Time For Another Homebrewing Revolution! (Strong: stores, move, health)

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Zymer

No, malting develops the enzymes that are necessary for the conversion. The enzymes are activated and do the conversion in the mashing process.

It does develop the enzymes but it also can and does convert the startches into sugars in the grain itself. That is how malt houses create specialty grains.They allow the conversion to take place in the grain itself then through heating convert the grain into a variety of malts depending on how long the grain is held at certain tempuratures. Chew on some carapils, chocolate, or carmel malt and you'll see it is already sweet as the startches have already been converted by the malt house.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by Maineah

It does develop the enzymes but it also can and does convert the startches into sugars in the grain itself. That is how malt houses create specialty grains.They allow the conversion to take place in the grain itself then through heating convert the grain into a variety of malts depending on how long the grain is held at certain tempuratures. Chew on some carapils, chocolate, or carmel malt and you'll see it is already sweet as the startches have already been converted by the malt house.

OK, I guess I learned something new.

[Submariner]

Has anyone had luck with mead?

Is there a 'fast' method?

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

Has anyone had luck with mead?

Is there a 'fast' method?

Yes, I make mead.

Typically, they are not "fast". Primary fermentation may conclude in 4-10 days, after which it is racked off the lees to a secondary vessel, where fermentation continues at a slower rate, this may be several months. After fermentation is complete*** (calculated from your starting gravity, type of yeast, and final gravity) many people rack to a third vessel for "bulk aging", or add chemicals to inhibit further fermentation and bottle.

Mead may require 1-3 years of aging before it is suitable for drinking (sometimes more).

***You have to be careful here, because sometimes you can get a "stuck" fermentation in which the yeast go dormant, but are "roused" by shaking and/or racking to bottles. If your objective is a "still" mead (no carbonation, traditional) and you bottle in wine bottles that are not designed for pressure, and the fermentation re-starts you may get "bottle-bombs", or corks that eject from the bottle which then exposes the mead to oxygen and ruins it (cardboard taste).

Bulk aging may help to alleviate the problem- even though no further fermentation is expected, the carboy is fitted with an airlock.

Many people still use chemicals to ensure that fermentation has stopped and won't restart, some to prevent accidents and others to stop the fermentation before it is truly "complete", in order to retain a particular level of residual sweetness.

I do not use chemicals in my meads, and I bottle in champagne bottles (plastic corks, wired) because I usually make "sparkling" meads which are carbonated. At bottling time I add a measured amount of additional honey and further fermentation occurs in the bottle, giving it a natural carbonation.

My typical carbonated mead runs about 18 months from brewing to drinkable.

A braggot (malt and honey) or a cyser (cider and honey) may be drinkable sooner. (Weeks/months as opposed to years.)

(Some of this depends on the amount of honey you start with- A "high-gravity" mead that uses a lot of honey may require more aging, just as barley-wines do.)

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by Zymer

Yes, I make mead.

Typically, they are not "fast". ...

I have made mead too, which is why I was asking if you knew of any faster methods.

I did not know if there is a method to convert the honey to simple sugars.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by forest beekeeper

I have made mead too, which is why I was asking if you knew of any faster methods.

I did not know if there is a method to convert the honey to simple sugars.

They are already fairly simple, and nearly 100% fermentable. Higher temperatures could induce faster fermentation but could leave undesireable flavors. The honey flavor is fairly delicate and easily overpowered (unless you are using something strong like buckwheat honey).

It isn't so much the time it takes to ferment, more the time it takes for it to mellow and taste good. Mine tastes like rocket fuel until about the eighth month in the bottle. Somewhere between month 8 and month 10 it magically starts to change, and by month 12 it has become delicious.

The braggot or cyser should be drinkable much sooner.

If you make a very light/weak mead it should also be ready sooner. I have some books, somewhere, that you might find interesting...but with the packing and moving I'm not quite sure where that somewhere is.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Zymer

They are already fairly simple, and nearly 100% fermentable. Higher temperatures could induce faster fermentation but could leave undesireable flavors. The honey flavor is fairly delicate and easily overpowered (unless you are using something strong like buckwheat honey).

It isn't so much the time it takes to ferment, more the time it takes for it to mellow and taste good. Mine tastes like rocket fuel until about the eighth month in the bottle. Somewhere between month 8 and month 10 it magically starts to change, and by month 12 it has become delicious.

The braggot or cyser should be drinkable much sooner.

If you make a very light/weak mead it should also be ready sooner. I have some books, somewhere, that you might find interesting...but with the packing and moving I'm not quite sure where that somewhere is.

Zymer is right made can be tricky. I never tried making it but if I had a bunch of honey like forest has I would. Fermentation temps should be around 55 degrees from what I'm told and you should use a champagne yeast. A guy that worked for me at Gritty's won the state competition with a raspberry meade he made. It was done in 5 months so ageing can be subjective. There's a whole different world beyond homebrewing!

[Maineah]

I've brewed a zillion gallons of beer but very little wine. Has anyone got any experience with home winemaking? We made some not so fancy stuff from wild grapes back when I was in high school. It never made it into bottles as we just drank it out of the crock. We were young barbarians back then!

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I've brewed a zillion gallons of beer but very little wine. Has anyone got any experience with home winemaking? We made some not so fancy stuff from wild grapes back when I was in high school. It never made it into bottles as we just drank it out of the crock. We were young barbarians back then!

I make wine "coolers". Having had the flavored malt beverages that are frequently called "wine coolers", I decided to experiment with wine to make a similar drink, but one that was, in fact, wine.

I use a commercial grape juice intended for winemaking, add some fresh fruit (crushed) and ferment it in the normal manner. At bottling time I add either sugar or honey at the same ratio one would use for beer and bottle in standard beer bottles and set them aside to carbonate. They taste great, even young. My wife (and everyone else who's tried them) loves them. They never last long so I don't know if they would improve with age.

[Maineah]

Originally Posted by Zymer

I make wine "coolers". Having had the flavored malt beverages that are frequently called "wine coolers", I decided to experiment with wine to make a similar drink, but one that was, in fact, wine.

I use a commercial grape juice intended for winemaking, add some fresh fruit (crushed) and ferment it in the normal manner. At bottling time I add either sugar or honey at the same ratio one would use for beer and bottle in standard beer bottles and set them aside to carbonate. They taste great, even young. My wife (and everyone else who's tried them) loves them. They never last long so I don't know if they would improve with age.

Zymer, that's the coolest thing! I have never heard of anyone doing that. Write a book! You really SHOULD start that home brewing store you have some unique ideas!