SV: SV: SC - peach mead?

[Brokk]

OK, the sterilization thing was just a bad choice of word/slip of the
mind. 30 mins at 65-70/160-170 sounds a lot to me,
 but it's always best to play it safe.
Sadly enough I have a hard time getting hold of good quality honey to a
good price here in sweden, and if 
I want a more aromatic one I'll have to go for an orange blossom or a
blended type which I tend to avoid, 
mostly because of the price =(

As far as dry meads go, I tend to like many of them after a long
maturing period, but i also like salt and vinegar on my chips which all
of my friends but one absolutely refuse to eat, so made I have an odd
taste, what do I know ?  Otherwise it doesn't take too long to heat up a
little water, add some honey and sweeten it up a little. In your
original post you meantioned vanilla beans as well.
That's something i've never tried.  What size is the maturing in ? 1
year ?  How does the vanilla taste come out ? 
As a primary taste or does it blend nicely with other herbs ?

I've searched everywhere for a reference as to when peaches came to use
in Scandinavia/northern Euorope but all I've found is 
the old encyclopedia stuff ie latin name, time of harvest, general
description etc.  Hopefully someone out there will be able to enlighten
me.

Keep the pots boiling, whatever you have in them.
Brokk.
    
      Brokk,

> I do boil my honey for two reaasons.  Gets the scum up MUCH quicker,
> and it kills wild yeasties in the honey.  It only goes for about 10 to
> 15 minutes, and since I use a very aromatic wildflower honey, I don't
> miss out on the subtltiy of the honey character.  Boiling also gives a
> slight caramalized character that I enjoy.  Not a whole lot, but
> enought that is noticably different from the sulfited mead I made
> once.
> 
> As for pectic enzyme, it works marvelously, and I've used it on odd
> occasion.  When I am doing medieval brewing, though, I don't add any
> chemicals to my must (excepting acid blend, because it is more
> convenient than lemons all the time, and has tartaric acid as well).
> 
> Heat pasteurization is effective only with sufficient time.  My
> sources suggest that 160-170F for 30 minutes is neccessary to
> pasteurize (NOT sterilize...that requires autoclave or way long boil)
> fresh fruit.  5 minutes may not bring core temp of larger pieces high
> enough quick enough to make real difference.
> 
> I agree with your assessment of tannins as good foil to sweeter meads.
>  In a dry mead, it'll suck the spit right out of your
> mouth....requiring drinking of a cup of sand to moisten your tonuge. 
> Bittering is pretty great when skillfully balanced!
> 
> 
> 
> niccolo
> 
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