FOOLCiRCLE

Notes & Comments:
Side Bar: This mead was brewed using only the purest, most simplistic and freshest ingredients available. Mead is basically fermented honey- water. Mead can be sub-divided into several different sub-categories based on sweetness, carbonation, strength, honey variety and most noticably special ingredients. Think about drinking a moment of history as you enjoy this mead, possibly the first fermented beverage.

Mead is definetly a new one for me. There is a lot of different information available, but I suppose the best source on line is probably 'Got Mead?' I've read that it should age between 4 months and 4 years, so there really is no idea when this will be "ready" let alone served, but I thought I'd give it a shot anyway. Mead itself is broken down ito three main categories; dry, sem-sweet and sweet. This all has to do with the amout of residual sugar left that the yeast did not ferment (your FG). All three of these styles fall into three sub-categories also; hydromel, standard and sack. This has to do with the amount of sugar the yeast had available to begin with (your OG). And yet again there is one more sub-category which all mead fall into; still, petillant (lightly carbonated) and sparkling. This has to do with the amount of carbonation that the mead will be served with. All of this is described in much more detail in the BJCP Introduction to Mead Guidlines.

Anyway, I know my mead will be a standard based on my OG of 1.081. As of yet, I have absolutely no clue what my FG will be. I'm assuming it'll fall in the dry or semi-sweet area and I'm guessing I will lightly carbonate some and serve some still.

Briefly, mead has many different names depending on what "extra" ingredients are added to it, here is a "short" break-down: a Melomel is a fruit mead, a Cyser is a apple Melomel, a Pyment is a Grape Melomel, a Omphacomel is a Pyment using only unripe grapes, a Morat is a mulberry Melomel, a Metheglin is a herbed or spiced mead, a Hippocras is herbed or spiced Pyment, an Oxymel is a wine vinegar mead, a Rhodomel is a mead with roses, a Capsicumel is a chili pepper mead, a Braggot is a blend of beer and mead, and a T'ej is honey, water and hops. It is the national drink of Ethiopia, and has a unique taste. Dogfish Head actually currently has just brewed a T'ej and also has available their Midas Touch Golden Elixer which has won awards for being both a mead/braggot/and beer.

(DEFINETLY more infor. to come.)