Issue link: http://winesandvines.uberflip.com/i/107279
WineEast SOME COMMON BLENDS OF HONEY WINE Traditional: Fermented honey Cyser: Fermented honey and apple cider Pyment: Fermented honey and grapes (also known as Clarre) Metheglin: Fermented honey with herbs and spices Melomel: Fermented honey and fruit juice Winemaking Mead makers should know that Title 27 CFR 24.203 from the Alcohol, Tax and Trade Bureau requires that a minimum of 13° Brix in the "honey must" come from honey. Also, hops may be used but not in excess of 1 pound per 1,000 gallons. Sugar may only be added after fermentation is completed. The wine cannot exceed 14% alcohol by volume or a total solids content exceeding 35° Brix upon completion of fermentation. Raw materials—water Added water is a major ingredient in mead, generally making up more than 65% of the final volume. In my experience, any clean, good-tasting water will work. If there is chlorine in the water, you will need to remove it before mixing with honey. Activated carbon filters work well for this. Raw materials—fruit, herbs and spices The same quality considerations apply here as with any wine ingredient. If you choose to make mead using ingredients other than straight honey and water, the options and combinations available are nearly limitless. Fresh or frozen fruit work well. You can infuse fruit, co-ferment with the mead or make a fruit wine to be blended after fermentation. Fruit concentrates can give excellent results and offer great versatility. They can be added to a single base honey wine after fermentation or toward the very end to create several different products. There are too many herbs and spices to give special consideration to all possibilities here. Some may need to be ground into a tea or infused during or after fermentation. Others may require heat to extract the desired flavors and aromas. Small-batch experimentation is the key to determining how to proceed. Production techniques The productions of mead and grape wine have many similarities, but differences also exist. While most grape juices provide yeast a healthy, balanced and nutritious environment, diluted honey does not. In addition, honey has high bacterial loads, stubborn haze-forming proteins and low buffering capacity. To achieve OAK ALTERNATIVES - BECOPAD Eastern Distributor for Beco Filter Sheets, Siha Yeast, EvOAK Oak Alternatives, Parker-dh Membranes, Chillers, N2 Generators, Zander Air Products R CENTRIFUGES 74 W in es & V i ne s F E B R UARY 20 13 - DECAN T E S TERILE FILTRATION - WATER FILTRATIO N - SIHA YEAST -