Mead update, and round 2 (batches 4 - 6).

I brought a sample of the cinnamon mead to my local brew and wine store.  It is Brew-n-Wine of Mankato, MN.  Don Kaiser has been helpful during my last couple of visits.  So, they (Don Kaiser and Gordon Stevens) tried the mead and pronounced it to be (likely) non-fatal and non-blinding.  It was, indeed, mead.  However, it was too acid and too sour.  The good news was that it didn't taste as if it had any contaminants or bacteria.

The sourness reminded Don a bit of bread and we wondered whether the thing to blame was the simple recipe that I had used for batches 1 - 3 and the bread yeast for which it called.  Perhaps if I used a yeast that was meant more for wine, the batches would taste better.  So, we found a champagne yeast that is often used in mead-making.

I decided to keep things simpler this time.  I would make one batch of dry mead (meaning that it starts with less honey, possibly even only enough for the yeast to use to create the needed alcohol).  Another batch would be full or sweeter mead (there would be honey in excess of what the yeast needed to reach the % alcohol that would kill themselves).  The third batch, just for fun, would be an apple wine.  It was little more than apple juice (preservative free), some sugar, and then the yeast.

In summary, the main difference would be that I was using a more select yeast and that I would be adding tannin (instead of using raisins to provide this as in batches 1 - 3).  Before adding the yeast, each batch would be pre-treated with campden tablets.  Briefly put, this would kill off any yeast, bacteria, or other organisms already present in the batch.  After the campden tablet did its duty, I could safely add my champagne yeast with the knowledge that it would be the only living thing in the batch and would be allowed to work its magic unfettered by contaminants.

The fact that I would be using part of the laundry room cupboards to brew more wonderful alcoholic creations brought tears--I assume of joy--to Kim's eyes.

Three new batches of mead (well, one is apple wine).