At our December meeting, people brought a number of vintages of Anchor
Christmas. Your 1998 would be about as good as its going to get right
now, though you could continue to hold it until a special occasion at
Christmas 2003 without much deterioration. (i.e. You don't have to drink
it this week, or even this month. But definitely this year.)
The bigger bottle helps - less exposure to oxygen per unit volume of
beer.
Roger Deschner rogerd(a)uic.edu
On Mon, 13 Jan 2003, Roger Falk wrote:
>Kevin, there are differing opinions on this subject. I personally don't like
>to age beers (other than lambics, and a select few beers) longer than 3 or 4
>years. This is mainly due to the oxidation that occurs in the beer (a very
>nasty taste on my palate). The main difference that you will notice in the
>particular beer you have if you continue to age it, will be a decreasing hop
>character and the spruce will fall more to the background. I would drink the
>beer you have right now. Should you decide to continue aging it, that would
>be fine, because the alcohol content in Anchor Christmas allows it to be aged
>for a long time. Hope that helps!
>
>Roger J. Falk
>
> I am really impressed by the Iron River Red mead which is very
> simiar to
> a dark red wine except without tannins. My wife enjoys it and is
> strongly alergic to red wine. It is a dry-tart mixture. I don't
> remember what type of berry they use.
The Black uses Black Currant. I think that is the one you are talking
about. I'm sure it either says on their website (whitewinterwinery.com)
or Jon would probably answer an email.
David Berg
Head Brewer, Bandana Brewery
President, Minnesota Craft Brewer's Guild
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I used Pastuer for my last two batches. I previously thought the last
batch was done but now it sparkles (strongly). It fermented for close
to a year before bottling and it ended up a little high 1.020.
Latest batch of "blood mead" was produced trying to copy the elderberry
character and color of the Ren Fest. It is dry!
I am really impressed by the Iron River Red mead which is very simiar to
a dark red wine except without tannins. My wife enjoys it and is
strongly alergic to red wine. It is a dry-tart mixture. I don't
remember what type of berry they use.
Rick
>>> <allan.boyce(a)usbank.com> 01/13/03 01:33PM >>>
I used Flor Dry Sherry yeast last year in the meads I made, and it left
quite a bit of residual sugar - 1030's FG. I had another mead that
ended
too dry, and I added another pound of honey a couple weeks prior to
bottling, then sulfited to kill the yeast at the same time. It's still,
but it's very nice.
- Al
----- Forwarded by Allan V Boyce/MN/USB on 01/13/2003 01:32 PM -----
"Michael
Valentiner" To: mba(a)thebarn.com
<mpv(a)yuck.net> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: Mead gravity
question
mba-bounce@theba
rn.com
01/13/2003 01:08
PM
Hmmm, that leads right in to the other question I was pondering: how do
you keep a sweet mead from becoming a dry mead? Is it simply the lack
of
ability of some yeasts to tolerate higher percentage alcohol? Or does
the
one need to add something (e.g., sulfates) to knock the yeast down?
At 12:41 PM -0600 1/13/03, Rick Oftel wrote:
>I bet I know someone who is willing to find out? Wouldn't the mead
>become puckeringly dry?
>
>Rick
>
>>>> Michael Valentiner <mpv(a)yuck.net> 01/13/03 12:27PM >>>
>
>The BJCP style guidelines indicate the starting gravity for mead to be
>in the range 1.070-1.120+. Is there any reason the gravity has to be
so
>high? What would be the downside to a 1.050-1.060 SG?
>--
>--
>Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
>mpv(a)yuck.net
--
--
Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
mpv(a)yuck.net
----- Forwarded by Allan V Boyce/MN/USB on 01/13/2003 01:41 PM -----
popice(a)juno.com
To: allan.boyce(a)usbank.com
01/13/2003 01:33 cc:
PM Subject: Re: Mead gravity question
That is pretty much what Gary Sinnen was saying on Saturday as I was asking
him about his delicious meads. He uses the 3 lbs/gallon ratio and says
basically that the yeast die when it hits a certain alcoholic % (maybe like
14%?) and can not finish converting some of the honey. And that is how he
wants it. He doesn't take gravity readings but I'd be curious to know what
his FG is. 1.015?
In my limited mead-making experience I found that my 12lbs honey for a 5
gallon batch fermented out pretty completely and did not leave it as
residually sweet as I might have liked. It finished at pretty much 1.00.
Next time: 3lbs/gallon. :)
Don
---------- allan.boyce(a)usbank.com writes:
From: allan.boyce(a)usbank.com
To: mba(a)thebarn.com
Subject: Re: Mead gravity question
Date: Mon, 13 Jan 2003 13:17:04 -0600
Rick-
You're probably right, unless you sulfited to stop the yeast at the point
where you liked it. Left to it's own devices, the yeast is going to suck
every drop of sugar out of the mead. The high grav meads usually kill the
yeast with alcohol, leaving a little residual sweetness (depending on the
yeast - champagne yeast will suck just about ANYTHING dry!)
- Al
"Rick Oftel"
<Rick.Oftel@toro To: mba(a)thebarn.com
.com> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: Mead gravity
question
mba-bounce@theba
rn.com
01/13/2003 12:41
PM
I bet I know someone who is willing to find out? Wouldn't the mead
become puckeringly dry?
Rick
>>> Michael Valentiner <mpv(a)yuck.net> 01/13/03 12:27PM >>>
The BJCP style guidelines indicate the starting gravity for mead to be
in the range 1.070-1.120+. Is there any reason the gravity has to be so
high? What would be the downside to a 1.050-1.060 SG?
--
--
Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
mpv(a)yuck.net
________________________________________________________________
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I used Flor Dry Sherry yeast last year in the meads I made, and it left
quite a bit of residual sugar - 1030's FG. I had another mead that ended
too dry, and I added another pound of honey a couple weeks prior to
bottling, then sulfited to kill the yeast at the same time. It's still,
but it's very nice.
- Al
----- Forwarded by Allan V Boyce/MN/USB on 01/13/2003 01:32 PM -----
"Michael
Valentiner" To: mba(a)thebarn.com
<mpv(a)yuck.net> cc:
Sent by: Subject: Re: Mead gravity question
mba-bounce@theba
rn.com
01/13/2003 01:08
PM
Hmmm, that leads right in to the other question I was pondering: how do
you keep a sweet mead from becoming a dry mead? Is it simply the lack of
ability of some yeasts to tolerate higher percentage alcohol? Or does the
one need to add something (e.g., sulfates) to knock the yeast down?
At 12:41 PM -0600 1/13/03, Rick Oftel wrote:
>I bet I know someone who is willing to find out? Wouldn't the mead
>become puckeringly dry?
>
>Rick
>
>>>> Michael Valentiner <mpv(a)yuck.net> 01/13/03 12:27PM >>>
>
>The BJCP style guidelines indicate the starting gravity for mead to be
>in the range 1.070-1.120+. Is there any reason the gravity has to be so
>high? What would be the downside to a 1.050-1.060 SG?
>--
>--
>Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
>mpv(a)yuck.net
--
--
Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
mpv(a)yuck.net
Meads don't buildup a large krausen like beers do so if you see bubble
in the airlock that's about all there will be. A 1 gallon batch is not
going to generate as much CO2 as a larger batch so the bubbles won't be
as often.
Steve Fletty writes:
>
> I've just started making meads and have a yeast question.
>
> I rehydrated and pitched a packet of Red Star Cotes de Blanc in a one gallon batch about 3 days ago and it doesn't seem to be doing much. There are bubbles going through the air lock, but very slowly. In comparison, a 1 gallon batch I made last month with Lavlin D-47 took off quickly and is still bubbling pretty good.
>
> Is Cotes de Blanc slow and less active?
>
> --
> Steve
>
>
>
--
Steve Piatz piatz(a)cray.com
Cray Inc. 651-605-9049
1340 Mendota Heights Road
Mendota Heights, MN 55120
I bet I know someone who is willing to find out? Wouldn't the mead
become puckeringly dry?
Rick
>>> Michael Valentiner <mpv(a)yuck.net> 01/13/03 12:27PM >>>
The BJCP style guidelines indicate the starting gravity for mead to be
in the range 1.070-1.120+. Is there any reason the gravity has to be so
high? What would be the downside to a 1.050-1.060 SG?
--
--
Michael Valentiner, Minneapolis, Minnesota
mpv(a)yuck.net
I've just started making meads and have a yeast question.
I rehydrated and pitched a packet of Red Star Cotes de Blanc in a one gallon batch about 3 days ago and it doesn't seem to be doing much. There are bubbles going through the air lock, but very slowly. In comparison, a 1 gallon batch I made last month with Lavlin D-47 took off quickly and is still bubbling pretty good.
Is Cotes de Blanc slow and less active?
--
Steve
