Make it sparkle!

jjbuck · Post by **jjbuck** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:21 pm

All you guys with mead expertise; My cranberry mead is at 1.003 but still very slowly bubbling. I tasted the test sample and tastes great, dry and tart. I want this to be sparkling. My last batch of peach mead finished at 0.095 and didn't carbonate in the bottle. Tasted great (the added corn sugar slightly sweetened the mead) but no sparkle. Should I crash it and then add yeast at bottling?Opinions welcomed.

Post by **JimPotts** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:50 pm

I think it's a lost cause, so you should probably just let me take it off your hands, so you're not too disapointed....

On Apr 10, 2011 3:21 PM, "jjbuck" <brew-tech@crbeernuts.org (brew-tech@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

All you guys with mead expertise; My cranberry mead is at 1.003 but still very slowly bubbling. I tasted the test sample and tastes great, dry and tart. I want this to be sparkling. My last batch of peach mead finished at 0.095 and didn't carbonate in the bottle. Tasted great (the added corn sugar slightly sweetened the mead) but no sparkle. Should I crash it and then add yeast at bottling?Opinions welcomed.

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jjbuck · Post by **jjbuck** » Sun Apr 10, 2011 3:56 pm

JimPotts wrote:I think it's a lost cause, so you should probably just let me take it off your hands, so you're not too disapointed....

On Apr 10, 2011 3:21 PM, "jjbuck" <brew-tech@crbeernuts.org (brew-tech@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:
All you guys with mead expertise; My cranberry mead is at 1.003 but still very slowly bubbling. I tasted the test sample and tastes great, dry and tart. I want this to be sparkling. My last batch of peach mead finished at 0.095 and didn't carbonate in the bottle. Tasted great (the added corn sugar slightly sweetened the mead) but no sparkle. Should I crash it and then add yeast at bottling?Opinions welcomed.

Come over and taste it and see what you think. Help me bottle it and take a sample home.

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Derek · Post by **Derek** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 10:30 am

Is force carbonating an option for you John?

That's what Gordon Strong does for his sparkling meads.

jjbuck · Post by **jjbuck** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:13 pm

Derek wrote:Is force carbonating an option for you John?

That's what Gordon Strong does for his sparkling meads.

I have considered kegging then carbonating and rebottling. Can this be done with a beer gun? I've heard that force carbonated "wines" have a different character, bigger bubbles or some such. But some bubbles is better than no bubbles.

brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 5:35 pm

Big T needs to comment on this thread.

Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:35 pm

I hear ya Tim.. I need to spend less time digging trenches and retaining walls.. that a Hint if anyone knows a reasonable landscaper, its going to take me all year to do this back yard.

Anyways, I just got back from a 3 day mead competition and after tasting many commercial and home brewed meads the one thing that really stood out to me this year is the sparkling meads which has inspired me to play around with some Hydromel sparkling meads... so this is a timely subject.

In regards in what to expect for the bubbles, mead is a lot like cyser in that regards, a sparkling standard strength mead will have large bubbles, a head that will very quickly dissipate if any head at all, and should see a fairly steady stream of large bubbles rising form the bottom of the glass. It does add a nice mouth feel, especially in the lighter, fruity Melomels, but I’m still not quite sold on the sparkling traditional meads as I like to get more of the nuisances you miss out on with a sparkling sack or traditional mead as the sparkling champagne like carbonation can create a bite that tends to give the impressions of a much dryer mead and mask the delicate honey character. But found sparkling hydromel melomels to be great especially if it’s a real big fruit bomb.

John, I don’t see why you couldn’t use a beer gun, its just like a beer and you just have to compensate for any loss of carbonation and reduce air time so you don’t oxidize your mead, although if it’s a big old mead a little sherry, papery flavors can add a nice complexity.

Although I like to use the DME tablets when I carbonate my meads, although if you used a stabilizer in your mead to stop fermentation then that mostly likely will not be an option.

From: jjbuck [mailto:brew-tech@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 6:13 PM
To: brew-tech@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Re: Make it sparkle!

Derek wrote:
Is force carbonating an option for you John?

That's what Gordon Strong does for his sparkling meads.

I have considered kegging then carbonating and rebottling. Can this be done with a beer gun? I've heard that force carbonated "wines" have a different character, bigger bubbles or some such. But some bubbles is better than no bubbles.

Brother John Brewing
The Monk at the Marion Monastary

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Mr T · Post by **Mr T** » Tue Apr 12, 2011 7:55 pm

John, went back and read the thread from the beginning.. where I should have.

That sounds like a perfect candidate for a sparkling melomel.. I wouldn’t crash it at all. Considering the alc isn’t above the threshold of the yeast I would either bottle it as is or I would be a rebel and if you use DME tablets add a tablet to each bottle to beef up the carb. You could use two, but I’ not sure all the details to say it won’t turn into a bottle bomb but it takes quite a bit for it to become sparkling.

From: jjbuck [mailto:brew-tech@crbeernuts.org]
Sent: Tuesday, April 12, 2011 6:13 PM
To: brew-tech@crbeernuts.org
Subject: Re: Make it sparkle!

Derek wrote:
Is force carbonating an option for you John?

That's what Gordon Strong does for his sparkling meads.

I have considered kegging then carbonating and rebottling. Can this be done with a beer gun? I've heard that force carbonated "wines" have a different character, bigger bubbles or some such. But some bubbles is better than no bubbles.

Brother John Brewing
The Monk at the Marion Monastary

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

RickYoung001 · Post by **RickYoung001** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 10:44 am

Hint: When transferring from a carbonated keg to bottles using a beer gun, you need to be aware of temps. More CO2 will remain suspended in your beer-cider-mead at lower temps during the transfer. When temps rise, the CO2 is lost at a greater rate during transfer… example a cold beer poured into a warm glass versus a frosted glass. So cool your beer-cider-mead as cold as possible without freezing, cool your bottles in the refrigerator in addition to your beer gun, then do your transfer.

brownbeard · Post by **brownbeard** » Mon Apr 18, 2011 11:05 am

RickYoung001 wrote:Hint: When transferring from a carbonated keg to bottles using a beer gun, you need to be aware of temps. More CO2 will remain suspended in your beer-cider-mead at lower temps during the transfer. When temps rise, the CO2 is lost at a greater rate during transfer… example a cold beer poured into a warm glass versus a frosted glass. So cool your beer-cider-mead as cold as possible without freezing, cool your bottles in the refrigerator in addition to your beer gun, then do your transfer.

I keep my growlers or bottles in the freezer for a bit before I fill them. It makes a big difference. If I think about it ahead of time, I will freeze the beer gun too.