[COHO] melomel

[Tom Brohamer]

Tim,

You are correct, what you are describing is a melomel (pronounced
Mellow-mel, I believe.)  The question would be is if it is a Grape
Melomel (Pyment, pronounced Pie-ment) or not?  Since the raisin was
technically once a grape, it could be considered as such.

As for it being a "short mead", what this term means is that the aging
process is short.  You will not find a category called "short mead" in
the BJCP Style Guidelines
(http://www.bjcp.org/styles04/Category25.html).  A short mead is
accomplished by using less sugars, and thus creating a lower starting
gravity.  With the lower starting gravity, it's ready to drink in a
shorter amount of time than a classic mead.  You may have already known
this, but just thought I'd add it in for clarification's sake.

If I assume you are making a 5 gallon batch of mead (and there's no
reason you should make any less) then your recipe would be a lower
gravity mead.  That said, since it is the melomel that is "short", and
not the raisin itself, the name should probably be something like
"raisin short melomel".  Personnally, I'd just call it a raisin melomel,
and drop the short part, but that's just me.

I do have one question though, how do you intend to extract the sugars
from the raisins?  Are you going to press them before, during, or after
fermentation?  Just curious.

Regards,
Tom

Tom Brohamer
Owner/Partner - BBQ'n Fools, LLC
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-----Original Message-----
From: coho-bounces at lists.bendtel.net
[mailto:coho-bounces at lists.bendtel.net] On Behalf Of Tim Howe
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 12:26 PM
To: coho at lists.bendtel.net
Subject: [COHO] melomel


I've managed to confuse myself.

I plan on making what I think is a melomel, but what also appears to be
a "short mead".

I was going to make a short mead with 7lbs of honey and a pound (maybe
2) of raisins.  Is this a melomel?  Is it a short mead?  Is it a short
melomel?  Would I call it a "short raisin melomel", or a "raisin short
melomel"?

Oh, yeah..  Also, how should one pronounce the word "melomel"?

I have no idea how to tell someone what I am making.  Please help.

--TimH
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