Contraptions that Make Homebrewing Easier, Faster, Geekier, or More Fun
Further Watching:
Aging on Oak
Transcript
It is nearly the longest day of the year. We had one wedding rehearsal, one wedding brunch, two weddings on two different boats in one weekend, as well as sponsoring the Vermont Renaissance Fair. So, we're shooting now.
Welcome to Ask the Meadmaker, where I, Ricky the Meadmaker, answer your questions about mead making, mead drinking, mead brewing, and really any question you're willing to send to me.
I feel like this episode is one of those where you know my commitment to you, my viewers. I am being eaten alive by bugs being drawn to the studio lights. I have not slept sufficiently, and you know who really hasn't slept sufficiently this weekend? Nora.
Anyway, our first question comes from something-or-other Bullish. One of those handles that isn't really a name. And he wants to know how he can flavor his mead to be earthy, smoky, and oaked. The answer is, oak can do all of those things. Being an expert in barrels, toasting of chips, cubes versus spirals is its own rabbit hole, and I have recently gone down it and I urge you to do the same.
Our next question comes from Bretton, which isn't really a question but more of a follow up to a question, which I apparently answered, and he thanked me for, but I can't remember what question it was. Anyway, he was using a Kveik yeast. He was wondering why it wasn't tasting as rich and complex as he wanted. And I pointed out, apparently, something to the effect of I think it's supposed to be really hot. He bumped up the temperature and it's working great. So, if you had those problems also, I guess my answer was correct, which is a comfort to know.
MTG the Viking wrote to me in January and asked for some advice because he really wanted to make a mead for his wife's birthday, which is in March. It is June of this year. So, I'm sorry, buddy. I guess you hadn't seen enough of these episodes to know what my turnaround time is. But anyway, he wanted to make a thin mint cookie mead. And his biggest concern was not the mint, but the cookie part. I guess mint and chocolate is easy, but how do you make a mead tastes like a cookie? And the way I'm answering this question is just hoping that you're like, “Well, I can't wait for that guy anymore. I'm going to make it myself.” I really hope you, MTG the Viking, nailed it and can tell us all how to put cookie flavor into mead because that's something I personally want.
The nice thing, I've got to say, is at least my blood poisons mosquitoes.
Anyway, our last two questions this week come from Jim Plant who has been very patient. First question, he wants to know if adding fruit to things, meads especially, shortens their shelf life. The answer is yes and no. So, certain fruits add tannins to wines, meads etc., which can lengthen the aging process and also stabilize, also extend, the shelf life. Other fruits and things that are right on the edge where people would call them fruits, (but then you'd be at a dinner party with like that's not a fruit, that's a vegetable) they degrade with time. So, they might extend the mead, but the flavor will disappear. That is actually what some people experience with things like cinnamon and other powdered barks.
His second question, which is off of the first one is: “When properly corked,” and I'm going to also say capped or kegged, “Can a mead really last decades?” And the answer is, what do you mean by last?
Well, that's our last question this week. Keep sending them I'll get to them earlier in the day. I'll talk to you soon. Cheers.
