content is about 18% I may be wrong though. Actually if I remember correct brewing yeast will die for several reasons. One is that there is not enough food (sugar) so it may not be 18%. If you add a wee bit of sugar water it might re-ferment. YMMV Ralph 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 11, 2005 Author Share Posted October 11, 2005 mouko yamamoto, I had about 1/2 and inch of sediment in the bottom of my carboy during the first week, then I racked it, and another 3/4 settled on the bottom. it tastes fine, just let the sediment settle until the mead is clear before siphoning it off into bottles, and if you want to be extra careful, do it through coffee filter paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 11, 2005 Share Posted October 11, 2005 Yeah, I was gonna let it ferment all the way, (I have nothing but honey, water, and yeast), then I was gonna run it through filter paper into the bottles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mouko_yamamoto Posted October 18, 2005 Share Posted October 18, 2005 I was kinda worried because my mead didn't do anything for almost a week. It just sat there, making me angry, but I figured I'd give it time. Sunday I checked it, and there was a mess load of bubbles at the top. I shook it, and it bubbled like when you lightly shake a bottle of soda. I figure I'll give it a few more days, rack it for secondary fermentation, then bottle a few days later. I'm so happy right now, kinda like when you ace a test you thought you had failed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archie Zietman Posted October 19, 2005 Author Share Posted October 19, 2005 you put yeast in it right? you need to let it stand until less than room temperature, minimum 3 hours before putting the yeast in, otherwise the yeast will die, and barely any will stay alive. Pitch more yeast in, it should froth up right away, and give off only clean bubbles, and flush away the brown yucky ones. It takes everal weeks to finish fermenting, mine took 3. Have patience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dan@modernblacksmith Posted October 19, 2005 Share Posted October 19, 2005 gone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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