Mead??

[rabbitoh]

Sorry if this us stupid question but what the hell is mead????

 

[static]

First question answered in the sticky. Its a good read.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f30/sticky-mead-making-faqs-83030/

What is Mead?
Q: What is Mead?
A: Basically, Mead is nothing more than a fermented mixture of honey and water.

 

[rabbitoh]

Cheers I'll check it out

 

[fatbloke]

Cheers I'll check it out

As static said, but here's an excellent link to explain about the makings thereof.

It may sound like hard work, it's not really, and in chapter 6 of that link, is what is usually suggested as the "newbie recipe". You just follow it as closely as you can, given mods like local equivalents. All of the ingredients are usually available at the local grocery store so all you need is a 1 gallon fermenter (a glass carboy/demi-john is ideal as you can see what's going on). You can go for either a fermenter/container that mirrors the US gallon sizes, but I make mine to imperial measurements i.e. 1 imp gallon being 4.55 litres (everything else being the same - with a local equivalent of the yeast) and it still turns out good, just not quite as sweet as it would be if made up to 1 US gallon (3.78 litres).

Dunno if that helps any.......

p.s. "rabbitoh" ? as in "South Sydney Rabbitoh's" ?

 

[rabbitoh]

Sounds interesting I'd live to give it a go! And yes South Sydney Rabbitohs!! Massive fan!!

 

[fatbloke]

-----%<----- And yes South Sydney Rabbitohs!! Massive fan!!

Ah, I did wonder. It's "league" in our house as well, because "erindoors" family come from the north west - so we have to watch as many Wigan matches as they'll put on the tv......... so she's in a good mood, given the stuffing they gave Leeds on friday night.......

Oh and given that you're in Aus, a lot of the info here alludes to what's available on the US market, so I suspect, like me, you can follow some recipes/info, but either have to mail order or find local equivalents for some stuff.

Irrespective of that, if you get into mead making, the one important thing to learn is patience.

Even still like the JAO in the recipe I mentioned before, despite it saying that it's good to go, once it's cleared naturally and the fruit has "dropped", I've never found that. I like mine aged for 6 to 12 months. It's like a totally different thing, when compared to one that's still young.

Likewise, there's at least a couple of Aus makers both here and over at gotmead, and it seems that the varietal honeys that might be available to you are nothing like the ones most of the US members might mention. The only one I've been able to get has been the ubiquitous eucalyptus honey, but I didn't get on with that, because it tasted great as "just" honey, but once it was made up, the tiny, residual presence of the actual eucalyptus taste was magnified and became pronounced. Whether it was just from one type or it's a general thing, I don't know, but I didn't enjoy the taste.

Some of the other honey that seems to be available in some areas of Aus sounds marvellous, but I can't locate any importer here that brings it in - I suppose because it's cheaper to get from the EU and/or the US.

Either way, give it a go (especially the JAO as that's about as "low maintenance" as mead making gets) and just have patience with it. It comes good eventually, so to my (very lazy) mind, it's a no-brainer way of giving it a try too see if you think it's worth the effort - and if you just feel it's a bit "heavy" given the local climate, then a sweet mead does dilute down with soda water, or commercial "clear" lemonade nicely into "spritzers"......

 

[rabbitoh]

Yeah I'm in love with my bunnies!! The mead sounds really interesting I think I'll have to give it a go. It obviously takes quite a long time! Definitely give that ancient orange a whirl. Just gotta get a glass carboy I only have my plastic fermenter fir my beer. I'll definitely keep you posted

 

[JonM]

And there are commercial examples in the liquor store. Among all the hundreds and hundreds of bottles of wine, there might be a bottle or two of mead.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

OK, a little off topic here, but just exactly what is a "rabbitoh?" I'm guessing it's some sort of sports team (soccer?), but from the sound of it, it could also be a breakfast cereal, a brand of underwear, or perhaps slang for small furry animals, or their droppings. Or am I way off base? I'm just not well versed in the slang from the UK or down under.
Regards, GF.

 

[Insomniac]

Given the refernce to 'league', I would guess its a rugby team. Only a guess though as dont follow it myself.

 

[opus345]

Just gotta get a glass carboy I only have my plastic fermenter fir my beer. I'll definitely keep you posted

You can ferment your larger capacity meads in the plastic fermenter and then rack to glass. The JAOM type of 1 gal test batches seem to work very well in 1 gal glass jugs.

 

[fatbloke]

OK, a little off topic here, but just exactly what is a "rabbitoh?" I'm guessing it's some sort of sports team (soccer?), but from the sound of it, it could also be a breakfast cereal, a brand of underwear, or perhaps slang for small furry animals, or their droppings. Or am I way off base? I'm just not well versed in the slang from the UK or down under.
Regards, GF.

Given the refernce to 'league', I would guess its a rugby team. Only a guess though as dont follow it myself.

Insomniac is entirely correct. The sport of Rugby Football has 2 codes, Union and League (there's a lot of historical bollocks as to why this is, which I won't bore you with). Both games involve getting "tries" and then converting the try to get more points. In the UK, it's Rugby Union that is the biggest/more supported of the two codes - but considered more of a posh/middle class sport, and Rugby League being more of a Northern, working class sport - most of the teams playing and based along the "M62 corridor" between Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Both codes are also played in Australia (and New Zealand but I believe Union is more prevalent in NZ). I don't know which of the two codes is bigger in Aus, just that the South Sydney Rabbitoh's is the name of one of the bigger, more well known teams, based in the Sydney area (oh, and if you check out the wikipedia link I've included, you might just have heard of their team owner ).

The differences between codes ? To put it in basic terms, Union players tend toward being bigger, stonger, more muscley. There are 15 players on field (per team) at any one time (a bunch of middle class fat blokes who kick the crap out of each other in a big heap - is one of the analogies I've read) and the "scrum's" are contested.

Whereas with league, there's only 13 players on field for each team at any one time, the play is seems to have more running and tackling, with less kicking for field position (each team has 6 tackles while retaining posession of the ball to try and make some points - or to cause the other team to make an error and give the "ball holders" another set of 6 tackles). Often the players aren't quite as big and muscley as union players, but will demonstrate more speed and running stamina. The tackles don't seem to be quite as violent (the words "don't seem" are relative) - they still take a pounding, often with 3 or 4 other (opposing) blokes piling on top of the person with the ball and the "scrums" are uncontested/procedural.

The ball is a similar shape to that used in NFL, but the players don't have all the padding/helmets etc that NFL players use (it's considered wimpish). Though in truth, where an NFL player would/could be tackled, when they haven't got the ball, it's considered foul play to tackle others in "back play" when they don't have the ball - and can lead to the yellow card and a rest for 10 minutes in the "sin bin", or even a red card and being sent off completely, leaving the offending players with less people on the pitch and at a disadvantage. Hence, I at least, understand, why the NFL people need the pads/helmets etc and through injury, often have even shorter playing careers.

Ha! my biggest favourite that isn't shown here very often, is the Australian localised version of "Celtic football", known as "Aussie rules". Now that's an excellent game. Mad as hell, with lots of points, but also seemingly, lots of punch ups. I have no idea why two such active sports caught on in Aus. I mean, even on the coast, it gets hot, damned hot! The swimming and cricket, fine, but Aussie rules and NRL ? Madness, pure madness :rockin:

 

[rabbitoh]

Yes "Rabbitoh" is the name of my rugby league team! League is bigger than union here in Australia

 

[rabbitoh]

And someone telling you wrong bout Aussie rules no punch ups just little push and shoves. League gas way better fights! Nothing like seeing couple props going at it!

 

[fatbloke]

And someone telling you wrong bout Aussie rules no punch ups just little push and shoves. League gas way better fights! Nothing like seeing couple props going at it!

Because of all the sporting rights crap on the TV, we see little enough coverage of either, hell even the super league is on a subscription channel ! We might see a bit of lower league stuff, but that's usually on the local channels up north, we're on the south coast so if anything, its union that's shown. If we're lucky, they might show the states of origin matches, so Clare just keeps an eye on the highlights......after all, she does like to see who's coming over next season to finish their career and top up their pension money ;D

What I do know is the game as played in Aus, is usually a lot faster makes for good watching !

 

[rabbitoh]

Yeah the nrl is best comp in the world! By the way thanks for my man Sam Burgess!! And his brothers!

 

[gratus fermentatio]

Thanks for the info fatbloke, that was quite a lesson! Believe it or not, there is a rugby team right here in Montana, USA...

The Missoula Maggots (yes, really), don't ask, I've no clue as to why anyone would name a team that. I don't follow the sport, I just know they have a team here.
I was just curious as to the term. Regards, GF.

 

[motobrewer]

league is for puss*es.

 

[fatbloke]

league is for puss*es.

Yes, that's what the fat middle class union types say here too.

Except until they're playing sh1te when they seem to need people who are "league trained" to bail them out - like Jason Robinson, Shontane Hape and hell, even Chris Ashton started at the Wigan academy.

Then the same union types point out that a league player wouldn't survive having the crap kicked out of them in a union ruck, which is a fair comment, until you understand that the union fat knackers wouldn't be able to catch them.......

Sports loyalty is great isn't it

 

[kingboomer]

I'm learning something new every day, and this time it has nothing to do with brewing



-Kingboomer

 

[motobrewer]

Yes, that's what the fat middle class union types say here too.

Except until they're playing sh1te when they seem to need people who are "league trained" to bail them out - like Jason Robinson, Shontane Hape and hell, even Chris Ashton started at the Wigan academy.

Then the same union types point out that a league player wouldn't survive having the crap kicked out of them in a union ruck, which is a fair comment, until you understand that the union fat knackers wouldn't be able to catch them.......

Sports loyalty is great isn't it

psh, just the front row is overweight, and they need to be. because, you know....they actually have to contest in the scrum?? instead of just shaking the other prop's hand, maybe giving him a reach around, you know, if there's time, maybe while the scrumhalfs have some tea?

rugby IS the ruck. without it, it's just....I donno. doesn't make any sense really. having "downs" in rugby simply does not make sense.