barshack gingermead

[sandy115]

doing the above mead recipe calls for amongst other things
1 1/2 tsp gypsum
1 tsp citric acid

is this to condition the water or part of the flavours
full bhoona
7lbs honey
11/2 lbs corn sugar
1-6 oz ginger
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1/4tsp irish moss
assorted fruit
varios spices optional
2 pks champange yeasr
5 gallon water and the above two other ingredients
og1.055-1.060
fg.992-996
regards sandy

[Benson_JV]

The gypsum is used to harden the water.
Citric acid im presuming is to add acidity.

Hope this helps

[Laripu]

Besnon_JV is right.

That looks like a Papazian recipe. I made a variant of that years ago, 1994. It ages very well. It was the first brew of mine my wife ever tasted (we had just met). She had all of hers and most of mine too. I never let her forget it!

[sandy115]

it is a papazian recipe but i was wondering if it was nessary to use all the ingrediants as i stay in a soft water region in scotland, and could you confirm it is one and a half teaspoons of gypsum not too clear in my copy regards sandy

[Laripu]

it is a papazian recipe but i was wondering if it was nessary to use all the ingrediants as i stay in a soft water region in scotland, and could you confirm it is one and a half teaspoons of gypsum not too clear in my copy regards sandy

Confirmed. One and a half teaspoons of gypsum.

A cautionary note: Papazian is writing for an American audience, so he means 5 US gallons, which is 19 litres. If you're making 5 Imperial gallons (=6 US gallons = 23 litres approx), scale everything up by multiplying by 1.2 . Except, of course for the yeast.

Speaking of yeast, I would make a 1 litre yeast starter the day before. It should be actively fermenting when you pitch it. You can use one pack of yeast if you do that. Remember to leave room for that litre!

The version I made used galangal and ginger. I've become convinced that ginger is superior to galangal in this drink. My recomendation is 2 ounces of grated ginger in the boil (and carry this over into the primary). Then in the secondary, another 2 ounces of grated ginger that has been boiled for 2 to 3 minutes, and include the water. Carbonate at around 2 volumes of CO2, which is light by US standards, but fizzy by UK standards.

I would also use 6 teaspoons of yeast nutrient for 23 litres, and even a half teaspoon of Marmite. (Which is an excellent yeast nutrient in small quantities like this.)

This metheglin ages very well. ENJOY!

[sandy115]

Carbonate at around 2 volumes of CO2, which is light by US standards, but fizzy by UK standards.

i intended to bottle this brew using 1/2 tsp of corn sugar per bottle, would this do or have you kegged this mead before regards sandt

[Laripu]

i intended to bottle this brew using 1/2 tsp of corn sugar per bottle, would this do or have you kegged this mead before regards sandt

A much better way to carbonate is to do batch-priming instead of bottle priming:

Here's how. Boil 0.75 cup of corn sugar in half a litre of water for 5 minutes in a covered pot. Store this in the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes to cool, while sanitizing your bottling bucket. Siphon your beverage of choice into the bottling bucket, and then sanitize a long plastic spoon. Put that spoon in the bucket. When the corn sugar solution has cooled, stir it gently into the bottling bucket with the beverage. Mix well, but don't splash, so you don't oxidize the goodies.

That way, you can't mistakenly put two tsp in one bottle and none in another. Also you avoid introducing bacteria via unboiled corn sugar into something that can age very nicely.

Also, with batch priming, you can use on-line calculators to determine how much sugar (or other fermentables) to use for carbonation. Here's an example of such a calculator. Another can be found in this on-line recipe calculator. (Again, careful, as their default is US gallons. However you can select any units for your own convenience, as your personal default. I often chose litres, since they're universal.)

To answer your question, I haven't kegged in over 11 years, approx. I'm happy bottling and carbonating naturally.

[sandy115]

thanks mate for that great tip about batch priming as a newbie to the hobby all tips are greatfully recd, now how do i do a yeast starter and any sugar in it ,is it deductable from the original quantity stated for the recipe regards sandy

[Laripu]

thanks mate for that great tip about batch priming as a newbie to the hobby all tips are greatfully recd, now how do i do a yeast starter and any sugar in it ,is it deductable from the original quantity stated for the recipe regards sandy

The main thing to remember in a yeast starter is to sanitize everything that comes in contact with wort or yeast, either by boiling or with a sanitizing solution which is then rinsed. Everything should remain covered at all times, except when necessary for short intervals.

Yeast starter recipe:
Boil 1 litre of water, then remove from heat.

For beer starters add:

• 3 or 4 grams of hop pellets
• 125 grams of dry malt extract (or 160 grams of liquid malt extract - but I prefer dry as it's easier to handle)
• a tiny pinch of yeast nutrient

Or, for mead starters, add:

• 160 grams of honey
• a tiny pinch of yeast nutrient.

Bring either mixture to a gentle boil for 15 minutes, pot covered with a properly fitting lid. (Careful of boil-over. As they say here in the US south: mama will be unhappy; and when mama's unhappy - nobody's happy.) I then set the pot into a sink containing cold water; which I change as the water warms, cooling the pot. This sink water itself is not permitted to go further than halfway up the pot so none gets into the pot by accident. After 2 or 3 of changes of water over 15 minutes, the pot goes into the freezer for 30 minutes. Bring it out of the freeze and pour it through a sanitized funnel into a sanitized 2 litre jug (then affix a sanitized screw top to keep it clean). Shake vigourously to allow the wort to oxygenate. Allow it to rest at room temperature while rehydrating the yeast.

Dry yeast case:
If I'm using dry yeast, I rehydrate it: a cup half-filled with water, covered with a ceramic lid is placed in the microwave on high for 2 minutes. Then this cup is allowed to cool in the freezer until the water is between 85°F and 95°F (29°C and 35°C). To this water, the pack of yeast is added, without stirring, and the lid replaced. It is left to stand, covered, for 10 minutes, then stirred with a sanitized spoon until dissolved, then recovered. The cooled starter wort should be near room temperature; pour the yeast immediately into the jug of starter wort (a sanitized funnel helps). Affix an airlock and keep the jug away from children, pets, SWMBO etc.

Liquid yeast case:
If you have liquid yeast, there is, of course, no rehydrating involved. If it was in the refrigerator, allow it to slowly come to room temperature. When the cooled starter wort has been in the 2-litre jug for 15 minutes, i.e. is around room temperature, pour in the yeast. Affix an airlock and keep the jug away from children, pets, SWMBO etc.

After one day, the starter should show a healthy yeast crop on top. There will be little if any bubbling in the airlock since there is so much head-space in the jug. This starter is now ready to be pitched into the main batch of beer/mead.

Cider starters are made with a litre of apple juice and a pinch of nutrient; nothing to boil. But you still have to rehydrate the dry yeast if that's what you're using.