Wine and Mead Making

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My teen daughter and I are considering making some wine or some mead. I looked at a recipe for mead which looked fairly simple actually, but it speaks of equipment I'm not familiar with. One of the items was a bottle with a fermentation lock. What's that? Is this an expensive piece or is there a way to make your own? Do you know any good sites to visit (with pictures)? What does mead taste like? Is it more like beer or wine?

Can anyone tell about their wine or mead making experiences? Any helpful hints?

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Answers

I hope someone knows the answers for you, Denise. I just want an invite to come and drink the mead with you . . . [hic] ;-)

Mead is more like a wine, IMO. It does have a definite honey taste but isn't SUPER sweet, again IMO. Just had some at the Renaissance Faire in Minnesota last week. They had it cold and hot -- I opted for hot, since it was rather cool out. The alcohol affects you faster too, so I limited myself to just the one.

Now, hard cider, IMO, is more like beer, except with the taste of apples instead of grains and hops. I'll stop now, or I'll be in the fridge getting one out. I have other stuff to do. Maybe later this evening . . . ;-D

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001


Denise--Don't know how to make wine or mead, but Joy is right, it is like wine, only with a definite kick to it. I'm not much of a drinker, but I like a small glass of wine now and then. I had mead in Ireland at the medivial banquet at Bunratty castle. 2 glasses. Boy, what a headache. Was good though and haven't had any since.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

Try this site for wine:

http://winemaking.jackkeller.net/index.asp

I think mead tastes pretty weird. Mr. S. (who is an ale brewer extraordinaire, btw) made a big batch last year our of our y2k honey supply (had 5 gallons to play with.) Supposedly you have to let it age a long time b4 it tastes good. Early sampling indicates that it is going to be strange. Yes, it does have a big alcohol kick to it...maybe better to use it as medicine anyway. Our dry wines have been good. A current batch of grape/rhubarb is fermenting. Not so sure about it, although it will probably be fine. Ah, but India Pale Ales, Scottish Ales, Porter, Stout, and other ales are easy enough to make and taste wonderful, I think.

Good luck to you.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001


Mead has for centuries been renowned as an 'aphrodisiac' and the word Honeymoon is derived from the ancient Norwegian custom of having newly-weds drink mead for a whole moon (month) in order to increase their fertility and therefore their chances of a happy and fulfilled marriage...

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

And here are some mead URL's:

http://www.honeywine.com/

http://www.bunrattywinery.iegateway.net/historymead.htm

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001



Pure mead tastes just like honey wine. It's kind of an acquired taste, It also has the alcohol content of wine - much stronger than beer. We have made Metheglyn, a modified mead, which IMO is much better. One of the nice things about making mead is that you can use bread yeast instead of wine yeast.

My favorite recipe: Take 3# honey made up to 1 gal with water (not chlorinated), heat to just below boiling, skimming and discarding froth, add a few cloves, cinnamon sticks and some allspice. Add the juice and zest of an orange, and a cup of strong tea (tannin!) and cook for 2 hours, NOT boiling. Cool to lukewarm and add 2 tsp yeast. Put on the airlock (a bubble device that keeps bacteria out) and ferment till bubbling stops. Rack (siphon off the clear liquid) into a clean bottle with airlock, bottle after about 6 more weeks.

Hints - (1) use good honey, not blends. Clover or orange blossom honey is good.(2) avoid mead hangovers, they are supposed to be worse than most (no personal experience here, of course). Enjoy.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001


A water lock is just an attachement that allows the co2 gases to release from the wort through a water trap that prevents contamination from the outside air during fermentation. I have found the E.C. Kraus Wine supply company that advertises in Countryside to be one of the best priced mail order supply companies of wine making supplies. Their tel and address are 1-816-254-7448 , 733 S. Northern Blvd, P.O.Box 7850, Independence, Missouri 64054 U.S.A.

-- Anonymous, September 24, 2001

I was going to chip in on David's comment about orange blossom honey - - it gives a background taste of oranges to the mead.

I personally favor pyment and melomels over mead -- honey and a variety of fruit juices are used to ferment, such as Apple & honey, Strawberry & honey, grape & honey, etc. I like a sweeter mead than dry ones myself.

I didn't know mead was an acquired taste...I don't like beer much, nor a lot of wines, but I took to mead, melomel, pyment, and hard cider like the proverbial duck to H20.

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001


I think we're going to sit down and figure out what we need in the way of supplies. I forgot about the supplier in CS. Thanks for reminding me! We've been on a roll with Norse mthology in our homeschool so the mead ties in and it will be a good science project. When we successfully complete a batch maybe I could send you some Joy! I feel a little nervous about making it. Sort of like when I made bread for the first time. It looks fairly simple though!

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

Oh! I forgot to mention that was very interesting about the word honeymoon. The kids will think that's really neat. Thanks!

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001


Better not send any in the mail, Denise! It's probably classified under Highly Inflammable! ;-)

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

Well, how then can I send it??? :)

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

Denise, if you'd like to taste some commercially-made mead before you make your own, Camelot Mead isn't too bad. It comes in a bottle like wine, they have it in the stores here in Indy so you should be able to find it in your area. Drink it well chilled, IMO it tastes nasty when served hot. It can't compare to homebrew but it's better than nothing.

My friend Oz makes mead and he can't cook worth a damn so it can't be too hard. He found a website that has step-by-step directions, I get him to send me the URL. His next batch will be ready for Samhain, I can't wait! :)

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001


I think it WAS Metheglyn that they were serving at the Renaissance Festival -- I thought it was the same thing as mead. Whatever it was, it was good. Even HOT, Sherri! :-P

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

You mean all the years that I struggled with infertility problems, that all I needed was some homemade Irish hooch?!

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001


I totally LOVED mead, could that be the true alcoholic in me??? ;>) Warm mead could get me high even faster (IMHO) than warm sake. So now you know LOL

-- Anonymous, September 25, 2001

I believe that metheglyn is made with mint...I didn't like that.

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001

Julie, I think you're right, and now I am totally confused!

Vickie, I think that was only if the "problem" were tension, nerves, that kind of thing. The effect is "relaxing" to say the least . . . . :-D

-- Anonymous, September 26, 2001


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