Mead
Mead
My other hobby is making Mead. I started out as a brewer of beer kits with my Dad. You know the kind: syrup and yeast and a colorful fold out pamphlet on "how to". We did quite a few batches, but I read in Papalzian's book about Mead and how easy it would be to make, and I was drawn to it. I'd always been drawn to fermented honey, even though the only product I'd ever had which read "Mead" on the label was horrid. I just knew it could be made better.
So in 1993 I made my first batch of Mead. It was straight honey and water and for whatever reason, it fermented steadily for months. I kept it my my desk and watched it adoringly as the tiny bubbles just kept on coming. This batch (like every other one I've ever made) I primed and put in beer bottles. Months later there was no evidence of carbonation and I was dissappointed, but I went on to make more Meads. After 6 months in beer bottles I was rewarded with tiny bubbles that were akin to those in champagne present in this batch of Mead. What a treat!