hist-brewing: Strength of Mead

[Baden,Doug]

Dan:
I have documentation in tertiary sources that state
honey was being stretched, but also that time was being saved.
Straight mead takes longer to age out than the adulterated versions.

Chuck:
As for boiling the fruit, my studies are not in wine so my sources are again
tertiary at best, but I have made a pear wine, and it requires boiling
or the wild yeast on it ruins the delicate flavors of that delectable wine. 


Doug
 ----------
> Cysers and metheglins were developed to extend the honey with
> cheaper ingredients.

I believe it was more likely the other way. Cyser and pyment were
developed to extend the apple and grape juices with a cheaper,
less flavorful ingredient (honey).  Developmentally, cyser was likely
a fortified type of cider, not a flavored mead.  It just takes too
much boiling to get apple juice to a respectable strength.

Dan


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