Craft Forum / Winemaking / Brewing / Meadmaking / August 2006

Okay, the propaganda from the NYS apple growers association proclaims
2006 as a "vintage year" already. If this is true, what are your
particular recipes for the best quality hard cider or cyser? I would
like to brew something memorable this year.

Hello all, forgive me if I have missed a post. I did search archives
but save for a post in '04 I am not finding much in the way of honey
in the Dallas area.
Any pointers ?

A couple of years ago I created a Raspberry Melomel.  It tasted OK at first,
but as I tried it over the course of months and months the taste seemed to
be getting better.  I keep it bottled in a box in a closet where it stays
cool and dark.  Today I went and pulled a few bottles ...

I am about to start a Rhodomel.  My questions are:
1. I have Clover, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower honey on-hand.
  Which would you recommend?
2. My Mead production has finally exceeded my consumption so I

I got into a confusing conversation today on a bus today.  My
understanding (which I just verified) is that Fermax contains
di-ammonium phosphate or DAP.  Another Mead guy told me that
he uses DAP because he wants the nitrogen that Fermax lacks.  

7 pm     6-18-06
   9# honey
   3/4 tsp. energizer
   1 1/4 tsp nutrient

I have a five gallon batch of Wildflower Mead in my fermentation
fridge at 62F (~17C).  The OG was 1.102.  The SG is now 1.054.
My starter was two packets of EC-1118 and 2-1/2 tsp of Fermax.
It's been in the fridge for five weeks.  The SG was about 1.07

need a refresher.  I am making one of the Northern Brewer mead kits and it
says to add pectic enzyme to the secondary.  I can get to that point, but do
I dissolve the powder in water first or just mix it in to the mix.  As I
recall it  tends to glop together if not done right...

Now that I am brewing more than I can drink, I wnat to start
filtering.  The only filters of which I am aware are the Buon
Vino Mini-Jet and Super-Jet.  
Is anyone using them?  Are there others?  This fall I plan on

Is it possible to get a 50 proof mead? I thought that about 18
percent was the max that yeast could tollerate.  
  I made a small one gallon  batch just messing around several months
ago using some blackberrys that were growing in my back yard.  There