Neighbor making mead
#1
Posted 01 January 2013 - 09:07 AM
#2
Posted 01 January 2013 - 01:51 PM
#3
Posted 01 January 2013 - 01:58 PM
#4
Posted 01 January 2013 - 03:51 PM
Edited by armagh, 01 January 2013 - 03:51 PM.
#5
Posted 01 January 2013 - 05:33 PM
What does he do differently that has them drinkable in such a short time?The answer as usual, is "it depends". It can be made quickly. There's a guy that Guest knows in Denver that wins big time awards and his meads only take several months. I've tried them and they're outstanding. Some types really require years of aging to come around. A lot of melomels that are left a little sweet can be ready much quicker, especially if you use fruit juice or concentrate instead of whole fruit.
#6
Posted 01 January 2013 - 11:33 PM
Yeah, what he said!What does he do differently that has them drinkable in such a short time?
#7
Posted 02 January 2013 - 08:23 AM
Maybe Guest knows.What does he do differently that has them drinkable in such a short time?
#8
Posted 02 January 2013 - 01:21 PM
#9
Posted 02 January 2013 - 01:50 PM
Keep us updated on this experiment. Curious as to how it turns out.Im not speaking from any experience but I have heard of a few ways this is done. One way is to cold crash at 11-13% abv. and then stabilize. This way it finishes right where you want it to and without creating the alcohol bomb that letting the yeast go to completion can. Another way I have heard about that some meaderies are using is to crash at desired gravity/alcohol and then filter the yeast out. This is a process beyond most of our means I suspect, but it would work.With the handful of meads I have made I have yet to have a yeast finish at or below its printed alcohol tolerance. Mine always finish 1-3% higher, and I think that is the norm with SNA and a healthy fermentation. It makes it hard to get the fermentation to finish right where you want it to. In my limited experience I have noticed that many of the harshest flavors (and perhaps the ones that take the longest to age out) are produced during the end of fermentation as the yeast is inching its way toward it's tolerance. I recently made 1 gallon test batch of a cyser that I crashed and stabilized @ 1.018. I'll start sampling it at about a month to see if it becomes drinkable any faster. I am guessing the answer will be yes.
#10
Posted 02 January 2013 - 11:48 PM
Makes sense, I always get the harsh alcohol taste in Mead and Cider. Do tell about your test gallon, sounds like that's the way to go.Im not speaking from any experience but I have heard of a few ways this is done. One way is to cold crash at 11-13% abv. and then stabilize. This way it finishes right where you want it to and without creating the alcohol bomb that letting the yeast go to completion can. Another way I have heard about that some meaderies are using is to crash at desired gravity/alcohol and then filter the yeast out. This is a process beyond most of our means I suspect, but it would work.With the handful of meads I have made I have yet to have a yeast finish at or below its printed alcohol tolerance. Mine always finish 1-3% higher, and I think that is the norm with SNA and a healthy fermentation. It makes it hard to get the fermentation to finish right where you want it to. In my limited experience I have noticed that many of the harshest flavors (and perhaps the ones that take the longest to age out) are produced during the end of fermentation as the yeast is inching its way toward it's tolerance. I recently made 1 gallon test batch of a cyser that I crashed and stabilized @ 1.018. I'll start sampling it at about a month to see if it becomes drinkable any faster. I am guessing the answer will be yes.
#11
Posted 03 January 2013 - 01:01 PM
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