Strawberry Mead 2.0 - From Start to Tasting!
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- Опубліковано 28 вер 2024
- Hi everyone! Hope you enjoyed this updated version of the Strawberry Mead, the old version is located on my website www.faewoodmead.com if you feel inclined to watch it. This mead came out SO WELL I've been hoarding it haha!
Ingredients/What I did
2.5lb Dutch Gold Clover Honey
1/2 Packet of Mangrove Jack M05 yeast
G: 1.086
Be sure to use a nutrient schedule (I had so many meads going at this time that I do believe I forgot to feed as regularly as I should have)
Dropped to G: 1.012 (should drop to 1.00)
Stabilized
Next day rack onto 4lbs of strawberries
2 weeks later remove strawberries
G: 1.016 (strawberries add some sugar!)
Added 1/4 tsp tannin, 1 tsp lactose & 1/4 cup Tupelo honey.
Allow tannin to bind & mead to clear, then bottle!
9.7%
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Beautiful color. You can also macerate some strawberries on the honey, then use that to backsweeten. For those that don't know, macerating is basically putting sugar on fruit and allowing the sugars to pull the juice out of the berries. I usually do 1 lb of honey on 1-2 lbs of berries in a closed container, toss it in the fridge for a week or 2, then use the resultant syrup to back sweeten with.
I'm working on a huckleberry mead I'm going to try that out
I’ve done that before with figs! Next time I make this mead I will try that!
What do you do with the left over fruit? Is it good for anything?
@@Hookpowerful789 eat them shits and get buzzed lol
@austinherlocher5542 compost but that's about it
I've been making wine,beer,and mead for over 40 years. My dad got me into the hobby from an early age. It's nice to see young people carrying on with a tradition that goes back to the dawn of humanity. It's just one more thing that people can do at home with family and friends. Bread making, pickling, canning,fermenting vegetables,(etc) the list is endless.
Oh wow, you’ve been at it for ages!!! What are your favorite meads to make? Fermented beverages are so ancient, and were really once a big part of the household. Like most things traditionally made/grown at home, a majority of folks just buy commercial. Thank you for your comment and support!!! 😄
@@FaewoodMead I started raising bees about four years ago. I found a feral colony on a low hanging branch on my property that I nursed back to health in a langstroth hive as we were going into winter because I was sorry for them. They turned out to be A.H.B (Africanized honey bees). I started again with really sweet natured colonies. I got into doing trap outs and cut outs and have found abandoned hives where water has infiltrated (usually trees with lost tops). The naturally occurring yeast strains, water, and honey produce alcohol. In my opinion I believe that our species and others that evolved before us have been taking advantage of this opportunity to get buzzed/food source for time immemorial.
@@FaewoodMead have you ever made a braggot? It's similar to barleywine. A true braggot is made with grain but the main fermentable is honey. I usually omit using hops. Hops are a " new world" addition. Braggots have been made in Europe for at least 900 years. The traditional bittering agents were wormwood or herbs. I usually don't use a bittering agent because I like the honey to be detectable and be allowed to have a presence and give it's mouth feel.
@@FaewoodMead to answer your question, my favorite meads to make would be a light abv session mead that has a little petulance (bubbly), a capsicumel, or a spiced methaglin, you also can't go wrong with banana. Banana mead is a real crowd pleaser. If you need some direction with making a batch I would be happy to give my recipe. Hint; I don't ferment on the pulp. It's way less messy that way.
@@micahestep7679 That's so cool!
yo you always have the best fits out of all the mead makers on youtube
Hahaha, I appreciate that, thank you!
I agree
Yes, welcome back and great video!🎉
Thank you so much, I really appreciate it!
Great video, I am fermenting an Italian strawberry wine, and soon I will make 5 gallons of strawberry hydromel for summer, I will use your instructions. Thank you 😊
Oooo that sounds lovely!
I think it's important to add that the reason you use the filling wand when bottling is because you want the mead to fill the bottle as gentle as possible and not introduce oxygen by pouring it. As it can cause the mead or wine to oxidize and create off flavors while its maturing in the bottle.
I just started a watermelon melomel. I used hand squeezed watermelon (sanitized hands) that i ran though progressively finer strainers. I used honey from one of my hives that had overwintered honey that was almost black and has notes of fig and dates. I use fermaid o and 71b yeast with a starting gravity of 1.100
Ooooo your honey sounds delicious! Let me know how the watermelon flavor comes through, I know that’s a tough one to make well!
@@FaewoodMead watermelon is not at all difficult. The important part is to not have too much cellulose in your must. I only hand squeeze the pulp or use a fruit press and cheese cloth. I experimented with just grinding the pulp on a 14 gallon batch and the result was terrible. The cell walls will also break down and ferment into undesirable alcohols. I prefer to use one very large melon and separate the rind from the pulp. I sanitize my hands and colander and hand squeeze/ press the juice out. I then run the juice through cheesecloth or a fine mesh grain bag. An addition of 1/3 lemon or 1/2 teaspoon of citric acid and yeast nutrient will help your yeast immensely. My last batch was bubbling steadily in the first two hours. I'm actually having a glass now. It's a little young still so if the gravity hasn't changed by next week I will bottle it and let it rest a few months. I just racked it off this morning but it has a nice balance of watermelon and dark honey.
@@micahestep7679 I gotta keep this info in my brain lol.
@@FaewoodMead 😊 keep at it and share what you learn with everyone. I have two guys at my plumbing shop that are just getting into the hobby.
Cellulose in the Must?
The colour is beautiful!! You have a “ small island in BC” vibe…
Thanks!
Thanks for the idea Fae!
No problem! 😄
Try Vikings blood all it is mead and cherries ferment the cherries and possibly in second dairy
Cherry mead is delish!
Looks great! Nice job. I'm no expert by any means, but I believe that Fermaid K contains DAP, which is toxic to yeast during early fermentation. I noticed that you put some in there at pitch with the yeast, which I suspect is the reason why it didn't ferment all the way dry. Many nutrient schedules I've seen frontload Fermaid O before using Fermaid K - or you can wait 24 hours before adding the first nutrient addition. Anyway, enjoy the strawberry mead! Save a bottle for next summer!
You’re right! I hadn’t realized at the time how high in nitrogen FermK is. That definitely could have stunted things. I’ve got some Fermaid O now! ❤️
can i let strawberries ferment?
I wonder if this would be good with strawberries and limes… like making a strawberry limeade mead 🤯🤯🤯
Perhaps! 😄
Madam if honey is 1 kg then how much water We can add
Brand new here, thinking of starting to brew: Do you agitate or stir after each time you add something? E.g stabilizers, balancing agents, back sweeteners?
I generally stir them in a bit yes! You want to be gentle about it just to reduce the amount of oxygen introduced
What kind of glass is she drinking out of? It looks like a Cognac glass?
Haha, it could be!
You are delightful
Thank you so much!!!! 🥰
a girl you wish to die for 😊
Honestly, I don't know why I'm here, I don't drink alcohol, but mead making has been all over my TikTok for some reason amd now I wanna try making some.... But I hate the flavour of alcohol???
Haha, you can make a really low alcohol mead. No fermentation would just give you sweet honey juice!
@@FaewoodMead Yeah ifk if that would be good xD Decided to try making a berry cider, since I've heard that some just taste like the berries, and I like sparkly drinks so worth a try! And if I don't like it I'll just give it to colleagues xD
All this video was about was all the steps you forgot and then still forgot to show 🤦🏾♂️
Forgive me it's been a while, what was forgotten? Nutrient additions?
Fandy?😂
You screwed this all up
A couple nights ago, I dreamed that I was attending a big mead making party in someone's giant kitchen. You were there as was BC from DTM. Everyone was happily making mead or racking mead or drinking mead. It left me with a good feeling when I awoke.
Aww that’s sweet! 🥰 Sounds like a great dream!
@@FaewoodMead Yeah, it was.
I made this following this video! After taking the strawberries out, I had the exact reaction - "hit in the face with strawberries". It was awesome at 1.010 but I decided to backsweeten/tanin (no lactose). But 3 weeks in it was flocculating like crazy. Then I tested it... it was really funky. Read... 0.995!! I think it referm'd sadly. I didn't measure very well tbh and shook it maybe too hard. Trying to save it with another stab/backsweeten, but think I'll have to try this again next year.
Oh darn it! I hope your mead recovers 💕
Look into steam juicers. I've made some great strawberry mead with 80% Strawberry juice (I didn't like the 100% juice as much), then back sweeten with the macerated syrup
Oh fancy!
I'm glad to see your mead was a success. Beautiful clarity. I won't go into the differences between your strawberry mead and mine as they are different animals cut from the same cloth, but I will make one suggestion, which is to start with the Big Mouth Bubbler first. This will save you racking time. Transfer to jug for conditioning after primary and pulling out strawberries. So instead of jug to bubbler to jug, you just go from bubbler to jug. Just my 2 cents.
Thank you! Yeah in the next full mead video I do that! Trying to rack less, it just takes some thinking ahead.
@@FaewoodMead I have about 8 meads to make after Thanksgiving, so I'm definitely doing some planning. I'm gonna be teaching my cousin mazing. He's interested and might be learning the honey trade soon. I definitely have to up production. My only variable with the pineapple and strawberry is just going to be the honey this time. Two gallons of each.
Really love your videos. I got into wine making to make a strawberry wine, and a couple of my first batches were a strawberry wine, and a strawberry mead. Just had a bottle of the mead, aged 2 years. It was delicious. I have always fermented the fruit, like the flavor it gives, but I will try adding the fruit, post fermenting some day.
Both are delicious. Just slightly different animals.
I’ve got a strawberry wine that just got bottled. I used a massive amount of strawberries (gotta love a sale, LOL!), added some apple juice and tannin and a smidge of lemon juice and nutrient. Before starting off I allowed my strawberries to thaw, then added the honey and let it sit: the sugar in the honey will extract a lot of juice. Once the berries were thawed I added pectic enzyme. Once that had sat 25 hours I used a slotted spoon to get the berries in a brew bag. Then I added apple juice and water in a roughly 1:1 ratio and the lemon juice, gave it all a stir and checked my gravity, adjusted to where I was happy with it, added nutrient, stirred it in and pitched my yeast. Allowed to ferment for 3 days, took the berries out. Allowed fermentation to finish, gave it a taste. Decided it needed oak and vanilla. Allowed to clear, racked, back sweetened, bottled and pasteurised. Now it gets to sleep for a year. Given my mead stash and rate of consumption I’ll have several bottles that reach the 2-year stage. I’m looking forward to how it develops!
Yay for well aged meads!
Edda that sounds great!!! My first strawberry was fermented, and I did like it, it just takes a long time to age out. Not fermenting the fruit makes it immediately drinkable I’ve found. ❤️
@@FaewoodMead - Next strawberry season I’d better have a traditional ready to steep those strawberries in!
You can also do half fruit during fermentation and the other half a month after the start of the fermentation (racking of the previous fruit)
Never done a mead. Done plenty of apple ciders with lalvin d47. I’m mostly a beer maker doing ales, I have done a couple lagers and a “steam” beer by doing a warm ferment with lager yeast. Might have to try a mead. I’ll probably keg it in my Cornelius keg and carbonate it.
If you put the strawberries in the primary you’ll get the awesome body and mouthfeel of Strawberry but you also get the plastic, band-aidy taste of the seeds.
I don’t know how to get the seeds out without spending 10 minutes per strawberry and tweezers.
Strawberry mead is difficult.
hey that looks like my
"and today we're using-"
HEY that is EXACTLY the yeast i've used since day 1 :D
1st off I know I speak for many when I say we're glad your back & sorry for your reason for the break.
I wish this video came out 8 days ago.
I just started a strawberry last Friday on pureed fruit OMG the fruit cap is volatile on D47 as soon as you touch it. Very happy yeasties but the amount of rackings I'm not looking forward to. Hopefully at a minimum it results in something half as beautiful. Well you know I'm going to have to run a 2nd batch now as a side by side on diced up fruit for a before & after comparison after watching your new video.
Oh goodness!!! Yeast love fruit that’s for sure!!! I’m excited for you, enjoy your mead! 🥰
Another thing, about how long you leave the fruit in. Strawberries, as you said, have that risk of the plastic flavor coming from the seeds so they are peculiar for that. Just as info though, consider that, in wines meant to drink young, which means you drink them when they're one year old to no more than three ( wines are usually bulk aged for a year before bottling) the fermenting must is separated from the skins after 4/5 nights (in many modern wines they premacerate but that's another thing I commented about before, but it's the same, they cold macerate for 4/5 nights as well, and some wineries still macerate during fermentation). When they want to make a wine meant to age, they leave the must with the skins up to 15 days, which is considered a crazy amount of time. This is done in order for the must/wine to absorbe more acids and tannins from the skins, which is preserves the wine when aging.
Moreover, most berries are reacher in acids and tannins than grapes. I know most homebrewers advice to let the fruit in the fermenter for two weeks, but just consider the wider wine tradition, when doing this. The same concept is applied to cider, they decide how long to leave the must/cider with the apple skins for the same reasons and with the same purpose.
Anyway, Mandi! It's all good! See you next time!
I left strawberries in for about 6 weeks. No plastic taste here.
@@littlebones88 Interesting!
@@riukrobu Mine was 17.955%, or basically 18%. Primary was 2 lbs. strawberry preserves and about 1.5 lbs. honey. Secondary was 2.lbs 5 oz of frozen strawberries and just over 2 lbs. honey. Back sweetened with 7 oz honey.
@@littlebones88 Sounds like a lovely dessert mead!
@@riukrobu Thanks. I'm making it with the addition of white grape juice and rose petals this time.
common practice. Pre start your yeast. Activate it in some diluted honey water. When it starts foaming, then you pitch it.
So glad to see you back! Take care of yourself Mandy, the reason for your absence is one that takes time. Extra hugs for when you feel the need for them. Keep them in your back pocket and use as needed. 💖
I need to use this method and compare it to mead with fermented strawberries… and to mead made with strawberries in both primary and post fermentation. That means I need another wide mouth fermenter.
Little tidbits on how things are on my end: Strawberry wine racked and bottled, it’s crystal clear and very fruity. I used a crapload of frozen strawberries, some vanilla and oak chips in secondary. Quince mead cleared and ready to back sweeten and bottle next weekend (hopefully!). Banana mead fermented out and starting to clear.
On another note: Teen Queen’s boyfriend seems interested in learning to home brew. She’s slowly working on him to pluck up the courage to ask me. “If you like her mead that much, ask Mom to teach you. Instead of ASKING the source, why not BE the source? Don’t worry, she won’t bite. She’ll be happy to show you.”
LOL. Gotta love her twofer approach. Butter up the mother with an interest in her hobby and the boyfriend with a potentially endless source of the tipple of his choice. 😂
Thank you for the hugs and love Edda! You're the sweetest!
Heehee, I love the sound of what's happening in your household :-D So sweet!
Brand new mead maker here. Literally JUST decided to try to make mead like 5 minutes ago. I am now more confused than I was before I started watching this video.
Oh no! I love your username btw
This video... is perhaps not the best for an absolute beginner. That sort of series is well past due on this channel.
@@FaewoodMead Thanks! All good. I'll do some more research and learn it all!
Wait. Tupelo honey is fancy?! I live in tupelo and i can just go get it at any time!
This looks great! I'm glad you shared the tip about not fermenting the strawberries. Thanks for sharing.
I am making my wife ,crannberries and honey with some store grapes 🍇 for yeast food and color.
Sounds great!!!
Way too many chemicals being added for my personnel preference, i only use them to sterilise and stabilise the fermentation safely. To me mead is supposed to be a primitive and super simple process. No clearing other than filtering, settling and syphoning late stages.
You should try Mazing without stabilizing.
You will notice the taste difference.
People that are sensitive to stabilizers will notice instantly.
aggressively shaking it to mix in honey at first is beneficial to help build a healthy colony
Yes!
I am going to make a strawberry jam and pepper jelly mead next and was wondering if that is something you have tried and if not to try a batch on your channel
I haven't tried that combination! But I bet it would be good!
I cannot tell you how many times I've watched this in the last month. It's gonna be my first time adding anything to mead and I'm stabilizing tomorrow! THANK YOU MY NEW FAV CHANNEL
Always bottle over a bucket as the heads of the racking canes have a habit of popping off unexpectedly leading to overflowing bottles panic and a sticky mess all over the place 😊
Good advice!
@FaeWood Mead you will never forget that feeling of panic as you lift the racking cane and the bottle carries on filling up until its spilling over 🤣
@@andyn3532 Omg it's true!!!
@FaeWood Mead can I also say I've noticed you are moving away from the way you do things and to be honest that's what I liked about you. You have progressed making mead your way in leaps and bounds but I think you need to keep it that way and not allow outside influences ruin your particular ...grrr I can't find the words but you are unique in what you do and I think ... sod amd buggeritt ohhh please just be you 🙃
It's more easier to use a mixer to get oxygen in your brew. Also the honey mixed perfext in then.
I also made a straberry mead last year. It's was so delicious. But I put the straberries in the first fermentation.
I imagine it is a lot easier!!! Fermented strawberries are still good, I just think I get the desired flavor you need to wait a lot longer!
This looks like a great recipe, I think I'll use this to clean up all the foraged berries in my freezer. Is the recipe for 1 gallon?
Yes it is!
I made your recipe. It is bulk aging right now, however, I did one thing extra: I squeezed the juice out of the brew bag to get all the strawberry goodness out. Didn't have to Backsweeten at that point.
That being said, if you pour yourself a standard 5 ounce glass and then add a shot of screwball, it will taste exactly like a strawberry uncrustable! Just saying, you might wanna try that!
That sounds… DELIGHTFUL
@@FaewoodMead oh it is!
If you fortify it with screwball peanut whiskey, it tastes just like a strawberry uncrustable!
Wow there’s directions on the package For yeast lol
Definitely needs acid… not gonna add any acid… needs some sweetness to bring down that high acid point.
Ok.
That’s why I changed my film style, too easy to make mistakes. Mead changes with time, and I’m not perfect! 🤷🏼♀️
I really enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work 👍🏾😊
Thank you! ❤️
Thank you for the info.. im about to start my first batch of mead.. im nervous as hell...
Don’t be! ❤️
Don’t crush the seeds and you’ll be fine
Very lovely recipe! To pair with raspberry tart!
Oooo that would be lovely!
i cant believe that color O>O
It is pretty 😍
I really enjoy this video!
Getting ready to rack some Acerglyn. Your mead looks amazing.
Delicious!!!
That looks Simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing.
I’m so happy to see you!
Thank you, I’m happy to see you too!!! ❤️
Why not having the strawberries in the beginning?
You definitely can! Fermenting strawberries alter their flavor quite a bit - but try it!
Thank you, you are wonderful and beautiful without glasses. God bless you 🇸🇦
I have really enjoyed several of your videos... Keep it up!
Really Enjoyed your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠
Thank you Pat!
Did you slice the white part out of the strawberries?
Yup! Be wary of any ingredient added, that flavor profile will be present in your mead!
@@FaewoodMead I ask because when I made strawberry wine last, it wound up a lovely golden color. Tasted great... Color .. not so muxh
Welcome back.
Thank you Dan!
I am 100% going to make this next week when I get my go-ferm and fermaid-o in. I'm excited to make a nice delicious mead. Currently I have two blueberry Strawberry meads. One is made with store bought honey and the other is with farm fresh honey. The farm fresh honey is sweeter, which is interesting because everything in these meads was made with the same gram amounts.
Oooo sounds good!!! Honey is tricky like that, it all depends on the flowers those little bees are feasting on!
Can I call you mommy?
bruh
Very pretty mead Lol. 😆 no it looks really nice.
Gonna try this! Doing plum and blueberry.
Heck yeah!
Wow, just love the amazing colour!
So Mead taste and smell like Strawberry dessert? That's one tasty drink suitable for desserts full of Strawberries! XD
Oh, I brew Meadowsweet mead but it's basically cross between Cider and Mead (Cyser) weird i know XD
Nice job on the brew. :)
Hahaha, yeah it basically does! Strawberries, cream and honey is pretty much what this is! Hey meadowsweet sounds pretty good though!
@@FaewoodMead Sure was!
That's why I'm excited to tried it out once it's done bottling condtilon!
Wow 👌 how sweet and delicious 😋, your strawberry mead looks delightful ❤❤❤
Thank you so much!
What is the wide mouth container called that you racked into? I would love to get one...
It’s a one and a half open mouth fermenter… maybe from Northern brewer? Was purchased for me by a subscriber!
Fae or Mandy.... how about.... "Fandy" (demonstration hand motions here) 🙃🤪
lol! That works!
I could see your glasses through the bottle. Good and clear!
Looks incredible!! Great work
Thanks JD!
Just jokin, thanks for the straight forward explanation...😊
You’re welcome! 😊
Looks good. I use the speidel Fermenters they have wide mouth openings and spigots which make the transfer to secondary using the tubing much easier. Then to bottle use the bottle thief
I’ve heard those are really nice fermenters!!!!
@@FaewoodMead They are and they are worth it
Love strawberry. Need to make more
Wtf is pound
😂 An American weight - 1 US pound is just under a half a kilo
@@FaewoodMead ohh I thought you meant British pound
@@cqrhqr3418 haha, that’s ok!
Do you have to add tannin?
You don't have to make any of the additions I did, but it does improve mouthfeel!!!
Will you marry me 😍
What is the name of that big mouth jug with the screw on top?
I think a wide-mouth fermenter? I could be wrong...
Big Mouf Bubbler
9:25
🤯
I know right?!? Some people are very sensitive to the flavor strawberry seeds put off.
I’m sending my Strawberry to Mead Stampede.
Can we get a 3.0?
Ha ha, I’m sure I’ll make one in the near future!
I love how half azz everything is for a "tutorial"
I only drink beer, try Theakstons Old Peculiar.
Thanks for letting us know you only drink beer on a mead recipe video
Strawberry to match you....
Non alcoholic mead
Hi
You promised us with a full video about grape crushing with foot at home and homemade wine from last year. Why don't share it?
I want to try the lactose
Yes!!!