Schramm's Mead

[Michigan1]

Ok, so now you're involving a tea kettle, too? I put my Libbey 22 ounce glass in the dishwasher, normal cycle, sani rinse, no dry (because I like to stay eco-friendly, my dude).

The tea kettle is optional and merely a luxury. I usually dry my glasses by holding them near the exhaust pipe of my car. I have to counteract the efforts of people like you

 

[Jb123]

The tea kettle is optional and merely a luxury. I usually dry my glasses by holding them near the exhaust pipe of my car. I have to counteract the efforts of people like you

Those ethanol tones.

 

[maximthegreat]

This may have been asked and answered (hopefully not): can you explain some of the changes you expect to see when cellaring a mead for many years. I'd expect the fruit flavor and sweetness to fade and just come together better. Anything else we could reasonable expect to happen?

 

[cosmicevan]

What is considered proper glassware for mead?

dat reflection though...

 

[RyanMcFly1985]

dat reflection though...

Need this glass.

 

[Naegerbomb]

This may have been asked and answered (hopefully not): can you explain some of the changes you expect to see when cellaring a mead for many years. I'd expect the fruit flavor and sweetness to fade and just come together better. Anything else we could reasonable expect to happen?

Our meads are sort of pre-loaded with all of the fruit flavor, aroma, acidity, and honey sweetness so that they will still be intensely fruity meads after 10 years. The honey and fruit flavors will be more integrated, but through the years the honey aroma may take more of center stage as certain fruit esters age and are degraded. Stored properly, it is our hope that the fruit flavor and aroma won't be much affected, and in fact, they may intensify. They may change a bit - certainly the acidity will soften (e.g. Black Heart, Black Agnes) --- some of the alcohol flavors may become more hidden than they already are (e.g. a mead like 'Peach'). So certainly aging does affect the wine, but in my experience, only for the better. We've deliberately designed the meads and their packaging to facilitate these processes.

 

[bathroomlaughter]

i opened an odd bottle of blackberry last night. it was carbonated for one. the first bottle i had blew me away and this one was underwhelming in comparison. it was thinner and drier. i thought that it might be a mislabeled blackberry sec but the sec i had stained the bottle and i heard that other bottles were the same. the carbonation was noticeable and detracted from the flavor. as it opened up it got better but didn't reach the level it was the first time i had it.

is this normal? my trustee is going to be picking up an order for me in a few days and i was planning on getting a shitload of blackberry but if other bottles might be like this i'd rather get a mix of things.

 

[Jb123]

I'd be interested to see. I bottled a few of my meads and some carbonated (wasn't trying to) and some did not...I had a gallon of one batch. 4 out of the 11 bottles carbonated and some of them the corks popped off. This will be very educational for me.

 

[bathroomlaughter]

i forgot to mention the cork didn't look great. it was discolored but it didn't crumble.

 

[Michigan1]

i opened an odd bottle of blackberry last night. it was carbonated for one. the first bottle i had blew me away and this one was underwhelming in comparison. it was thinner and drier. i thought that it might be a mislabeled blackberry sec but the sec i had stained the bottle and i heard that other bottles were the same. the carbonation was noticeable and detracted from the flavor. as it opened up it got better but didn't reach the level it was the first time i had it.

is this normal? my trustee is going to be picking up an order for me in a few days and i was planning on getting a shitload of blackberry but if other bottles might be like this i'd rather get a mix of things.

I'd be interested to see. I bottled a few of my meads and some carbonated (wasn't trying to) and some did not...I had a gallon of one batch. 4 out of the 11 bottles carbonated and some of them the corks popped off. This will be very educational for me.

The bottles I have opened in the last couple months have had a slight effervescence to them. So I would expect this is the direction the Blackberry meads are going.

 

[Naegerbomb]

i opened an odd bottle of blackberry last night. it was carbonated for one. the first bottle i had blew me away and this one was underwhelming in comparison. it was thinner and drier. i thought that it might be a mislabeled blackberry sec but the sec i had stained the bottle and i heard that other bottles were the same. the carbonation was noticeable and detracted from the flavor. as it opened up it got better but didn't reach the level it was the first time i had it.

is this normal? my trustee is going to be picking up an order for me in a few days and i was planning on getting a shitload of blackberry but if other bottles might be like this i'd rather get a mix of things.

Shoot me an email and we'll get it sorted: [email protected]

 

[Naegerbomb]

Naegerbomb Have you tried this one yet?

I did today! It was really interesting. Not like any honey I've ever had before - similar to heather honey, maybe. Unique, and opens up some interesting ideas for making a mead.

 

[Michigan1]

Naegerbomb, have you guys considered getting your hands on any oak barrels (specifically wine)? I think the world would just collapse on itself if you released an oak-aged mead. I don't think you guys would ever do what Kuhnhenn or B. Nektar does to their meads with weird additives and boozy as ****. Knowing Ken, he would go for a more nuanced approach. I think Blackberry Sec would do quite well in a red wine barrel, or Statement in neutral oak.

Ginger in Bourbon
Peach in Red Wine
Statement in Gin
Blackberry in Syrah

Double Barrel Heart of Darkness​

 

[Naegerbomb]

Naegerbomb, have you guys considered getting your hands on any oak barrels (specifically wine)? I think the world would just collapse on itself if you released an oak-aged mead. I don't think you guys would ever do what Kuhnhenn or B. Nektar does to their meads with weird additives and boozy as ****. Knowing Ken, he would go for a more nuanced approach. I think Blackberry Sec would do quite well in a red wine barrel, or Statement in neutral oak.

Ginger in Bourbon
Peach in Red Wine
Statement in Gin
Blackberry in Syrah

Double Barrel Heart of Darkness​

We'll have room for barrels in our new facility at 914 Livernois. BA tHoD won't be a thing until we have more schaerbeeks - talk to me in 7-10 years, but a french oak barreled Statement has been on the wants list for awhile.

 

[neorunner]

talk to me in 7-10 years

Just made a google calender appointment.

 

[lb304854]

So what's the next big release? Blank Angus in April?

 

[neorunner]

Blank Angus

 

[sliverx]

 

[Beerontwowheels]

Not even sure I understand. Liked anyway.

 

[Jb123]

Those are nice berries

 

[Michigan1]

Cloudberry mead!!!!!

 

[sliverx]

Not even sure I understand. Liked anyway.

golden raspberries for White Agnes

 

[Michigan1]

golden raspberries for White Agnes

But... But.... Black Agnes is currants.

 

[sliverx]

But... But.... Black Agnes is currants.

 

[kscaldef]

 

[neorunner]

libbey

 

[Naegerbomb]

Razzies??

 

[Naegerbomb]

Now those are nice looking. Just need to find a supplier...

 

[sliverx]

Razzies??

Golden razzles

 

[Jspriest]

I understand dead bees are a pretty politicized bunch these days, but:

A little too often John Ashbery liked to cite a Mutt and Jeff comic strip in which they placed a single dead bee in each jar of honey they sold, so as to prove its authenticity. While I was working at Flying Dog we received a written and photodocumented allegation from a woman claiming to have found a bee in her In-Heat Wheat, and could she have some swag please instead of litigating, presumably.

My question being: when can we expect bees in your meads?