From raven!mead`at`netcom.com Fri Dec 30 21:35:04 1994 X-VM-v5-Data: ([t nil nil nil nil nil nil nil nil] ["6555" "" "30" "December" "1994" "18:05:13" "MST" "mead-lovers-request`at`eklektix.com" "mead-lovers-request`at`eklektix.com" nil "169" "Mead Lover's Digest #377, 30 December 1994" "^From:" nil nil "12" nil nil nil nil] nil) Received: from uucp12.netcom.com by goodman.itn.med.umich.edu with SMTP id AA17221 (5.65b/IDA-1.4.3 for spencer`at`hendrix.itn.med.umich.edu); Fri, 30 Dec 94 21:35:00 -0500 Received: from raven.UUCP by netcomsv.netcom.com with UUCP (8.6.4/SMI-4.1) id SAA03372; Fri, 30 Dec 1994 18:16:50 -0800 Received: by raven.eklektix.com (smail2.5) id AA04250; 30 Dec 94 18:05:13 MST (Fri) Errors-To: mead-lovers-errors`at`eklektix.com Reply-To: mead-lovers`at`eklektix.com Message-Id: <9412301805.AA04250`at`raven.eklektix.com> From: mead-lovers-request`at`eklektix.com To: mead-lovers`at`eklektix.com Subject: Mead Lover's Digest #377, 30 December 1994 Date: 30 Dec 94 18:05:13 MST (Fri) Mead Lover's Digest #377 30 December 1994 Forum for Discussion of Mead Making and Consuming Dick Dunn, Digest Janitor Contents: Refrigerator smell ("Lee Bussy") mead yeasts ("Daniel F McConnell") MLD 376 (Bob McDonald) unsubcribe (Rebecca L Anderson Bishop) Article for Mead Lover's Digest ("ED: SRAM TEST, MRO1-3/C4, 297-5441") NOTE: Digest only appears when there is enough material to send one. Send ONLY articles for the digest to mead-lovers`at`eklektix.com. Use mead-lovers-request`at`eklektix.com for [un]subscribe/admin requests. When subscribing, please include name and email address in body of message. sierra.stanford.edu has a Digest FTP archive in pub/mead. If you don't have ftp, it also accepts "listserv" email requests--send message "help" to listserv`at`sierra.stanford.edu. ------------------------------ Subject: Refrigerator smell From: "Lee Bussy" Date: Mon, 26 Dec 1994 11:38:18 +0000 Dieter Dworkin Muller writes: > The problem I'm noticing is that, since the thing is sitting at 60 to > 65 degrees, it's not cold enough to suppress that smell that always > shows up in turned-off refrigerators that have been left closed. Try a box of baking soda... it works for me. I regularky use mine of fermenting aled at those temps and the 'ol baking soda trick seems to work. I really must recommend however that you give it a good cleaning... the smell is most likely from mold and I wouldn't want to put my mead in there no matter how well it was sealed. -Lee Bussy | The Homebrew Television Workshop Presents: | leeb`at`southwind.net | The 4 Basic Foodgroups... Salt, Fat, Beer & Women | Wichita, Kansas | A Special Documentary on Proper Diet. This Week | Super Brewer! | On your local PBS Station. Check local listings. | ------------------------------ Subject: mead yeasts From: "Daniel F McConnell" Date: 26 Dec 1994 17:27:37 -0500 Subject: mead yeasts From: mercese`at`anubis.network.com (Steve E. Mercer) >Can anybody fill in or verify >The information below? >Product Name Yeast Strain > ---------------------------- >Yeastlab-Dry Champaigne(?) >Yeastlab-Sweet Steinberg Riesling >Wyeast-Dry Prisse de Mousse(?) >Wyeast-Sweet (?) Very close! I recently spoke to the folks at Wyeast to verify the ID's for an article that Ken Schramm and I are working on. DanMcC Product Name Yeast Strain ---------------------------- Yeastlab-Dry Champagne Yeastlab-Sweet Steinberg Riesling Wyeast-Dry Prisse de Mousse Wyeast-Sweet Rudescheimer ------------------------------ Subject: MLD 376 From: Bob McDonald Date: Tue, 27 Dec 94 09:01:57 EST In MLD 376... Dieter Dworkin Muller asks about the problem of refrigerator smell in his chest type freezer. Try taking the entire top off of a box of baking soda and setting the box in the freezer. This works for almost any odor problem in a refrigerator or freezer. Also, Steve Mercer has asked about residual sweetness in his meads. I have had good results in increasing the 15 lbs/5 gal to a level of 20 lbs/ 5 gal or more. (depends on how sweet you want it) Cheers, Bob ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Can anyone believe anything the Bosnian Serbs say anymore? --------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert E. McDonald, Jr. (rmcdonald`at`ansremote.com) Sr. Telecom Programmer/Analyst Tel: (616) 376-6081 First of America Services - Technology K-A12-3F One First of America Parkway Kalamazoo, MI 49009-8002 Trustee of The ENCORE Dance Company - Decatur, MI. ------------------------------ Subject: unsubcribe From: Rebecca L Anderson Bishop Date: Tue, 27 Dec 1994 09:26:16 -0500 (EST) unsubscribe abishop`at`twain.oit.umass.edu ------------------------------ Subject: Article for Mead Lover's Digest From: "ED: SRAM TEST, MRO1-3/C4, 297-5441" <"bt619::iaciofano"`at`milkwy.enet.dec.com> Date: Tue, 27 Dec 94 08:01:24 PST O.K. O.K. it's time I broke my silence. I've been read-only for over a few months now and I have some questions/comments that I'd like some feedback on. First, my latest batch of mead consists of ten gallons divided equally into two 5 gal. carboys, starting gravity 1.100. The only difference between the two is one has the "white crystal" nutrient the other has yeast hulls, about 5 to 7 teaspoons each (notes are at home). Both were sulphited with the typical one tablet per gallon, I waited the usual "over 24 hrs." to add the yeast (Cote Des Blank). Nothing. Waited a few days, added another package. Nothing. Yeast was re-hydrated in 100 deg F water for ten min. Finally on the third try about a week later the carboy with the "white crystals" finally took off, slowly. I had to make a starter from a gal of the other carboy, once that got going I added it back to the carboy and now both are bubbling along. Also, the carboy with the yeast hulls is noticeably more vigorous than the other one ever was. One final note, through all of this the carboys were in my basement which is at 58 deg. Someone recently mentioned something about cold shock. Did I kill the yeast by adding it to 58 deg must? I figured there would just be a longer lag time and I'd be O.K. if I just left it alone. I have another question. I've only been able to get my hands on two meads made commercially, Odin's and Merrydown. Both of them were aged in oak and this is quite noticeable in both the color and flavor. My question is: Are meads "supposed" to be aged in oak? Think of it like this: a certain type or style of wine or beer is usually made a certain way, such as target original/final gravities, type of grape/malt/yeast used, aging or not aging in oak barrels, to produce desired characteristics. Is oak aging "supposed" to be part of the mead making process? I haven't come across any discussion of aging mead in oak, maybe I've missed it. Private e-mail responses are acceptable but maybe it's a better idea to post to the digest so all of us can learn. Thanks. Regards, Ed_I iaciofano`at`milkwy.enet.dec.com ------------------------------ End of Mead Lover's Digest #377