We get it... you are a little shocked by the black background. Well, we had to make some changes in our house so we needed a better background. Black was better than the white one we had, so we used it for a couple videos. Don't worry, a new one is here, and will be used from here on.
Hey Brian and Derica, I just wanted to let you know that during these crazy times both of you have stayed away from mentioning any current events. From the bottom of my heart I thank you! Being bombarded with bad news every day is tough on a lot of us. Watching your videos and learning how to brew with common sense is an escape from all of it! I’ve watched since the beginning and wish you the best as you grow in your endeavors! Keep it up and thank you!! Jason G.
Jason, thank you for this. We try to not get political or even dwell on the current events of the day. Of course we're affected (more than some, our main business is essentially dead) but, we feel that going back to our roots, growing our food, brewing our own booze, and in general grounding ourselves has made a huge difference for us. It gives perspective in a crazy world. All those "extras" just aren't needed, and I don't just mean in food and wine. Thank you for your continued support and for watching. Have a great day. -Brian
I second this. Over in the UK I have hit rock bottom recently due to the state of the world right now. I decided to start brewing mead and discovered these guys yesterday, and have been addicted ever since. I can’t stop smiling and writing my own mead recipes :)
I couldn't agree more. Basically started binge-watching your channel and enjoy the personalities and the editing in it all. I recently made the "first mead" recipe according to the recipe (without deviation) and I'm not quite a week in. That being said, it gives me something daily to go look at and smile. I see/hear the bloop bloop of the airlock and it makes me smile. That's kinda rare these days.
Hang in everyone. Looks like welre all ‘in brewing united’ and it’s keeping us going. Thanks, Derica and Brian, your videos are great, therapeutic and got me to take my brewing more seriously: I’m taking gravity readings now and it takes a lot of the guesswork out!
Man I agree with guy. Really appreciate you guys steering clear of current events. It's really nice to forget about the current state if the word and watch something entertaining and informative. Watching thus whole grilling in the back yard right now.
I made a mead with some crushed pineapple in. No measuring, just experimenting. Only made a 750ml batch. This was when I made a few different experiments. It tasted the best, a little nutty, but I didn't think much of it. Shortly after, we moved house (this was about 5.5 years ago). The bottle traveled with, and stayed in the fridge. Then I moved it out onto the window sill to make more space. The other day I decided I need to clean out the bottle and clear up a bit. There was some floating stuff in, but I decided to taste it anyway. It was incredible!! So I've put it in the fridge to settle the solids. Time has turned it from an experiment into something incredibly delicious.
Even when I don't think I'll learn something new, I watch every video you guys put out. Why? Because without fail, you make me smile, or laugh, or possibly facepalm from a bad dad joke, but every single time it's totally worth the investment of time and energy. Also, I'm kinda glad we can't grow limes as far north as where I live.
Amy.... thanks so much for that. I learn new things all the time. We always try to question and test our opinions and I think that is the key to learning. Never stopping. Be very glad for the lack of limegrowing.
Started watching you guys for a hobby during covid. Just finished this week drinking my first wines made from store bought juice and bread yeast :) thank you both from Australia, I really enjoy your videos
I technically made mead earlier this year. Some small hive beetles destroyed one of my hives. I tried cleaning the frames in some cold water in a Rubbermaid bin but the cold made the wax too hard to remove. I left it in the sun for a few hours started scraping it, stopped and came back to finish a few days later. The mixture was bubbly and smelled slightly alcoholic. Ingredients: water, honey, wax, small hive beetles (adult and larvae), and dead bees (adult and larvae) No I did not try to drink it. It just got me thinking.
Hey guys, I just finished my first brew and it was the simple cider. I love it and I wanted to thank you for inspiring this new passion of mine. Since it was my first brew I didn’t have all the basic equipment you guys said I should have but I did it anyway with a plastic tube instead of a siphon and some soap instead of proper sanitation equipment but now I ordered my missing stuff. A lot of thanks from a French canadien (québécois)
I make cran-raspberry wine. It's flavorful and sweet. I made a batch 30 days ago and it's nearly ready to siphon off and cold crash. ;) One thing you can do to fix a brew if too much sugar added is to transfer out a 1/4 to 1/3 of the brew to another container and add enough juice to replace what you took out to your containers. I've done this to my elder-berry and black pepper wine and it worked. If you see bubbling coming off your S-trap, you've got the sugar-juice-yeast ratio correct.
@@generrosity It should be an Essential Skill for every one these days as who knows where the next drink will come from if we all get locked away agen🥝
Hey guys. Just wanted to reach out and share that I am brand new to brewing and have the fortunate situation to be working for a active farming family that grows a variety of apples and fresh presses their own apple juice which has led me to wanting to experiment with home brewing hard cider. I have watched a TON of videos on beginner ciders and want to let you know that your videos are by far and away the best I've watched. Soooooo THANK YOU! it has been incredibly helpful and i am very excited about getting started on my being journey!! Keep up the great work!
Hi Brian and Derica. I just wanted to say thanks for your great channel. I did my first homebrew in over twenty years a couple of months ago and have found your videos to be a great help. I've now got a ginger beer, mead, and cider all on their way based on your videos. Thanks again, Vince
I don't know if you guys see old comments, but if you do, thank you! You guys rock, in particular, the end of #7. The almost culty, guild-like, secretive attitudes from people who are into homebrewing...ugh...the worst is going into a homebrew shop and getting the socially awkward employee who gives the vibe that they don't want to sell you product, they don't want you in their club. Happened some years ago at one of our local shops. It "almost" put me off, but here I am, enjoying yourvideos and getting ready for this adventure (again)!
No 1 made me chuckle - I wasn’t expecting it but should have!! And No 7 - oh my goodness, there certainly is plenty of mead elitism or snobbery in Facebook groups. People getting into arguments about stabilising or raisins is crazy (and sometimes a little funny too)! You guys gave me the inspiration to try this hobby and continue to educate and motivate - keep doing what you’re doing!! 🍻
Love your videos and watch them even if I won't be making beer. Both of you are entertainging and informative. Been watching for over a year now and been brewing mead that long too. Thank you
"Hydropeter" is accurate. Also, I am pretty sure I once broke one when I accidentally bumped it into a carbon molecule in the air. An often overlooked but necessary item in your home brew kit is a good magnet to clean up after breaking your hydrometer.
I have another channel where I attempted to document start to end of primary for a batch of show mead. Dropped the hydrometer in the sink by accident on day two. Ruined the sequence of the shoot and I trashed all the footage 😂 The mead turned out great in spite of all that though.
For me percentage is mostly about self preservation, at or around 14% is where wines tend to have a good flavor as well as being more likely to self preserve.
@@CitySteadingBrews I find that right around 14% is kind of the sweet spot for both flavor and preservation generally. Either at that, a little above, or a little below.
My dad did brewing as a hobby when I was pretty young (about 7-13) and I have picked it post turning 21 this year and it has been so much fun I love mead and cider! getting to know what goes into batch is so wonderful and I've given so many bottles as presents already and y'all's videos have been so helpful I really appreciate the time and effort y'all put into this. Side note cooking mead? I think it's practically the only type y'all don't have on your channel.
Tracy, plastic ones are very difficult to break in comparison to a glass one. Not that I would do it, but their is a vid online where a guy threw a plastic one across a room, onto a tile floor. It didn't break and still worked fine.
@@CitySteadingBrews DURAC triple scale hydrometer for brewers by Thomas scientific, NJ, retail at $20 for plastic & $44 for polycarbonate version. Difficult for me to procure across the globe
You two seem like awesome folks to play D&D with. I've been a homebrewer, gardener and nerd for a long time, just started my second ever mead tonight after I binged a bunch of your videos this week. First time I did it, I approached it exactly as a beer brew - hopped it, 5 gallon batch, fermented it out completely then bottled with priming sugar to carbonate it. It was awful for about two years then started to get good. I never tried it again until now. I want to thank you guys for inspiring me to give this a shot. My local homebrew store sold a few more 1 gallon carboys this week than they would have otherwise. On another note, given the ethos you're adhering to for your brewing and gardening, you might find videos by Diego Footer to be interesting. Also, if you want someone that holds themselves accountable by reporting results, not just hyping the beginning of every new project or technique, check out the RED Gardens project. Both have been useful to me as I slowly convert my yard into a food forest here in WI.
spitting/screaming into the mead to wake up the fermentation gods was something the vikings used to do. it tends to be sour and can cause a spoiled mead.
Yes, but did you know that in South America precolombian cultures used human saliva to make alcohol chewing starch flour and spitting it in bucket. Because human saliva can break the starch molecules into sugar. Actually, some beverages are still make this way like "chicha".
I'm guilty of some of this and have learned a lot. I currently have a simple apple juice sugar and bakers yeast on day 2, bubbling away nicely I will be investing in a hydrometer soon. I had 2, I broke one and lost the other l I used to brew beer from a kit about 20 years ago and I'm thinking of getting back into it
I have also put 5 pounds of honey in a 1 gal batch (of cyser). When it wouldn't start I pitched EC-1118 and it went to work. It still came out WAY too sweet, but I've since learned how to do math and it did ferment to 18%. But yes, learning how to do the math and calculate sugars/etc BEFORE pitching has changed my brew game. No more worrying about pasteurization, additives, etc. Just do the math and it's all good.
@@CitySteadingBrews Projected e-book publish dated? Or do I age like fine mead? I'm new to mead making and just got my first one gallon kit and basic supplies. I even order my free GreenWise apple cider.
Please know I was totally on board with that train of thought. Would have to make great mead right??? Lol you two are the best thanks for sharing your experiences.
Dear lord I just made my first brew and I did SOOOO many of these lol. But I have the stuff on the way for a second brew. So glad I found y'all!!! My new favorite channel
I'm a complete newbie and have recently started making wine so I've been using 7 day wine kits. I've made a few mistakes and have been really impatient, I have also tried to change a box recipe and used a super yeast..... it didn't work surprisingly 🤣 I'm a bit more patient now but have really struggled getting my head around the hydrometer.... I hate it because I'm never sure what I'm reading! I'm really glad I've watched this video tonight as it's really given me better directions so thank you both!
What most stands out with you two is the fact that you are articulate and communicate so well. You’re outstanding and addictive. Well done! I think I must have watched dozens of your videos in the past week!
Yup. Last year my son and I made our 1st mead and got too excited(and not educated enough) that we only put yeast nutrients... wasted 2 months, ha! Thanks for the videos! We know now, haha. Take care!
Awesome video, you guys rock. All good advice...some of which I heeded in the beginning, some of which I did not... I have learned so much from you both. Your channel has made my hobby so enjoyable, one that I can share with family. Can't put a price on that, so I'll just say 'thank you'.
Thank you for your simplicity. I just started making wine and im learning the ratio to get what I want. I have failed on flavor I want, but it's still wine. I hate those videos called "home brew" but their garage looks like Martha Stewart vineyard and overly complicated jargon. Great job guys
My favourite part of their personality is how honest they are and how serious they are about what they do. City Steading really is passionate about their brews and I would love to try their products if they ever made them commercially-available.
Always...always love your presentations. I find myself coming back, even after watching other channels. 100% right in saying that patience is better than additives...and I found the joy and enthusiasm waning a bit, after looking into additives and complicated procedures...(for clearing etc). YES!! KEEP IT SIMPLE and the joy will continue...once it gets to the stage where one is spending a lot of time observing a brew...it's a sure sign it becomes a burden and I think that's why some, after having gotten into brewing, give up after a while...it should not be burdensome.
I watch this video periodically for a reality check. I love to experiment but recipes are a sure thing. Thanks for all the great information packed videos!
Really enjoy ur channel!… My wife and I have started our first 4 gallons of cider. We are 2 days in and super excited and I catch myself every 10 minutes just watching the air lock. So hard to wait.lol…
Okay. I'm guilty of making up my own recipes. So far, out of the 6 meads I've made I have only followed 2 recipes exactly. There is a Christmas mead brewing now in which I sort of used a recipe from a book. I don't like the TOSNA stuff because the results seemed unpredictable so that was tossed out. I'm glad that I stumbled across your channel. The ginger mead is in the clearing stage right now. Can't wait to see the new background!
I haven't followed any recipes, I think it's more fun to try make something unique and not by the book, I just did a gallon of Apple cider which I then flavoured with cinnamon, whole oranges cut up and honey and it turned out really nice, ive got a 9% apple wine brewing with some added tannin and tantaric acid and also dry hopped with citra, and I'm about to try ferment a mix of orange and pink grapefruit. I don't see the need to follow recipes as long as the brew tastes good in the end
I was Tube surfing and found you guys. I wasn’t thinking about brewing anything but I started the rice wine. Since then I have been watching you and you have been keeping me company most of the day while teaching me all kinds of stuff. I just wanted to let you know how happy I am to have found you guys. Keep it up and thank you soooo much!
You guys convinced me to buy star san and hydrometer 😊. Actually my first wine tasted horrible because I used bleach to sanitize my equipment lol. Thank you very much for all the information
i like you guys. Im new to brewing and im a rule breaker. Im sitting at my computer drinking ginger beer my first brew watching this vid. well i made my own recipe based on yours. i make ginger extract for tea. i made a 1 gallon batch of strong ginger tea 2 pounds sugar and half a packe of blanc champaine yest. Brewed 3 days and it was dry so i put it in the instant pot on sous vide mode 142 deg and pasturised the brew added juice of 2 lemons and 1.5 cups honey. Put it in a 2.5 lieter keg and hit it with co2 in the fridge for 30 hours at 40 psi then to 5 psi to pour it came out pretty good. now ill follow some advice i guess
Hey! on your number 9. I first watched your "mead for beginners video set" and made two batches; one with blackberries and raisins, and the second being blackberries, raisins, raspberries, and black tea (like yall said with the tea). They both turned out great, the tea actually settled the bite of the first but both are something I think is respectable for a first try. Yall make it easy to understand. Thank You!
I just wanted to say thanks, and that you two are great. I'm just getting started and I couldn't ask for better people to inspire me to start into this hobby. You are informative and lighthearted at the same time and that speaks volumes to me. Keep up the great work and I'll be here to watch and learn.
When Brian was describing the minimal equipment they had and use...I can't believe he left out TRBOS! My wine is almost done...or at least 2 of the 7 gallons is. I love your vids and always learn many things from watching them.
Hey guys, I like this video a lot, this is the way I love to make my booze. With minimal equipment, of course, then I can spend more on extra ingredients! At about 12:30 you talked about repeatability and differences in taste. I have seen a video of the Laphroaig Whiskey where the master reckoned you can make the equivalent of two olympic sized swimming pools of Whiskey and put two drops of sulphur in one and they will eventually taste different. Keep up the good work!
One of the best videos out there! 👌🏻 THANK YOU! I’m just setting out in home-brew and like many, made the mistake of watching dozens of dozens of videos by a host of hosts. Result, I was overwhelmed and ready to give up before I started 😫 Your no-nonsense, straight forward, honest approach and keeping to basics is, for me, the best and most enjoyable way. I’m just starting my second fruit wine and having a blast. THANK YOU! for the great content and great advice and guidance.
Hi guys. I think I’ve watched most of your videos.. really liked them. I’ve tried some of you recipes with amazing results specially the hibiscus mead (now its 6 months old and its great!). Thing is I’m planning a blueberry mead fermented with the fruit in a bag and i’m wondering if you recommend to add tea for tannings or the blueberry skins are suffiecient? It will be 3kg of honey, 1 kg of blueberries, peel of 1 lemon peel and 71b yeast for 8 liters of water. Cheers!
I figured there would be something here that I would recognize. Thanks for your advice, I DID end up splitting the batch. Make mistakes, get messy and learn along the way! I like playing, but playing is a lot more fun when you end up with a good result. Thanks so much for helping me out, hopefully things will turn out well!
Hi guys, have been watching several of your videos and find them informative, funny and helpful. I have never made a brew yet and I have been wanting to tell someone about my recent inheritance. My father passed away in December 2016 and he was a wine maker and my mother just asked me if I wanted to have his stuff as she wanted it all cleaned up. So I inherited his carboys, buckets and I am not kidding gallons of wine. I have about seven gallon of elderberry wine that look to be having been taken off the lees and has been in its secondary fermentation (not positive about that) but all of it was made 2016 and before. I have his brew log so I have been able to map out when he made all this stuff. Pretty fun and emotional all at the same time. Right now I am enjoying some of his red currant wine. He tended to sweeten his stuff more than I like but this is very very good. He also tended to make it pretty high ABV but I don't know enough yet to know for sure a I have never even had any store bought wine besides Mad Dog 2020 in my junior high years LOL. OH he also had about 3/4 of a gallon of Melomel that I had never heard of before. Had to Google it to figure it out. Not sure what fruit he mixed with it but it is delicious and STRONG. He put this up back in 2013. Anyway, getting a little long but I believe my first brew is going to be some apple cider, and hopefully it will be about ready by Christmas. Thanks for all you do. Oh the Red Currant wine tastes of dark dried fruit (reminds me of raisin and prune in a good way). It is tart, but sweet (I suspect he backsweetened a lot of his brews) but not too sweet. OH and I found his tattered recipe book!!! Again thanks for all you do and letting me share a little of this stuff.
Thanks for doing what you guy's do, I'm new at this and find myself watching over and over again. I like the fact that you all don't add all the chemicals. We get enough junk in our everyday food now day's.
I like the fact that you don't promote all the additives. Some of that stuff gets kind of spendy for just hobby brewing. I got into brewing for the fun of it, not to be a lab tech. I like simple.
@@CitySteadingBrews as you already know, I do watch one other channel. He does mostly the simple side of things too. He might use a lot of extra steps, but very seldom does he use chemical additives. I like that aspect.
Hi CS Brews ! I followed a simple recipe (unfortunately not from your channel) for my very first mead. It's one of these recipes without measuring anything (you convinced me that it is crucial sooo... next time I'll have the gear :) ). Because of the water to honey ratio, I shooould be arouund 1.082 original density (says a calculation table), which "predicts" a 10.90 abv. I understand I have NO guarantee of getting any of that, and since I used a cheap bread yeast, I just might not get anything remotely close to this much alcohol. I'm okay with whatever I get, as long as it's not moldy or vinegar (and so far, 2.5 weeks in, so good). My question is this: as much as I understand that abv really helps with preservation, since I'm probably not going to get above 10 abv, and from what I've understood one would expect good preservation around or above ~12 abv... would it make sense (from a preservation standpoint only) to add alcohol in the end just to make sure it better holds up long term bottling? I believe it will definitely alter the taste (and I WILL taste it beforehand) but I don't want this first experiment to go to waste.
I asked a question on the last sack mead video. Guess you missed that one ;) Love the channel. The Viking Blood video started me on a spiraling out of control hobby. I have way to many brews going.
This is one of the reasons I like your channel! Brewing without all the chemical additives as a base mindset for what you do. Thanks to you both and appreciate all the work and sharing! Please keep it up!
About What you said about using known Recipes. I tried making a cider. found a recipe that just called for Apple juice yeast and nutrient, I think you can guess what happened LOL... anyway I tried back sweating it with some packets of instant hot cider mix. in the end it worked out fine. But hay having just started out I expect to make mistakes which is why I try and keep it simple for now. so far I have made mead, 6 lbs of honey two gallons of water the recipe came with the kit I got for fathers day a few years ago, sadly it only came with one Fermenter and I needed 3. so what is your advice on how to get low budget larger fermenters I would like one or 2 that's at least 3 gallons?
Hello just wanted to say thanks for the great videos and fun energy! I'm brewing for the first time and you have answered so many of my questions over many of your videos... there is power in knowledge and I love how you both choose to share it freely... for that I'll keep watching your videos and enjoy the lessons
Thanks for your videos. I started with your beginner orange Mead. Since I've made a ginger, raspberry, capsicumel, bochet, chocolate cherry, Salal, Oregon grapes, elder berry, and metheglin. Black berry is next.
Go figure I found your channel right when I moved away from Florida! Anyway, you guys have kept me busy during COVID-19, and I have enjoyed both of you so much! -- That said, I think I broke a cardinal rule, waiting! The facts: - On 6/13 I followed your "Learn to Make a Basic Mead" video. - 2.5 lbs honey, filled up for 1 gallon (leaving some head room) - Half packet Lalvin ICV-D47 (hydrated) - 6/13 1.102 (OG) - 7/4 1.060 The issue: - On 7/4 when I did the reading, I was suprised to see the mead was super fizzy like rootbeer. - I sorta panicked, and racked it which didn't go so well due to the carbination not letting the auto siphon work. - Going to mention that there was a small amout of stickness near the air lock. My question: - Should I just dump it and learn or does it still stand a chance? (best guess) Also, i'm intrested in how did it get so fizzy. Cheers!
Just getting into mead making as a hobby. Enjoying all of your well worded and informative videos. Thank you for the great content! Time to go watch all of your videos.
Not for nothing, but I personally am not enjoying the black background. Don't know if utube got finicky or was before. I enjoyed looking at the collection and seeing what moved and what didn't. Love the subtleties, that's all. Y'all continue to help me and that's what's I appreciates about y'all's.
Yes yes yes! Couldn't agree more with the opinion on the final product! That is one of the reasons I keep coming back to CS brews! You two are amazing! You tell it how it is no matter what the result! Keep up with the amazing videos! It is one of the only things that has made this quarantine possible.
I jus cannot tell you how much I love you guys! Honest, real and great personalities. I’m doing the tea wine. I will be making a few batches with subtle adjustments to see what I like best. Great advice, can wait to see what else you come up with.
Hey Brian and Derica! Ive watched loads of your videos, recommended to friends during lockdown and finally got round to this one and you got me worried. I followed (mostly) the simple mead recipe, but live in the UK and used 1.5kg of honey thinking it should come out as a sweet mead with 71beast. (3lbs = 1.36kg). Starting gravity was 1.114 if i read it right, and its bubbling away nicely for the last 9 days in a 16-18c dark area (61-65f). I was hoping for around 13% with a nice sweetness, can you guesstimate if i was in the right area or if im massively underestimating 71b and overpowering the brew with alcohol? Starting to think i shouldve gone with d47 and less honey? Thank you for all these videos, a lot of the time i dont even skip the ads because theyre so easy to process and full of brilliant info.
I appreciate your channel immensely. I recently bought 10 gallons of raw cider from my local orchard on a whim, and you guys are what is standing between 10 gallons of vinegar and 10 gallons of home brewed goodness
About 'known recipes'. Do you have a list of your recipes? I checked your website but couldn't find any. I know I can rewatch your vids or brows the descriptions but a comprehensive list would be so much more convenient.
I made mead once a few years ago and did every single thing you guys said we shouldn't do (at least I was patient). I mean I don't know how it even tasted good. This time around I'm gonna follow your advice and recipes... Thank you :)
Just learning to brew wine ... this is my 3 rd batch !! Ive been watching your videos for 2 months now ! And after this video i am subscribing you guys now !!! Thanks !!!
CS Brews i waited because of the advertisement... should i skip is in 5 secs or watch all the way !! When i feel like well i should watch everything ( ad) then i follow ! Ive been doing it for ages !! Im not late sir ! I was waiting for my comfort zone to be comfortable!! XD but i get to learn a lot from you both!! Thanks
I live in New Orleans, there’s a huge amount of sourced meats shops and farmers selling their produce all around town. Also potters and other crafts that people really like to buy over the commercial wares. So this is the easiest place to control what you eat and drink. Plus Louisiana has a huge amount of private brewers and distillers
hi, I made a 16% standard mead and after fermentation I putt some lemons in some of the mead and had some withoute the lemons. The mead with the lemons cleared compleatly in 2 days but the one with no lemons is still cloudy. Do you have any idea way this can be? ps. sorry for bade English.
Well, Thanks to you folks, I am bringing my family name back to life. As a Meade, I have thought about making Mead for a long time and now that I have the time and the place to settle down, I am ready to dig in. I came across your channel last night while looking for something to drown out the noise and bad news and I think I binge watched about 15 of your videos about various Meads you have produced. I watched a couple of other content creators as well but I really like your energy together and your keep it simple approach to Mead Making. I am glad I watched this one today while I took notes...after buying the basic supplies I will need to begin. My biggest concern will be the sterilization process so I will gobble up all discussions you two have had about sterilization. As for the storage of batches while they are fermenting, I have already realized my dream of building a Hobbit House so I have plenty of space in my literal man cave for both the sterilization process and the storage in the optimal temperature environment. (I wouldn't mind going to New Zealand but New Hampshire will have to do for now.) I haven't watched all of your videos but most are a couple of years old. I hope all is well with you both and hopefully you are still making tasty goodness together. Thanks again for the inspiration and clear direction. Gary Meade
@@CitySteadingBrews Fantastic! Very glad to hear that! I look forward to learning more and I will be doing some filming this spring while doing finish woodwork on the Hobbit House. By that time, I should be tasting my first creation and will certainly be giving a shout out to you both and your channel for the inspiration.
heya Brian and Derica, this was another amazing video. The one thing I love about your videos is that your enjoyment of the hobby comes through in them. This is what got me into starting three months ago with my first mead. (still waiting for it in conditioning as the gravity is still slowly changing , but as you say, be patient!). Thank you for all your great content. I intend to attempt a step feed sack mead soon.
One thing I love about you two is one way or another the KISS principal is in mind. If a simpler and effective way comes up you adopt it. Rustic garden is a epic channel btw
Peanut butter Stout video please and a berry wine. Just wanted to say that you guys are amazing and have helped me get through this very hard time. My fiancee lost her youngest son last month, I loved him like a son, he was getting in to DMing in D&D, he was too young. Thank you.
Love the videos and the meads. if memory serves me Brian does not like peach(meads) they do weird things for him. that being said . have you thought about peach/mango mead. I tried once with Old orchard frozen peach/mango 3 cans per gallon of fresh water. then 2 pounds of honey ( orange blossom ) . I'm still waiting for it to age . was sparkling .
We get it... you are a little shocked by the black background. Well, we had to make some changes in our house so we needed a better background. Black was better than the white one we had, so we used it for a couple videos. Don't worry, a new one is here, and will be used from here on.
Kimberley Smith lol
Black and darker backgrounds make the focus on the foreground, your mannerisms, easier.
I noticed the new table more before I noticed the background.
@mx mead Same
Great info guys!
Hey Brian and Derica,
I just wanted to let you know that during these crazy times both of you have stayed away from mentioning any current events. From the bottom of my heart I thank you! Being bombarded with bad news every day is tough on a lot of us. Watching your videos and learning how to brew with common sense is an escape from all of it! I’ve watched since the beginning and wish you the best as you grow in your endeavors! Keep it up and thank you!!
Jason G.
Jason, thank you for this. We try to not get political or even dwell on the current events of the day. Of course we're affected (more than some, our main business is essentially dead) but, we feel that going back to our roots, growing our food, brewing our own booze, and in general grounding ourselves has made a huge difference for us. It gives perspective in a crazy world. All those "extras" just aren't needed, and I don't just mean in food and wine.
Thank you for your continued support and for watching.
Have a great day.
-Brian
I second this. Over in the UK I have hit rock bottom recently due to the state of the world right now. I decided to start brewing mead and discovered these guys yesterday, and have been addicted ever since. I can’t stop smiling and writing my own mead recipes :)
I couldn't agree more. Basically started binge-watching your channel and enjoy the personalities and the editing in it all. I recently made the "first mead" recipe according to the recipe (without deviation) and I'm not quite a week in. That being said, it gives me something daily to go look at and smile. I see/hear the bloop bloop of the airlock and it makes me smile. That's kinda rare these days.
Hang in everyone. Looks like welre all ‘in brewing united’ and it’s keeping us going. Thanks, Derica and Brian, your videos are great, therapeutic and got me to take my brewing more seriously: I’m taking gravity readings now and it takes a lot of the guesswork out!
Man I agree with guy. Really appreciate you guys steering clear of current events. It's really nice to forget about the current state if the word and watch something entertaining and informative. Watching thus whole grilling in the back yard right now.
I made a mead with some crushed pineapple in. No measuring, just experimenting. Only made a 750ml batch. This was when I made a few different experiments. It tasted the best, a little nutty, but I didn't think much of it. Shortly after, we moved house (this was about 5.5 years ago). The bottle traveled with, and stayed in the fridge. Then I moved it out onto the window sill to make more space. The other day I decided I need to clean out the bottle and clear up a bit. There was some floating stuff in, but I decided to taste it anyway. It was incredible!! So I've put it in the fridge to settle the solids. Time has turned it from an experiment into something incredibly delicious.
Time heals all brews. Buuuuut, that windowsill... probably not the best spot for it!
@@CitySteadingBrews I keep mine in the closet
Even when I don't think I'll learn something new, I watch every video you guys put out. Why? Because without fail, you make me smile, or laugh, or possibly facepalm from a bad dad joke, but every single time it's totally worth the investment of time and energy.
Also, I'm kinda glad we can't grow limes as far north as where I live.
Amy.... thanks so much for that. I learn new things all the time. We always try to question and test our opinions and I think that is the key to learning. Never stopping.
Be very glad for the lack of limegrowing.
I love dad jokes personally lol 😆
Started watching you guys for a hobby during covid. Just finished this week drinking my first wines made from store bought juice and bread yeast :) thank you both from Australia, I really enjoy your videos
That is awesome! Thank you!
I have sooo many delicious bottles of wine and mead thanks to Brian and Derica! I hope you try some more home brew recipes from CS Brews!
Im in SW Scotland
I technically made mead earlier this year. Some small hive beetles destroyed one of my hives. I tried cleaning the frames in some cold water in a Rubbermaid bin but the cold made the wax too hard to remove. I left it in the sun for a few hours started scraping it, stopped and came back to finish a few days later. The mixture was bubbly and smelled slightly alcoholic.
Ingredients: water, honey, wax, small hive beetles (adult and larvae), and dead bees (adult and larvae)
No I did not try to drink it. It just got me thinking.
Just started my first real wine brew yesterday! wish me luck you have been a tremendous help
Good luck!
3gal concentrate Apple Blueberry juice, sugar, red star bread yeast. 1.44 spgv. hope it goes well bubbling away right now
1.44? Umm.... I think you read that wrong. Was it maybe 1.044?
@@CitySteadingBrews Oh.... Oh no..... 1.144
just pulled another test, 1.121... mistakes have been made.
its weird the starting grav before I added any sugar was about 1.06 or so
“That’s all you have to do is drink a little bit more” GOAT level advice!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey guys, I just finished my first brew and it was the simple cider. I love it and I wanted to thank you for inspiring this new passion of mine. Since it was my first brew I didn’t have all the basic equipment you guys said I should have but I did it anyway with a plastic tube instead of a siphon and some soap instead of proper sanitation equipment but now I ordered my missing stuff.
A lot of thanks from a French canadien (québécois)
I make cran-raspberry wine. It's flavorful and sweet. I made a batch 30 days ago and it's nearly ready to siphon off and cold crash. ;)
One thing you can do to fix a brew if too much sugar added is to transfer out a 1/4 to 1/3 of the brew to another container and add enough juice to replace what you took out to your containers. I've done this to my elder-berry and black pepper wine and it worked. If you see bubbling coming off your S-trap, you've got the sugar-juice-yeast ratio correct.
I live in NZ we would love to have you here. You have the Kiwi can do attitude and life style
Thanks!
Yes! Come to New Zealand! I'm not sure that 'brew youtuber' comes under our essential skills needed visa, but we would love to have you! 💚🥝🇳🇿
@@generrosity It should be an Essential Skill for every one these days as who knows where the next drink will come from if we all get locked away agen🥝
Oof that comment aged well...
The whole reason I started brewing was because of this channels easy approach to it. So I greatly appreciate that.
Happy to help!
Great advice. I brew for the enjoyment of it, not the alcohol content. The process of learning and recreating is why I am on your site everyday.
Same here. Experimenting is part of the fun for me. Going up the mountain and foraging ingredients is also part of the fun :-)
Hey guys. Just wanted to reach out and share that I am brand new to brewing and have the fortunate situation to be working for a active farming family that grows a variety of apples and fresh presses their own apple juice which has led me to wanting to experiment with home brewing hard cider. I have watched a TON of videos on beginner ciders and want to let you know that your videos are by far and away the best I've watched. Soooooo THANK YOU! it has been incredibly helpful and i am very excited about getting started on my being journey!! Keep up the great work!
Great information, especially people new to brewing. You guys crack me up. The perfect balance of education and information mixed with comedy
Thanks Adam!
Really excellent information, as a person who generally wants to turn it up to 11, this grounds my mind. I truly appreciate your input and knowledge
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Brian and Derica. I just wanted to say thanks for your great channel. I did my first homebrew in over twenty years a couple of months ago and have found your videos to be a great help. I've now got a ginger beer, mead, and cider all on their way based on your videos. Thanks again, Vince
That is awesome!
I don't know if you guys see old comments, but if you do, thank you! You guys rock, in particular, the end of #7. The almost culty, guild-like, secretive attitudes from people who are into homebrewing...ugh...the worst is going into a homebrew shop and getting the socially awkward employee who gives the vibe that they don't want to sell you product, they don't want you in their club. Happened some years ago at one of our local shops. It "almost" put me off, but here I am, enjoying yourvideos and getting ready for this adventure (again)!
No 1 made me chuckle - I wasn’t expecting it but should have!! And No 7 - oh my goodness, there certainly is plenty of mead elitism or snobbery in Facebook groups. People getting into arguments about stabilising or raisins is crazy (and sometimes a little funny too)! You guys gave me the inspiration to try this hobby and continue to educate and motivate - keep doing what you’re doing!! 🍻
Happy to help, thanks for watching!
Love your videos and watch them even if I won't be making beer. Both of you are entertainging and informative. Been watching for over a year now and been brewing mead that long too. Thank you
Thanks for watching!
"Hydropeter" is accurate. Also, I am pretty sure I once broke one when I accidentally bumped it into a carbon molecule in the air. An often overlooked but necessary item in your home brew kit is a good magnet to clean up after breaking your hydrometer.
I have another channel where I attempted to document start to end of primary for a batch of show mead. Dropped the hydrometer in the sink by accident on day two. Ruined the sequence of the shoot and I trashed all the footage 😂
The mead turned out great in spite of all that though.
Started my first mead using yalls recipe with tea, raisins, and orange peel. Thank yall for all the helpful info.
For me percentage is mostly about self preservation, at or around 14% is where wines tend to have a good flavor as well as being more likely to self preserve.
Very true. At 10% acetobactors begin having trouble. By 15%, they cannot activate.
@@CitySteadingBrews I find that right around 14% is kind of the sweet spot for both flavor and preservation generally. Either at that, a little above, or a little below.
Yep, like we said in the video, 12-15%.
My dad did brewing as a hobby when I was pretty young (about 7-13) and I have picked it post turning 21 this year and it has been so much fun I love mead and cider! getting to know what goes into batch is so wonderful and I've given so many bottles as presents already and y'all's videos have been so helpful I really appreciate the time and effort y'all put into this. Side note cooking mead? I think it's practically the only type y'all don't have on your channel.
We do cook with mead... just don’t make it only to cook with. But that’s our other channel!
Broke our first hydrometer about a month ago. Replaced it with a plastic one. Hydrometerfracture Anxiety went away. More-or-less.
Plastic hydrometer... I'm intrigued.
Always remember: 3 is one and 1 is none.
Tracy, plastic ones are very difficult to break in comparison to a glass one. Not that I would do it, but their is a vid online where a guy threw a plastic one across a room, onto a tile floor. It didn't break and still worked fine.
@@CitySteadingBrews DURAC triple scale hydrometer for brewers by Thomas scientific, NJ, retail at $20 for plastic & $44 for polycarbonate version. Difficult for me to procure across the globe
Love your simplicity and variety of your brews. Keep up the awesome work and videos.👍🏻
Thank you kindly!
You two seem like awesome folks to play D&D with. I've been a homebrewer, gardener and nerd for a long time, just started my second ever mead tonight after I binged a bunch of your videos this week. First time I did it, I approached it exactly as a beer brew - hopped it, 5 gallon batch, fermented it out completely then bottled with priming sugar to carbonate it. It was awful for about two years then started to get good. I never tried it again until now. I want to thank you guys for inspiring me to give this a shot. My local homebrew store sold a few more 1 gallon carboys this week than they would have otherwise.
On another note, given the ethos you're adhering to for your brewing and gardening, you might find videos by Diego Footer to be interesting. Also, if you want someone that holds themselves accountable by reporting results, not just hyping the beginning of every new project or technique, check out the RED Gardens project. Both have been useful to me as I slowly convert my yard into a food forest here in WI.
Really my favorite channel to watch it’s so calming and interesting like dude idk just makes my day when I get on and watch em
spitting/screaming into the mead to wake up the fermentation gods was something the vikings used to do.
it tends to be sour and can cause a spoiled mead.
#11.
Just asking if you know that from direct experience???
Yes, but did you know that in South America precolombian cultures used human saliva to make alcohol chewing starch flour and spitting it in bucket. Because human saliva can break the starch molecules into sugar. Actually, some beverages are still make this way like "chicha".
@@miguelbohrt7252 I've seen that done on a couple of travel shows. It's disgusting. 🤮
@@wmluna381 it is indeed however very interesting at least to me
I'm guilty of some of this and have learned a lot. I currently have a simple apple juice sugar and bakers yeast on day 2, bubbling away nicely
I will be investing in a hydrometer soon. I had 2, I broke one and lost the other l
I used to brew beer from a kit about 20 years ago and I'm thinking of getting back into it
How did it turn out?
I have also put 5 pounds of honey in a 1 gal batch (of cyser). When it wouldn't start I pitched EC-1118 and it went to work.
It still came out WAY too sweet, but I've since learned how to do math and it did ferment to 18%.
But yes, learning how to do the math and calculate sugars/etc BEFORE pitching has changed my brew game. No more worrying about pasteurization, additives, etc. Just do the math and it's all good.
Have you? Will you publish your recipes? I love your all natural approach but having trouble finding a recipe book source.
I am writing a book.
@@CitySteadingBrews Projected e-book publish dated? Or do I age like fine mead? I'm new to mead making and just got my first one gallon kit and basic supplies. I even order my free GreenWise apple cider.
Any progress with the book of recipes from CSB?
#1 almost fell out of my chair. I knew I was doing something wrong in my brews.
Please know I was totally on board with that train of thought. Would have to make great mead right??? Lol you two are the best thanks for sharing your experiences.
Great video!! I'm making Jalapeno mead today following your video. Hope it turns out well. Keep up the great work!!
Good luck and thank you for watching :)
Dear lord I just made my first brew and I did SOOOO many of these lol. But I have the stuff on the way for a second brew. So glad I found y'all!!! My new favorite channel
I'm a complete newbie and have recently started making wine so I've been using 7 day wine kits. I've made a few mistakes and have been really impatient, I have also tried to change a box recipe and used a super yeast..... it didn't work surprisingly 🤣 I'm a bit more patient now but have really struggled getting my head around the hydrometer.... I hate it because I'm never sure what I'm reading! I'm really glad I've watched this video tonight as it's really given me better directions so thank you both!
Thank you for the video! You guys are super cool. I just got my mead making kit😊
Awesome!
What most stands out with you two is the fact that you are articulate and communicate so well. You’re outstanding and addictive. Well done! I think I must have watched dozens of your videos in the past week!
Wow, thanks Roy!
Great video as always!
Thanks!
Yup. Last year my son and I made our 1st mead and got too excited(and not educated enough) that we only put yeast nutrients... wasted 2 months, ha! Thanks for the videos! We know now, haha. Take care!
I dig the natural process
Awesome video, you guys rock. All good advice...some of which I heeded in the beginning, some of which I did not...
I have learned so much from you both. Your channel has made my hobby so enjoyable, one that I can share with family. Can't put a price on that, so I'll just say 'thank you'.
George... thank YOU for watching. We appreciate it.
Thank you for keeping it simple .
Thank you for your simplicity. I just started making wine and im learning the ratio to get what I want. I have failed on flavor I want, but it's still wine. I hate those videos called "home brew" but their garage looks like Martha Stewart vineyard and overly complicated jargon. Great job guys
Thanks!
My favourite part of their personality is how honest they are and how serious they are about what they do. City Steading really is passionate about their brews and I would love to try their products if they ever made them commercially-available.
Well, we'd need a lot of permits and licenses to make our brews commercially available, so that's unlikely.
Thanks for your support though!
Thanks for making things so relatable. Even the mistakes. I'm learning a lot here.
Always...always love your presentations. I find myself coming back, even after watching other channels. 100% right in saying that patience is better than additives...and I found the joy and enthusiasm waning a bit, after looking into additives and complicated procedures...(for clearing etc). YES!! KEEP IT SIMPLE and the joy will continue...once it gets to the stage where one is spending a lot of time observing a brew...it's a sure sign it becomes a burden and I think that's why some, after having gotten into brewing, give up after a while...it should not be burdensome.
I watch this video periodically for a reality check. I love to experiment but recipes are a sure thing. Thanks for all the great information packed videos!
Lol. A fine plan I think!
Really enjoy ur channel!… My wife and I have started our first 4 gallons of cider. We are 2 days in and super excited and I catch myself every 10 minutes just watching the air lock. So hard to wait.lol…
Love your channel...been using all of your recipes with a twist.
All I can say is that I followed every recipe you had so far. Every brew I had came out good. I have you two to hank for that
Great to hear!
Okay. I'm guilty of making up my own recipes. So far, out of the 6 meads I've made I have only followed 2 recipes exactly. There is a Christmas mead brewing now in which I sort of used a recipe from a book. I don't like the TOSNA stuff because the results seemed unpredictable so that was tossed out. I'm glad that I stumbled across your channel. The ginger mead is in the clearing stage right now. Can't wait to see the new background!
Well... it's going to be wood... ish.
I haven't followed any recipes, I think it's more fun to try make something unique and not by the book, I just did a gallon of Apple cider which I then flavoured with cinnamon, whole oranges cut up and honey and it turned out really nice, ive got a 9% apple wine brewing with some added tannin and tantaric acid and also dry hopped with citra, and I'm about to try ferment a mix of orange and pink grapefruit. I don't see the need to follow recipes as long as the brew tastes good in the end
Thank you for your expertise.i enjoy watching you two.making up my first meads here
I was Tube surfing and found you guys. I wasn’t thinking about brewing anything but I started the rice wine. Since then I have been watching you and you have been keeping me company most of the day while teaching me all kinds of stuff. I just wanted to let you know how happy I am to have found you guys. Keep it up and thank you soooo much!
Kimberly, you are very welcome. We're here to help!
You guys convinced me to buy star san and hydrometer 😊. Actually my first wine tasted horrible because I used bleach to sanitize my equipment lol. Thank you very much for all the information
i like you guys. Im new to brewing and im a rule breaker. Im sitting at my computer drinking ginger beer my first brew watching this vid. well i made my own recipe based on yours. i make ginger extract for tea. i made a 1 gallon batch of strong ginger tea 2 pounds sugar and half a packe of blanc champaine yest. Brewed 3 days and it was dry so i put it in the instant pot on sous vide mode 142 deg and pasturised the brew added juice of 2 lemons and 1.5 cups honey. Put it in a 2.5 lieter keg and hit it with co2 in the fridge for 30 hours at 40 psi then to 5 psi to pour it came out pretty good. now ill follow some advice i guess
Well I just watch this video and apparently made it yesterday I found it amusing and insightful thank you keep going
Can you discuss “De-gassing vs Aerating” sometime? Always worry about introducing O2 and making vinegar after the brew is done fermenting.
You can't make vinegar once you have 14-15% ABV, if that helps. You can oxidize though making it a bit like sherry.
Hey! on your number 9. I first watched your "mead for beginners video set" and made two batches; one with blackberries and raisins, and the second being blackberries, raisins, raspberries, and black tea (like yall said with the tea). They both turned out great, the tea actually settled the bite of the first but both are something I think is respectable for a first try. Yall make it easy to understand. Thank You!
Hey guys. Great video as always. I, like Brian, struggle with patience lol😅
I just wanted to say thanks, and that you two are great. I'm just getting started and I couldn't ask for better people to inspire me to start into this hobby. You are informative and lighthearted at the same time and that speaks volumes to me. Keep up the great work and I'll be here to watch and learn.
When Brian was describing the minimal equipment they had and use...I can't believe he left out TRBOS! My wine is almost done...or at least 2 of the 7 gallons is. I love your vids and always learn many things from watching them.
Hey guys, I like this video a lot, this is the way I love to make my booze. With minimal equipment, of course, then I can spend more on extra ingredients! At about 12:30 you talked about repeatability and differences in taste. I have seen a video of the Laphroaig Whiskey where the master reckoned you can make the equivalent of two olympic sized swimming pools of Whiskey and put two drops of sulphur in one and they will eventually taste different. Keep up the good work!
One of the best videos out there! 👌🏻 THANK YOU! I’m just setting out in home-brew and like many, made the mistake of watching dozens of dozens of videos by a host of hosts. Result, I was overwhelmed and ready to give up before I started 😫 Your no-nonsense, straight forward, honest approach and keeping to basics is, for me, the best and most enjoyable way. I’m just starting my second fruit wine and having a blast. THANK YOU! for the great content and great advice and guidance.
Hi guys. I think I’ve watched most of your videos.. really liked them. I’ve tried some of you recipes with amazing results specially the hibiscus mead (now its 6 months old and its great!). Thing is I’m planning a blueberry mead fermented with the fruit in a bag and i’m wondering if you recommend to add tea for tannings or the blueberry skins are suffiecient? It will be 3kg of honey, 1 kg of blueberries, peel of 1 lemon peel and 71b yeast for 8 liters of water. Cheers!
I figured there would be something here that I would recognize. Thanks for your advice, I DID end up splitting the batch. Make mistakes, get messy and learn along the way! I like playing, but playing is a lot more fun when you end up with a good result. Thanks so much for helping me out, hopefully things will turn out well!
Anytime and you are not alone!
Hi guys, have been watching several of your videos and find them informative, funny and helpful. I have never made a brew yet and I have been wanting to tell someone about my recent inheritance.
My father passed away in December 2016 and he was a wine maker and my mother just asked me if I wanted to have his stuff as she wanted it all cleaned up. So I inherited his carboys, buckets and I am not kidding gallons of wine. I have about seven gallon of elderberry wine that look to be having been taken off the lees and has been in its secondary fermentation (not positive about that) but all of it was made 2016 and before. I have his brew log so I have been able to map out when he made all this stuff. Pretty fun and emotional all at the same time.
Right now I am enjoying some of his red currant wine. He tended to sweeten his stuff more than I like but this is very very good. He also tended to make it pretty high ABV but I don't know enough yet to know for sure a I have never even had any store bought wine besides Mad Dog 2020 in my junior high years LOL. OH he also had about 3/4 of a gallon of Melomel that I had never heard of before. Had to Google it to figure it out. Not sure what fruit he mixed with it but it is delicious and STRONG. He put this up back in 2013.
Anyway, getting a little long but I believe my first brew is going to be some apple cider, and hopefully it will be about ready by Christmas.
Thanks for all you do.
Oh the Red Currant wine tastes of dark dried fruit (reminds me of raisin and prune in a good way). It is tart, but sweet (I suspect he backsweetened a lot of his brews) but not too sweet. OH and I found his tattered recipe book!!!
Again thanks for all you do and letting me share a little of this stuff.
Thanks for doing what you guy's do, I'm new at this and find myself watching over and over again. I like the fact that you all don't add all the chemicals. We get enough junk in our everyday food now day's.
Thanks for watching!
I like the fact that you don't promote all the additives. Some of that stuff gets kind of spendy for just hobby brewing. I got into brewing for the fun of it, not to be a lab tech. I like simple.
Same here, and thank you!
@@CitySteadingBrews as you already know, I do watch one other channel. He does mostly the simple side of things too. He might use a lot of extra steps, but very seldom does he use chemical additives. I like that aspect.
Hi CS Brews ! I followed a simple recipe (unfortunately not from your channel) for my very first mead. It's one of these recipes without measuring anything (you convinced me that it is crucial sooo... next time I'll have the gear :) ). Because of the water to honey ratio, I shooould be arouund 1.082 original density (says a calculation table), which "predicts" a 10.90 abv. I understand I have NO guarantee of getting any of that, and since I used a cheap bread yeast, I just might not get anything remotely close to this much alcohol. I'm okay with whatever I get, as long as it's not moldy or vinegar (and so far, 2.5 weeks in, so good).
My question is this: as much as I understand that abv really helps with preservation, since I'm probably not going to get above 10 abv, and from what I've understood one would expect good preservation around or above ~12 abv... would it make sense (from a preservation standpoint only) to add alcohol in the end just to make sure it better holds up long term bottling?
I believe it will definitely alter the taste (and I WILL taste it beforehand) but I don't want this first experiment to go to waste.
Or just keep it in the fridge and drink it sooner rather than later.
@@CitySteadingBrews Alright, sounds like a good advice for any fresh food anyways :) I'll do that.
I asked a question on the last sack mead video. Guess you missed that one ;)
Love the channel. The Viking Blood video started me on a spiraling out of control hobby. I have way to many brews going.
Sorry Jim, but we do get hundreds of questions a day.
This is one of the reasons I like your channel! Brewing without all the chemical additives as a base mindset for what you do. Thanks to you both and appreciate all the work and sharing! Please keep it up!
I appreciate that!
About What you said about using known Recipes. I tried making a cider. found a recipe that just called for Apple juice yeast and nutrient, I think you can guess what happened LOL... anyway I tried back sweating it with some packets of instant hot cider mix. in the end it worked out fine. But hay having just started out I expect to make mistakes which is why I try and keep it simple for now. so far I have made mead, 6 lbs of honey two gallons of water the recipe came with the kit I got for fathers day a few years ago, sadly it only came with one Fermenter and I needed 3. so what is your advice on how to get low budget larger fermenters I would like one or 2 that's at least 3 gallons?
5 gallon pail
@@donrotten4791 how do I use the air lock?
The lids usually have a grommet. If not you can drill a small hole and add one so the airlock fits.
Hello just wanted to say thanks for the great videos and fun energy! I'm brewing for the first time and you have answered so many of my questions over many of your videos... there is power in knowledge and I love how you both choose to share it freely... for that I'll keep watching your videos and enjoy the lessons
Thank you!
Thanks for your videos. I started with your beginner orange Mead. Since I've made a ginger, raspberry, capsicumel, bochet, chocolate cherry, Salal, Oregon grapes, elder berry, and metheglin. Black berry is next.
Go figure I found your channel right when I moved away from Florida! Anyway, you guys have kept me busy during COVID-19, and I have enjoyed both of you so much! -- That said, I think I broke a cardinal rule, waiting!
The facts:
- On 6/13 I followed your "Learn to Make a Basic Mead" video.
- 2.5 lbs honey, filled up for 1 gallon (leaving some head room)
- Half packet Lalvin ICV-D47 (hydrated)
- 6/13 1.102 (OG)
- 7/4 1.060
The issue:
- On 7/4 when I did the reading, I was suprised to see the mead was super fizzy like rootbeer.
- I sorta panicked, and racked it which didn't go so well due to the carbination not letting the auto siphon work.
- Going to mention that there was a small amout of stickness near the air lock.
My question:
- Should I just dump it and learn or does it still stand a chance? (best guess) Also, i'm intrested in how did it get so fizzy. Cheers!
Fermentation puts CO2 into the brew, making it fizzy. That's normal. No idea why you think you should dump this.
You guys inspired me to do my first brew. Thank you.
That's so cool, let me know how it goes!
Absolutely great video! I love you guys!!!!
Just getting into mead making as a hobby. Enjoying all of your well worded and informative videos. Thank you for the great content! Time to go watch all of your videos.
Thank YOU for watching!
Not for nothing, but I personally am not enjoying the black background. Don't know if utube got finicky or was before. I enjoyed looking at the collection and seeing what moved and what didn't. Love the subtleties, that's all. Y'all continue to help me and that's what's I appreciates about y'all's.
The black is temporary.
@@CitySteadingBrews Super secret brew?!? Don't tell me, keep guessing.
Yes yes yes! Couldn't agree more with the opinion on the final product! That is one of the reasons I keep coming back to CS brews! You two are amazing! You tell it how it is no matter what the result! Keep up with the amazing videos! It is one of the only things that has made this quarantine possible.
Thanks for that!
You guys are fabulous. I'm laughing out loud about following the recipe wrong. Guilty!
I jus cannot tell you how much I love you guys! Honest, real and great personalities. I’m doing the tea wine. I will be making a few batches with subtle adjustments to see what I like best. Great advice, can wait to see what else you come up with.
Hey Brian and Derica! Ive watched loads of your videos, recommended to friends during lockdown and finally got round to this one and you got me worried.
I followed (mostly) the simple mead recipe, but live in the UK and used 1.5kg of honey thinking it should come out as a sweet mead with 71beast. (3lbs = 1.36kg). Starting gravity was 1.114 if i read it right, and its bubbling away nicely for the last 9 days in a 16-18c dark area (61-65f).
I was hoping for around 13% with a nice sweetness, can you guesstimate if i was in the right area or if im massively underestimating 71b and overpowering the brew with alcohol?
Starting to think i shouldve gone with d47 and less honey?
Thank you for all these videos, a lot of the time i dont even skip the ads because theyre so easy to process and full of brilliant info.
I appreciate your channel immensely. I recently bought 10 gallons of raw cider from my local orchard on a whim, and you guys are what is standing between 10 gallons of vinegar and 10 gallons of home brewed goodness
We just put out a cider video yesterday!
About 'known recipes'. Do you have a list of your recipes? I checked your website but couldn't find any.
I know I can rewatch your vids or brows the descriptions but a comprehensive list would be so much more convenient.
Well, we're a UA-cam channel, so.... that's where they will be. Sorry for the inconvenience.
time heals all brews love this
I made mead once a few years ago and did every single thing you guys said we shouldn't do (at least I was patient). I mean I don't know how it even tasted good.
This time around I'm gonna follow your advice and recipes...
Thank you :)
Doing things wrong isn’t a guarantee of failure… but it’s a push in that direction!
Just learning to brew wine ... this is my 3 rd batch !! Ive been watching your videos for 2 months now ! And after this video i am subscribing you guys now !!! Thanks !!!
Why wait? :) JK, thanks for watching!
CS Brews i waited because of the advertisement... should i skip is in 5 secs or watch all the way !! When i feel like well i should watch everything ( ad) then i follow ! Ive been doing it for ages !! Im not late sir ! I was waiting for my comfort zone to be comfortable!! XD but i get to learn a lot from you both!! Thanks
Just learning alot wanted to say thank you 😊
You are so welcome!
Love your channel and great advice. Thanks so much. Im in SW Scotland
You are so welcome!
Thank you for keeping it simple!
I live in New Orleans, there’s a huge amount of sourced meats shops and farmers selling their produce all around town. Also potters and other crafts that people really like to buy over the commercial wares. So this is the easiest place to control what you eat and drink. Plus Louisiana has a huge amount of private brewers and distillers
Sounds awesome to me.
Michele Borland I don’t have air conditioning and I live in a shotgun in the Seventh. Need to find a way to put some ac into a room successfully
hi, I made a 16% standard mead and after fermentation I putt some lemons in some of the mead and had some withoute the lemons. The mead with the lemons cleared compleatly in 2 days but the one with no lemons is still cloudy. Do you have any idea way this can be?
ps. sorry for bade English.
Putting almost anything into a brew will help it clear a bit. Not surprised really. The other will clear too, just takes time.
Well, Thanks to you folks, I am bringing my family name back to life. As a Meade, I have thought about making Mead for a long time and now that I have the time and the place to settle down, I am ready to dig in. I came across your channel last night while looking for something to drown out the noise and bad news and I think I binge watched about 15 of your videos about various Meads you have produced. I watched a couple of other content creators as well but I really like your energy together and your keep it simple approach to Mead Making. I am glad I watched this one today while I took notes...after buying the basic supplies I will need to begin. My biggest concern will be the sterilization process so I will gobble up all discussions you two have had about sterilization. As for the storage of batches while they are fermenting, I have already realized my dream of building a Hobbit House so I have plenty of space in my literal man cave for both the sterilization process and the storage in the optimal temperature environment. (I wouldn't mind going to New Zealand but New Hampshire will have to do for now.) I haven't watched all of your videos but most are a couple of years old. I hope all is well with you both and hopefully you are still making tasty goodness together. Thanks again for the inspiration and clear direction.
Gary Meade
Glad to hear it! Yes, we make 2-3 videos a week.
@@CitySteadingBrews Fantastic! Very glad to hear that! I look forward to learning more and I will be doing some filming this spring while doing finish woodwork on the Hobbit House. By that time, I should be tasting my first creation and will certainly be giving a shout out to you both and your channel for the inspiration.
heya Brian and Derica, this was another amazing video. The one thing I love about your videos is that your enjoyment of the hobby comes through in them. This is what got me into starting three months ago with my first mead. (still waiting for it in conditioning as the gravity is still slowly changing , but as you say, be patient!). Thank you for all your great content. I intend to attempt a step feed sack mead soon.
Thanks for watching!
One thing I love about you two is one way or another the KISS principal is in mind. If a simpler and effective way comes up you adopt it. Rustic garden is a epic channel btw
Hi guys, excellent video.
Can you guys please tell me, do Cloves or Cinnamon kill yeast?.
They can, but mostly slow down fermentation, sometimes to the effect of stalling it.
@@CitySteadingBrews thanks for the reply. Have a good day!...
Peanut butter Stout video please and a berry wine. Just wanted to say that you guys are amazing and have helped me get through this very hard time. My fiancee lost her youngest son last month, I loved him like a son, he was getting in to DMing in D&D, he was too young. Thank you.
Levi, we are so sorry to hear about your loss. Glad we could help even in some small way.
Love the videos and the meads. if memory serves me Brian does not like peach(meads) they do weird things for him. that being said . have you thought about peach/mango mead. I tried once with Old orchard frozen peach/mango 3 cans per gallon of fresh water. then 2 pounds of honey ( orange blossom ) . I'm still waiting for it to age . was sparkling .
Love peach, but it has failed me many times.
Not a fan of mango though, lol.
@@CitySteadingBrews its been in the bottle for 5 months now. I should give it a taste but feel better about 6 months so August .