Clarification of advice/ideas/suggestions/techniques

[fatbloke]

that does seem like a lot of nutrient John


maybe add it in stages?

too much nutrient can be as bad as not enough (sorry....more confusion)

Ah, well this time, it's gone in in one!

The "sugar break" thing that Danina queried, is about knowing the start gravity, and 1.000, then dividing into thirds - sometimes half, when it gets to which ever point, something is done.

In this case, re-oxygenating the must, though some say a shake is ok, others do this with a pump (or I was thinking about taking some of the must and "banging" it with the liquidiser, as Ken suggests in his book) and even fewer still, bubble pure O2 through it (and not I'm not going down the nearest BOC reseller I might if I had a TIG welder though ).

I understand that this is to prevent any potential "stuckies", when making musts that are high.

Now I know that it won't ferment down to 1000 or lower, but the potential drop of 140 or so would mean that a 1/3 sugar break is about 1090 (ish), hence I though about giving some must a whizz at that point, as I'd also have to top the DJ up to the bottom of the collar as it should have stopped foaming then (it's not foamed too badly anyway).

Okay,

basic question for you, JtFB.....

What is it EXACTLY that you want to accomplish with your mead? Quality? Quantity? Experimental value? Quick Drink? Alcohol-high?

Ah, now that's a leading question I don't know, I'm really only trying to refine my basic knowledge of what I should be doing to make basic sweet mead - so that the only thing I need to do, to get a different flavour is change the honey to something different.

For instance, I know now, that 4lb of honey to the gallon is too much in one "hit", that maybe 3.5lb or maybe even less might be closer to the ideal. Like for instance, the next batch it'll be 3lb to the gallon then check the gravity (I might, thinking about it now, check the gravity after adding 2lb and see what I get numbers-wise. See I am trying to be more organised in how I approach this ).

I haven't got anywhere near enough of an idea of what I'm doing to think about making something with any specific aim yet. That might come later, I haven't really made up my mind yet.

regards

JtFB

[medpretzel]

John John John John John...

For instance, I know now, that 4lb of honey to the gallon is too much in one "hit", that maybe 3.5lb or maybe even less might be closer to the ideal.

Nope. You didn't read the instructions to the letter.

Use your hydrometer at every stage. Add honey in 1/4 pound increments til your hydrometer reads 1.080.....

[lockwood1956]

John

I think that you need to work out what it is you want before you start.......

you say you dont know enough about what you are doing to make those kind of decisions.....

I feel a tutorial coming on about this very subject...you need to decide what you wish to make and then set out to achieve it....


I want you to have a think about what it is you want in terms of sweetness/body/mouthfeel/alc level

and we will construct (between us) a wine/mead that fits your profile


you up for it?

[lockwood1956]

But i had a thought here.........



you can't get commercial meads...

I have a Lindisfarne mead (that I like) can you get it there?


can you get to Yorkshire so you Karl (and the rest of the gang) and I can Drink it and compare notes

[fatbloke]

John

I think that you need to work out what it is you want before you start.......

you say you dont know enough about what you are doing to make those kind of decisions.....

I feel a tutorial coming on about this very subject...you need to decide what you wish to make and then set out to achieve it....


I want you to have a think about what it is you want in terms of sweetness/body/mouthfeel/alc level

and we will construct (between us) a wine/mead that fits your profile


you up for it?

I like the principal of the idea......

Now, thinking about it, the way you've laid out possible pointers for a profile, I'm thinking it's something like sweet (maybe medium, but that'd depend on which honey is used), body/mouthfeel ? - something akin to a sherry/port, so it can be drunk "straight" during inclement weather, but with some ice on warmer days. As for alc levels, I don't really think it's necessary for "rocket fuel", so somewhere between 14 to 16% should be more than adequate (probably more easily attainable as well ???).

Dunno if that's enough to start thinking about a start for an idea for a better tutorial that then one I posted originally (which I'm thinking needs to be binned anyway as it's the original recipe that I've had successes with, as well as the recent, erm, "issues" with).......

But i had a thought here.........



you can't get commercial meads...

I have a Lindisfarne mead (that I like) can you get it there?


can you get to Yorkshire so you Karl (and the rest of the gang) and I can Drink it and compare notes

Probably not, I don't do any distance work these days - and trying to convince "herindoors" that a trip would be a good idea would be nye on impossible (unless she decides that she wants to go to Lancaster and I could find an excuse to cross "them thar hills" ).

One of the things on the "todo" list is to see if I can spend a few £££'s this weekend on a visit to Middle Farm, they have limited commercial meads - but it'd depend on price of course. A bottle or two (presuming they have more than one type) would give me more of an idea what I'm aiming for - other than the possibly impractical idea I have in my head of "what it should taste like".

I'm thinking it might be sensible to work out an action plan to follow for the next batch though i.e. maybe a tick/check list, so I don't have to keep running up and down stairs to see what I have to do next. Though Danina's suggestion of 1/4 pound increments is excellent, probably for easier to monitor the numbers that way.

Right ho! time for a couple more games of backgammon and a large slice of thinking (and a pint of mackesons ).

regards

JtFB

[lockwood1956]

Right ho! time for a couple more games of backgammon and a large slice of thinking (and a pint of mackesons ).

regards

JtFB

now THAT sounds like a plan!

[fatbloke]

now THAT sounds like a plan!

It was a good plan after all.

My little trip to Middle Farm went well, because I came away with 4 pints of cider made by the bloke who sold me the 1/2 gallon DJ's and 4 different 1/2 bottles of mead (It was all just under £30 so it was probably better that I didn't buy whole bottles )

Anyway, the meads are Lindisfarne (I remembered you saying you have a bottle Bob), one from Lurgashall Winery (just outside Guildford), one from Lyme Bay winery and the last one is from Witham Friary.

The intention is to open all of them, test SG and pH, so as to act as a guide (I'll probably post a bit of a review on my blog). Then to taste them so I have half an idea of what I'm trying to aim for.

Colour-wise it's all a bit weird, because the Lindisfarne is very light, the Lurgashall is light to "middling", the Lyme Bay is middling toward dark sort of colour, whereas the Witham Friary one is very dark, almost the colour of the Heather honey I got.

They did have more (they seem to have expanded the available range of meads at MF), but I suspect Clare would do her nut if I'd got samples of all of them - though in truth, some of them only can in 750 ml bottles - and I was reticent about paying £12 to £16 for something that I was only really buying for a test/comparison.

Ha! I'll see if there's enough battery left in the camera to get a phot while it's still sunny.

Oh and the "Norman Hunt & Son" Seddlescombe cider is also a damned fine drop

regards

JtFB

Edit - you'll see that I've added the pic of them, and while it's not the best picture in the world it give you some idea of the colour differences. whether my descriptive abilities (or capabilities - depending on how much "tasting" I have to do ) will be up to much, is a little "watch this space".