289: Schramm's Mead is Making Quality Their Legacy

Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast

Ken Schramm wants to prove it’s possible to make mead that’s every bit as fine as the finest wine, and over the past decade his eponymously named meadery has pioneered a number of new processes and approaches to help achieve that goal. From shortening the honey supply chain and eliminating intervention and heat degradation, to hand picking fruit for ripeness from their own estate orchard, Schramm’s has found ways to elevate the production process behind mead while also making rich, developed, and nuanced fruit meads.

In this episode, Schramm and son-in-law James Naeger discuss how the Ferndale, Michigan meadery has elevated the technical processes behind mead making while also searching for the most exquisite and flavorful expression of fruit in their meads. Along the way, they discuss:

• mead’s quality problem
• pumps versus pails
• building a foundation to understand the components of honey, including sugars and acids
• how to sample and evaluate honey
• carefully managing yeast assimilable nitrogen to end fermentations without sulfites or sorbets
• understanding the difference in fruit formats, from fresh to frozen
• the ways varietal differences in fruit affect certain meads
• harvesting fruit with the same kind of focus and timing and decision making of fine winemakers
• what corks do and don’t do

And more.

This episode is brought to you by:

G&D Chillers (https://gdchillers.com): For years G&D Chillers has chilled the beers you love, partnering with 3,000+ breweries across the country along the way, and they’re proud of the cool partnerships they’ve built over the past 30 years. Reach out for a quote today at gdchillers.com or call to discuss your next project.

BSG Craft Brewing (https://BSGCraftbrewing.com): Navigating the seas of brewing can be a treacherous affair, so let Rahr North Star Pils™ be your guide. With overtones of honey and sweet bread, flavor and aroma notes of hay and nutty character, Rahr North Star Pils™ is a base malt you can set your compass by! Set a course for BSGCraftbrewing.com to learn how

Accubrew (https://accubrew.io) AccuBrew is a game changing fermentation monitoring system that gives you unprecedented insight into your yeast’s health and activity. The AccuBrew sensor, mounted through your tank’s sample port, creates a record of sugar conversion, clarity, and temperature for every batch run. Something BIG is coming, find out more at accubrew.io.

ProBrew (https://www.probrew.com) At ProBrew, we believe that your brewery deserves equipment as unique as the drinks that you craft. ProBrew’s customizable equipment empowers breweries to expand operations at their own pace. For more information, visit www.probrew.com or email [e-mail].

Old Orchard (https://www.oldorchard.com/brewer): If you need a central source for fruit flavor, Old Orchard has you covered. Old Orchard supplies flavored craft juice concentrate blends to beverage brands for the production of beer, cider, seltzer, wine, spirits, kombucha, and more. Flavor your lineup and streamline your sourcing by heading to oldorchard.com/brewer

Ss Brewtech (https://www.ssbrewtech.com): Ss Brewtech has taken technology they invented working with world-renowned industry veterans and made them available to every craft brewer. To learn more about Ss Brewtech's innovation list, head over to SsBrewtech.com.

Christian Hansen (https://www.chr-hansen.com): Christian Hansen are now bringing their knowledge of microbes to brewers with their SmartBev range of frozen liquid yeast and freeze-dried bacteria. Reimagine what your beer can be. Go to Chr-Hansen.com to learn more on the SmartBev line of products.

California Craft Beer Summit (http://cacraftbeersummit.com): Join the craft beer community in Sacramento March 19-22 for the California Craft Beer Summit. Access educational sessions on business and technical skills and network with industry leaders all under one roof. Early bird discounts end January 20 visit cacraftbeersummit.com to register.

Support Craft Beer & Brewing Magazine Podcast