August Meeting

by Roger St.Denis, VP & Chief Steward

Where were you when the lights went out? I was at the August 'Wild Fermentables' Draught Board Homebrew Club meeting along with another 12 members enjoying some of our member's more exotic brews. I especially look forward to the August meeting as it gives the mead contingent a chance to show off their latest creations, trade brewing techniques, and just plain have a good time. This meeting was no exception.

We started off with Harry Graham's 2 braggots. First a light apricot braggot then a more robust brew to send us into a couple of Vermont commercial ale-based ciders that John Pyles brought. This warmed us up for the meads.

We started the traditional meads off with Bruce Brazil's light traditional mead which had a pleasant honey nose and taste. Then, we moved on to this year's BABO 2nd- and 3rd-place winners. Margaret Millspaw’s Sage Honey Mead was a sure hit with the wonderful flowery nose, sweet flavor, light petiance and beautiful clear soft amber color.

This lead into Loren and Dale's contribution of their liquid gold '94 Spiced Apple Mead followed by their '95 version, which we are assured will age just as well.

Loren and Dale ran a yeast experiment with their Spiced Apple Mead which has demonstrated some very interesting results. They have been enthusiastic about sharing the results which is a bonus for us all. 5 gallons of must was split up and 5 separate yeasts were added (champagne, sherry, ale etc.). They brought samples of the mead fermented with the champagne yeast and the sherry yeast. The wonderful spiced apple and currant flavors were evident in both, but the batch fermented with sherry yeast had the characteristic sherry/port nose and flavor.

I brought several of my meads: the 1993 Cherry mead, fermented with 35 lbs of freshly picked cherries; a traditional mead made in the same way as the one I entered in BABO, big (OG 1.150) and 18 months old; an orange marmalade mead I was playing with but that needs more time to soften the bitterness from the citrus rinds; and a lime mead that cleared in only about a month and which is very drinkable after 3 months in secondary.

Mike brought the lavender mead we've all been hearing about. It's a big flavorful mead which will age nicely. His wife mixes in a little Creme de Cassis which makes it especially nice.

It wouldn't be a beer meeting without some beers. Loren and Dale brought some Frolick Shipwreck Ale and Mendocino Brown Ale from their trip north. Bob Jones brought some holiday beer and his peach wheat beer brewed on National Homebrew Day. There was Sam Adams Cranberry Lambic, Portland's Wheat Berry Brew, and San Andreas' Oktoberquake. John Pyles finished off with his mystery beer.

My notes indicate we had 23 beers in all, 11 being meads. I hope I gave credit to everyone that brought something to share. Many thanks to you all it was an informative and enjoyable meeting. When did the lights ever come on?