Will is so precise! I've been waiting for this video to come out haha, I should have just sat in the corner like a creep while ya'll were filming 🤣 I definitely need to try doing this sometime!!!
I really injured this subject. This is a real art that should be learned by everyone. We might get some products right now and then. But most of the time there's just something missing in most of what we product . This was a video that needed to be made for everybody that makes mead and wines. This is a keeper in my book and to refer to if things go south. Thank You for this added information you have provided to us.
I love this video and how it has added to your adjustment video. It added new depth to the understanding I got from it and now I will have better tools and more precise idea on adjusting my meads! You, MMM, Fae, and Carlos have been great assets to my learning curve! Keep going, please!
Fantastic next level mead making video. Thanks to you BC, Will and Mandi. Mathematics is my least favorite part of mead making, but is an absolute necessary evil if you want to up your game. Again, thanks for the breakdown, formulas, etc.
I was joking with Will this week, I had to take college algebra three times just to get a C. So I am far from a math brained person! The formula definitely helps simplify everything.
Loved this topic. I wish I would have seen when I first starting wine/mead making. The idea of having spouse or friends join in never entered my mind. Thank you again.
Definitely an extremely helpful video!! I really need to figure this out and will probably watch this video 50 times... I'm not a math person but really need to learn this...
Thank you Will for explaining it, I remember reading the wiki 8 or so months ago and I just could not visualize, this is very helpful. For a visual learner this was what I needed. Thanks again
I agree! Once I could wrap my head around the math on parts per million, it was like the lightbulb moment where I realized it’s much less complicated than I had always thought it is.
@@DointheMost have you found you like to dial in 1 of the specific pillars aspect first? I started with tannin this last time and was thinking it might make more sense in the future to start with the finishing sweetness and dial the tannin and acid to match.
First of all, thank you for going into detail about the process rather than doing a chart and talking about it. It's great to see this process. Now a couple questions: 1. I've never experimented with powdered tannin in secondary. Following your videos I tend to put all my powdered tannin in primary following a general dosing rule thinking it needs time to work it's magic and hoping I hit the magic mark. Once primary is finished I'll balance my sweetness and tannin off of that. My question is how quickly does powdered tannin "meld" in with the flavors? Would it be good practice to add it and bottle the same day? 2. Chef is a wealth of knowledge and I feel privileged to have him call a couple of my mead's good (I took second and third in the Stormheron mead competition). Is he a professional brewer or an extremely enthusiastic hobbyist? Again, thank you for the dedication to the craft and all you do for the community.
Tannin takes about two months to fully polymerize. That means that it starts out just a bit more potent than it ends up. So you can expect anywhere from a 10 to 20% drop off in tannin levels 6 to 8 weeks after you’ve added it in secondary. Will is not a professional meadmaker, but he is an exceptional hobbyist meadmaker! Cheers!
You certainly can adjust the tannin and bottle the same day, but you'll wind up with sediment in your bottles - as the tannins polymerize some will drop out of solution. Most powdered tannins take about 6-8 weeks to polymerize; there are a couple fancy expensive highly refined powdered tannins I have on hand that will polymerize within 24 hours that I'll use for a last minute tweak on occasion, but as I said they're expensive and have to be bought in bulk (~$150 for 250 grams) so not really accessible to most homebrewers.
@@DointheMost So with tannins you want to add that 10-20% more on top of what you want to compensate for the gradual drop over time? If added in secondary of course!
@@stephenclifford3971 Yeah, if you’re certain about quantity. Bench trials are great for dialing in the recipe. Then on the next brew you could compensate for losses due to polymerization.
If I wanted to follow the dosage chart for determining PPM for tartaric or malic acid, would I take the dosage for a 50ml or 100ml sample and just multiple that by 10 and then use the equation at the end to determine how to put in for the appropriate size batch?
Great info and methodology, this approach sure makes balancing a fun and easy task. However I have to mention that the % values of your dilutions are not correct. 1g in 100ml is not a 1% solution. A 1% tannin solution would be 99g water and 1g tannin. Same goes for your 10% acid solution, it would be 90g water and 10g acid. That equates to a true 10%. It's also worth mentioning that water weighs 1g per ml at room temp, but alcohol doesn't. So I guess you can use the 1g=1ml when using water, but as soon as there's alcohol in the mix, it changes. When making solutions by weight, it's vital to weigh everything, you shouldn't mix weight and volume. It's not a big deal if you always make your solutions the same way and you follow your own procedure, but if you are sharing info with another brewer that makes solutions in a scientific way, the calculations and PPM values are not going to be the same. I love your content, keep it up !
Just a question in what way are you using tartness in your video? Is it sweet or is it sour? Like tart means sour but it sounded like you guys are using it as sweet.
We are definitely talking about it being sour. This mead was made with Balaton cherries - therefore it is exceptionally tart (sour) and finished quite sweet. I can see how, in shortening this footage in editing, that our talk about it being both sour and sweet could be a bit confusing. Apologies!
I need to check my math because the formula for ppm is for a 1% solution. So if I were working with a 10% solution with acid would it be percent solution(.38*target/100*gallons)?
So, in your video, you mention 10% is better for acid, but then it changes the ppm I am adding, and Idk if my math is wrong, but when I figure out, 1.5 mL acid in 50ml test sample, i get 3000ppm. Which is like 11 grams in 1 gallon, and I have seen you mostly add 2-5 g in 6 gallon batches Just seems like a lot.
I'm not sure why that division by 100 shows up in the formula, when you already have the 0.38 proportionality constant. You could divide that by 100 and end up with 0.0038 * (TARGET PPM) * (volume in gallons).
Just to make the equation clearer. You're doing the division by 100 in there somewhere regardless whether it's explicit or implicit by using 0.0038, and I find it easier to just keep the 0.38 number in my head.
They don't Call Him , ( CHEF ) for Nothing . How would you like to Compete against Him, in a Compatition . 🥇🥈🥉. That's why He Makes a, Hell of a Judge . / That's what they would do to Me . Have Me Judge so I couldn't Run My Hounds , in Compatition , at Field Trials . But I managed to Not Judge enough of Em , to get Me a Wall 🧱 Full of Trophy's 🏆. 🐯🤠
Will is so precise! I've been waiting for this video to come out haha, I should have just sat in the corner like a creep while ya'll were filming 🤣 I definitely need to try doing this sometime!!!
He’s great! Thanks for helping!
I really injured this subject. This is a real art that should be learned by everyone. We might get some products right now and then. But most of the time there's just something missing in most of what we product .
This was a video that needed to be made for everybody that makes mead and wines. This is a keeper in my book and to refer to if things go south.
Thank You for this added information you have provided to us.
Thank you so much. Happy brewing friend! 🍻
And too you.
Thank you very much for the great lesson! Now to rewatch it. Again, and again, and again....
Honestly, same. The math part of my brain needs a great awakening.
Brilliant explanation, thank you for taking the time to put this video together!!! I will be using these trials myself from now on!!!!
Thank you! I’m so glad we had the opportunity to shoot this video.
I love this video and how it has added to your adjustment video. It added new depth to the understanding I got from it and now I will have better tools and more precise idea on adjusting my meads! You, MMM, Fae, and Carlos have been great assets to my learning curve! Keep going, please!
Thank you so much for this. Happy brewing! (and balancing!)
I absolutely have been waiting for a video like this 🙌🏽
Enjoy! Cheers! 🥂
As a chemist I feel this video in my soul... Explaining this topic is tough and Chef did an awesome job.
For real, I appreciate his eloquence in proctoring this demonstration, because he nailed it.
Waeow, wasn't that cool! Best video ever, BC! Nice to see Fae around!
Happy bench Trialing to y'all!
Thank you Chef! Thank you Cory!
Cheers friend! 🥂
Fantastic next level mead making video. Thanks to you BC, Will and Mandi. Mathematics is my least favorite part of mead making, but is an absolute necessary evil if you want to up your game. Again, thanks for the breakdown, formulas, etc.
I was joking with Will this week, I had to take college algebra three times just to get a C. So I am far from a math brained person! The formula definitely helps simplify everything.
One of the most helpful mead videos I've seen to date. This is awesome.
Glad you found it helpful! I know it’s a lot packed into a single video. Made my own head spin.
Great video! So helpful.
Thanks 😊
Awesome video I love this kinda stuff. A recipe i can just copy but understanding numbers I can use the knowledge to fine tune my own.
Looking forward to the back-sweetening episode!
Nice one
Loved this topic. I wish I would have seen when I first starting wine/mead making. The idea of having spouse or friends join in never entered my mind. Thank you again.
Very informative.
You do this with acid and tannin. Am I correct to assume that you could do this with backsweetening as well?
Definitely an extremely helpful video!! I really need to figure this out and will probably watch this video 50 times... I'm not a math person but really need to learn this...
I am also not a math person, which is what has taken me so long to get a video about this topic together. I needed an expert to explain it to me!
@@DointheMost so grateful you did, and that you made this. Thank you you're very much appreciated
After 2 yrs of making I have really been wanting to know how to fine tune the balance. This will help a lot!! Thanks for this one for sure.
Thank you Will for explaining it, I remember reading the wiki 8 or so months ago and I just could not visualize, this is very helpful. For a visual learner this was what I needed. Thanks again
Excellent! Big thanks to Will for breaking it down for us. 🍻
@@DointheMost shit... did it again! Bahaha
@@DointheMost knew I should have just wrote Chef, serves me right for replying before coffee
Excellent video! I usually do al my balacing by weight so interesting you guys did it by volume. but the stock solutions idea is GENIUS!
I agree! Once I could wrap my head around the math on parts per million, it was like the lightbulb moment where I realized it’s much less complicated than I had always thought it is.
@@DointheMost have you found you like to dial in 1 of the specific pillars aspect first? I started with tannin this last time and was thinking it might make more sense in the future to start with the finishing sweetness and dial the tannin and acid to match.
@@georgehart1122 I try to make sure sweetness (or lack thereof) is in check first. 🍻
First of all, thank you for going into detail about the process rather than doing a chart and talking about it. It's great to see this process. Now a couple questions:
1. I've never experimented with powdered tannin in secondary. Following your videos I tend to put all my powdered tannin in primary following a general dosing rule thinking it needs time to work it's magic and hoping I hit the magic mark. Once primary is finished I'll balance my sweetness and tannin off of that. My question is how quickly does powdered tannin "meld" in with the flavors? Would it be good practice to add it and bottle the same day?
2. Chef is a wealth of knowledge and I feel privileged to have him call a couple of my mead's good (I took second and third in the Stormheron mead competition). Is he a professional brewer or an extremely enthusiastic hobbyist?
Again, thank you for the dedication to the craft and all you do for the community.
Tannin takes about two months to fully polymerize. That means that it starts out just a bit more potent than it ends up. So you can expect anywhere from a 10 to 20% drop off in tannin levels 6 to 8 weeks after you’ve added it in secondary.
Will is not a professional meadmaker, but he is an exceptional hobbyist meadmaker! Cheers!
You certainly can adjust the tannin and bottle the same day, but you'll wind up with sediment in your bottles - as the tannins polymerize some will drop out of solution. Most powdered tannins take about 6-8 weeks to polymerize; there are a couple fancy expensive highly refined powdered tannins I have on hand that will polymerize within 24 hours that I'll use for a last minute tweak on occasion, but as I said they're expensive and have to be bought in bulk (~$150 for 250 grams) so not really accessible to most homebrewers.
@@DointheMost So with tannins you want to add that 10-20% more on top of what you want to compensate for the gradual drop over time? If added in secondary of course!
@@stephenclifford3971 Yeah, if you’re certain about quantity. Bench trials are great for dialing in the recipe. Then on the next brew you could compensate for losses due to polymerization.
If I wanted to follow the dosage chart for determining PPM for tartaric or malic acid, would I take the dosage for a 50ml or 100ml sample and just multiple that by 10 and then use the equation at the end to determine how to put in for the appropriate size batch?
Great info and methodology, this approach sure makes balancing a fun and easy task. However I have to mention that the % values of your dilutions are not correct. 1g in 100ml is not a 1% solution. A 1% tannin solution would be 99g water and 1g tannin. Same goes for your 10% acid solution, it would be 90g water and 10g acid. That equates to a true 10%. It's also worth mentioning that water weighs 1g per ml at room temp, but alcohol doesn't. So I guess you can use the 1g=1ml when using water, but as soon as there's alcohol in the mix, it changes. When making solutions by weight, it's vital to weigh everything, you shouldn't mix weight and volume. It's not a big deal if you always make your solutions the same way and you follow your own procedure, but if you are sharing info with another brewer that makes solutions in a scientific way, the calculations and PPM values are not going to be the same. I love your content, keep it up !
Doesn't tannin take some time to extract from chestnut bark?
Just a question in what way are you using tartness in your video? Is it sweet or is it sour? Like tart means sour but it sounded like you guys are using it as sweet.
We are definitely talking about it being sour. This mead was made with Balaton cherries - therefore it is exceptionally tart (sour) and finished quite sweet. I can see how, in shortening this footage in editing, that our talk about it being both sour and sweet could be a bit confusing. Apologies!
Okey! That makes a lot more sense. After rewatching I can see what you mean. I think I just didn't catch it the first time. Love your content.
I need to check my math because the formula for ppm is for a 1% solution. So if I were working with a 10% solution with acid would it be percent solution(.38*target/100*gallons)?
So, in your video, you mention 10% is better for acid, but then it changes the ppm I am adding, and Idk if my math is wrong, but when I figure out, 1.5 mL acid in 50ml test sample, i get 3000ppm. Which is like 11 grams in 1 gallon, and I have seen you mostly add 2-5 g in 6 gallon batches Just seems like a lot.
I'm not sure why you used vodka. Besides using it as a liquid for your tanins. Which water works fine
Will explains in the video that it creates a shelf-stable solution.
@@DointheMost maybe it sterilized the tanins?and to keep a cup of it ready. Gotcha
@@ozoneswiftak basically so you dont have to mix up new stock solutions every time. if you use only water they get real gross real fast.
Man, chem class was never this interesting!
Or this useful!
I'm not sure why that division by 100 shows up in the formula, when you already have the 0.38 proportionality constant. You could divide that by 100 and end up with 0.0038 * (TARGET PPM) * (volume in gallons).
Simplification, as I understand it
Just to make the equation clearer. You're doing the division by 100 in there somewhere regardless whether it's explicit or implicit by using 0.0038, and I find it easier to just keep the 0.38 number in my head.
First 🥇
🍻
Gah I didn't get it this week
Unless it’s British gallons….. then it’s 0.46 😂 !
Second 🥈
🍻🍻
Third 🥉
🍻🍻🍻
They don't Call Him , ( CHEF ) for Nothing . How would you like to Compete against Him, in a Compatition . 🥇🥈🥉. That's why He Makes a, Hell of a Judge . / That's what they would do to Me . Have Me Judge so I couldn't Run My Hounds , in Compatition , at Field Trials . But I managed to Not Judge enough of Em , to get Me a Wall 🧱 Full of Trophy's 🏆. 🐯🤠
For real! 😆