Mead { oh ya 10characters}

thank, and damn that is funny!

I've only made one batch of mead while at the brewery, but it was delicious. It takes about a year to year and half to condition properly, but worth the wait if you are interested.

As far as the soda's go...The extracts are very easy to use. Just add honey and sugar to your boiling water and you pretty much have it. I've made the cream soda and rootbeer before. They are very "old fashioned" styles, but good. The only concern to keep in mind about these is that the soda can STAIN YOUR STAINLESS STEEL. We had a keg that we used for rootbeer at the Rattlesnake. Once it got mixed up with our other kegs and was filled with a wheat beer.

If you've never had rootbeer flavored wheat beer....don't. It's not good. No matter how much we cleaned that keg with PBW or caustic, the smell of rootbeer was in it forever. So if you have a keg for sodas, you might want to make it a dedicated soda keg and never put beer in it.

I will let you know how it tastes in 5 months!

dennis sorry about not checking that ...i am old..but the only thing i can get is the surups which need carbonating..i think kegging and co2 would be best with that...dont know if adding yeast to natural ferment would be good as Randi's rec..Jeff

dkwandt wrote:

not sure what mead brewing is? sorry but my boys are asking to make cream soda, did you have time to look into it?

I'd been looking into doing a soda as well. Thought it might be fun. I came across this very basic recipe for old fashioned cream soda.

Cream Soda
Makes a whole lot (about 130 oz. or so)
Ingredients

• 4 qts. Water
  
• ¼ cup Raisins
  
• 1 - 6 inch Vanilla Bean
  
• 3 inch Cinnamon Bark (Cinnamon Stick)
  
• 1¾ cup Brown Sugar, gently packed
  
• ¼ tsp. Cream of Tartar
  
• 1/8 tsp. Ale Yeast grains
  
• ¼ cup Lukewarm Water for the yeast

Simmer 2 quarts of water, the cinnamon bark, the vanilla bean, the raisins, and the sugar for about twenty minutes.

Take it off the heat, and add the cream of tartar. This would also be a good time to add any syrups, oils, or essences you'd like (mint, wintergreen, strawberry, whatever).

Cover it, and let it cool for about half and hour. Strain the mix into a large glass jug (or a carboy), and add the remaining 2 quarts of cool water. Hydrate the yeast with the lukewarm water, then add it to the jug.

Bottle the soda, then store in a dark, temperature stable place, like the basement. Check it's carbonation after two days, and don't let it work for more than three. Refrigerate once it's good and fizzy.

When serving, put a dollop of fresh table cream at the bottom of a glass, then pour in the soda.

I think Mike Thomas and Mike Wilson do meads. In fact, Mike T. has one in the carboy as we speak. Not sure who else, though.

not sure what mead brewing is? sorry but my boys are asking to make cream soda, did you have time to look into it?

Are there any Mead brewers? i know its not beer but if i make Bragott its close....i would like a good recipe if anybody has done one ...maybe semi-dry...??? Jeff