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EPIC FAIL MEAD... smells like smoked ham

Discussion in 'Mead Forum' started by BootsyFlanootsy, Dec 13, 2011.

 

  1. #1
    BootsyFlanootsy

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    That's right! I made a simple dry mead about 13 months ago, 1 gallon, 3.5#'s honey, spring water, staggered nutrient additions ala Ken Schramm... a dash of cinnamon, racked twice to get it off the lees.....

    and it smells like smoked ham.


    weirdest thing I've ever made. Shame too, it tastes halfway decent and looks brilliant.

    I made a cyser around that time that is flipping delicious, and tastes not of pork product.

    All I can think is that it got some sort of weird infection via suck back through the airlock during the extended aging.



    So gross.
     
  2. #2
    AZ_IPA

    PKU  

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    Would that make is a porkomel?

    Sorry for your loss...
     
  3. #3
    BootsyFlanootsy

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    maybe it would pair well with some kielbasa.
     
  4. #4
    AZ_IPA

    PKU  

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    Maybe too much cinnamon?? I'd age it and see what happens...
     
  5. #5
    BootsyFlanootsy

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    haha, I suppose that's possible. though I can't really imagine how cinnamon could end up all hammy. plus I added about an 1/8th of a teaspoon. Too late for aging, already bottled it. womp womp. I just want to know what sort of infection brings out the smokey rauchbier notes.
     
  6. #6
    AZ_IPA

    PKU  

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    Yeah, never heard of that off flavor...

    Age it in the bottles. It may turn out amazing.
     
  7. #7
    cgenebrewer

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    I am disgusted by you people. We are this much closer to Bacon Yeast and you all scoff at this incredible advancement in bacon brewing technology.

    OP, you better send a bottle to the labs right away to isolate that amazing bacteria.
     
    PaddyMurphy and Badlizard like this.
  8. #8
    emjay

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    Which yeast at what temp? Some ale yeasts can actually produce a bit of smokiness at cool temps.
     
  9. #9
    nukinfuts29

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    +1
     
  10. #10
    BootsyFlanootsy

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 13, 2011
    I can't really imagine bottle aging is going to help, my guess is; if any thing it will just make it worse, ( the smell that is),. IIRC, I used D-47 on this batch. it sat in my basement from the beginning of last november until last week when I bottled it, ( it was racked twice in the basement, and I sanitize well),. As I said earlier, I fermented a cyser at the same time, with the same yeast, in the same environment, using the same approach and it turned out fine. Both had S-shape airlocks as well, so I'm guessing they both experienced some degree or another of suck back as the temps swung through the seasons. The smoked ham mead is tasted great at both racking times and I don't recall it having that aroma then.


    !%$^#&#&!!!!!
     
  11. #11
    PaddyMurphy

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 14, 2011
    13 months would put your brew time near Thanksgiving, wouldn't it? Did you, by any chance, have ham for Thanksgiving?
     
  12. #12
    Tw0fish

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    HAW :D

    I'm not sure why you would (I'm not well experienced in meadery) but did you degas the mead? You say it tastes fine but it stinks of smokiness, so is it something you can 'blow out' of the glass when you're tasting it, e.g. pour a glass and wave your hand over it, does the smell go away?

    Had a breadyeast Sahti I made with my brother that nobody else would drink. The gas suspended in it made it stink like someone ate a loaf of bread and then vomited it back up. Once it degassed (I'm told Sahti was traditionally drank still anyway) it was really quite neat. Just sayin. Maybe this is stuff you should drink still!
     
  13. #13
    Atek

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    If this is anything like my rotten ham mead I made some time back then no this will not get any better. I did not identify the exact bacterial/chemical cause but I did find it turned out to be a particular source of blueberries that caused this. I believe its some sort of a sulfur compound that brings this out, just based on my experience with blueberries often being treated with sulfur (i think). I ended up dumping my batch as I could not get rid of the smell and though it tasted ok, the smell came out in the nose. So as long as you plugged your nose while drinking it, it was fine. The only thing I did not try was copper sulfate or racking it over some copper sheet. You may wish to try that, personally I'd try stirring some copper around in the glass first, make sure its clean of course. If the smell subsides then rack all of it over copper.
     
  14. #14
    brewtus_

    I say, lookey here son...  

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    You can always use it as an overnight marinade for pork butts and/or ribs. Season with a dry rub in the morning and smoke slow and low for about 12 hours.
     
    Atek likes this.
  15. #15
    ashplub

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    Maybe you could dry bacon it. 1 slice per bottle perhaps? Might turn out good. Probably would not.
     
  16. #16
    ashplub

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    On a more serious note..I might try taking some and aerating the hell out of it. Put it in a mason jar and shake the beejesus out of it and see what happens. You might be able to get through a bottle this way. Just decant into another vessel before your guests arrive, aerate and pretend that you are not serving them pig mead. Flying pig is the name of this drink BTW.
     
  17. #17
    Atek

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 15, 2011
    Maybe a wine aerator would work?
     
  18. #18
    TorribleBrew

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 16, 2011
    And if you still feel you need to discard of the swine mead, I can pm you my address. :)
     
  19. #19
    sheeshomatic

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 16, 2011
    I'm sorry for your loss OP, but this entire thread made me giggle like a schoolgirl. I'd just label the stuff Bootsy's Braisin' Brew and use it in all my long cooks. :) When life gives you lemons, eff the lemons and make delicious pork butt.
     
  20. #20
    hamiltont

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 16, 2011
    Try this, and as one poster mentioned, it could be from sulfur. If it is try adding a small piece of copper to the mead in the jar after it's been aerated & let it sit for a day or so. Cheers!!!
     
    Atek likes this.
  21. #21
    Cambone

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Dec 16, 2011
    Just don't dump it. Hide it and forget about it. I had a mead that tasted EXACTLY like olives for nearly a year. It was disgusting.

    Then one day, it started to taste good. I'm so glad I didn't dump any of it
     
  22. #22
    ken22

    New Member

    Posted Nov 6, 2012
    The same happen to me, in my case I used the rest of the yeast of a brewing beer to feed the new ones (sorry guys, I am not meticolous), so i put hot water to kill some yeast and I put the honey and the new yest (One for white wine). I just transfer it yesterday and was the same problem, with a smoked ham smell =(. I must decide if I keep it (I was thinking in made a pizza dought and some pork) or keep it and try luck. The chemicals related to the smell are differente for the olive smell so I want to know if someone get good resulto of keeping it.

    BTW thanks to post your problems, good to know someone had been through the same.
     
  23. #23
    ArctosNero

    Member

    Posted Nov 6, 2012
    And so it began the Bacon-Mead research thread...
     
    Badlizard likes this.
  24. #24
    huntingohio

    Well-Known Member

    Posted Nov 6, 2012
    So it smells like smoked ham.. but tastes well...
    I fail to see a problem. If its too much of a bother use it to cook with [maybe glaze a ham with it].
     
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