Interesting process! I’ve always fermented at room temperature (around 20-22°C) as I was taught. It makes sense though, seeing that you’re using champagne yeast and most champagne yeasts are… enthusiastic. A lot of flavour would blow out the airlock. Lowering the temperature will slow that down and can help preserve the delicate floral characteristics of the honey used. Once again it ties in with the general rule of thumb: don’t be in a hurry when home brewing and you’ll get better results!
At last! You made a mead video! I've subscribed and I always hit my like button for your videos. I've watched many many wine videos, but your videos are my favorite. A little fun splashed into a deluge of pertinent information. Some people dredge on and on with useless interaction for camera time, but I know I'm going to learn what I need with a couple of giggles. Thank you for taking the time to teach us newbies. I enjoy your quirky fun. I also love that this hobby involves your wife. My husband and I are just starting with the wine making.
Melissa you just made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words. You are special and i wish you and your husband the best in the hobby and feel free to ask me anything. I was thinking of doing a live stream soon just not sure how that would go over. Lol. Thanks again for making my day 😁😁😁♥️♥️♥️🍹🍹🎂
To be classified as a mead at least 50% of its sugars need to be honey. I am aging an Acerglyn which is 60% honey & 40% maple syrup. I did a 5-gallon batch then broke it down into 1 gallons to test different yeasts. February will be one year of aging.
Thanks for the greatly entertaining and informative videos! I have a question could you make a mead flavored with lemon and ginger? If I did would I extract by seeping the ginger or just adding the ginger directly to the mixture before pitching yeast ?
Hi there, really enjoy your videos! Started with this one and went down the (lovely) rabbit hole and learned a bunch of tricks! Would you happen to have an advice on how to naturally clear up cloudyness in the mead? If I wanted to break into a batch early, being a bit cloudy should be safe to consume but just not appealing to the eye? Thanks again!
Hi, friend! When I saw your video of the competition of your wines, where the mead won the good 3rd place, I was encouraged to make a mead with your method, because I had almost always seen that the primary fermentation was completely closed, but I have certain doubts and I would appreciate it. much your opinion and recommendations: In primary fermentation, do you stir every 24 hours every day that the fermentation lasts until the fermentation ends and the density of 1,000 is achieved or only the first 7 days? And I also have a question, my bucket fermenter is small, 5 liters, so in order not to take up space I added half of the fruit in primary school and I plan to add the other half in secondary school, do you think it was a good idea? ? For the fruit that I will add in high school, can I add the pectin enzyme again? I thank you very much in advance. A hug.
Well thanks for watching our channel... yes stirring the mead for 7 days is sufficient. And i like your idea of splitting the fruit. No need to add any more pectic Enzyme.
Corks are tough. I've used these before no issues. amzn.to/3FW1k0G But I Have also bought some expensive commercial corks and they break sometimes too. Seems like hit or miss sometimes.
Just curious to know if you could make blueberry mead exactly the same way you make blueberry wine except use honey instead? So instead of adding blueberries during secondary fermentation use them in the mesh bag during primary instead?
That will work... fermentation with honey takes longer . I rushed it in 2 weeks really should be 3 to 4 weeks. And let age longer. Great question. 👍👍😁😁🍷🍷and yes if just want all blueberry mead i would do in primary stage.
@@tkring015 - I completely agree with HowToDoneRight. One stick is plenty. Either add in primary, or add in secondary and remove once you think you have enough cinnamon flavour. Cinnamon tends to slow fermentation and mead already is a slower process. Hence I like adding it in secondary: more control over the flavour extraction AND less inhibition of fermentation.
You y surely could. But usually for mead you don't need that kind of depth like wine but will not hurt at all and sure some people add it in. Great question👍👍
Hey it's me Zack I haven't talked to you in awhile what does the first reading for the hydrometer have to be at and is it the liquid that has to be at 60° f or the house
Hey Zach... you decide the reading you want. Look at potential alcohol initial reading 12 to 15 percent... house temperature or liquid temperature is what you want.. just cooler than making wine.
You want too get specific gravity at 1.00 ending reading.. if you get there and your potential was 12 percent. Then ABV will be 12 percent. If don't get there watch hydrometer video and shows you all the calculation.
I wait 60 days before removing fruit. I just finished part 2 of the mead so that video coming out very soon. Sorry for delay my other channel consuming my summer time. 👍👍
@@zakarybocconcelli7144 - Fruit in secondary can stay in for a very long time. As the alcohol content is already high, the brew remains safe and there is little to no fermentation even if/when the ferment hasn’t been stabilised. When adding fruit in primary it’s a different process: fermentation breaks down the cell walls, you can end up with mush and there also might be an issue with mould. But with the technique as described in this video, I’d advise 4-8 weeks for maximum flavour and colour extraction before removing the fruit. When making meads, wines and ciders, time is your best friend in most cases.
Part 2 is coming out tomorrow for you. It is not a good idea to sweeten mead upfront. Easy to difficult to get right and depends on yeast too. Part 2 shows you how to sweeten before bottling. Much more control that way. Hope that makes sense. Im editing the video right now. Thanks for watching. 😁😁👍👍
No need, but you can. It’s a matter of personal preference. A lot of meads will not recipes will not have tannin additions or additions of acid blend. But… nothing is keeping you from doing so. After all, some old recipes call for ageing in oak barrels (like some Polish meads). Oak will add tannins. It’s all about balance and personal taste. You don’t need to or have to do anything extra… but you can. Throughout history people have been adding fruit, herbs, and spices to their meads. They’ve been consumed relatively young or allowed to age for years with anything in between. They’ve been made dry or syrupy sweet with every grade of sweetness/dryness from the one extreme to the other. Fact is: as long as 50% or more of your gravity points come from honey, you’ve got a mead. The world of flavours, additions and finishing is your oyster. Want to keep it simple? Do so. Want to play with layers? Go ahead. Have fun with it and enjoy the process!
I would filter out bentonite. Add your honey checking for ABV to get it where you want it. Add yeast to get fermentation going. Will be kind of like starting over.
I never use Campden tablets or yeast nutrient and my meads come out just fine. .the only time you use Campden is if your adding fruit to it... and I'm quoting the people who I learned how to make mead from
I'm a little confused: you added Campden tablets to kill the indigenous yeast with sulfur dioxide but then you sealed the bucket with a lid and airlock to prevent the SO2 from escaping into the air over the 24 hours you allow before you pitch the yeast - so you are now attacking your lab cultured yeast with the sulfur dioxide... In my opinion, you want to let the gas escape so keep the bucket unsealed - perhaps covered with a cloth to keep out dirt and flies. Also, adding nutrient before you pitch (add) the yeast is providing food for any volunteer bacteria. Not a major problem since you are adding the Campden tabs, but most seasoned wine makers add nutrients about 24 hours after pitching the yeast (not least because there are compounds in the nutrients that will hobble and destroy yeast as the yeast rehydrate. There are formulated nutrients to provide the yeast as you hydrate the cells and there are nutrients that you add to the active colony.
Your totally incorrect. The gases in the bucket will escape out of the airlock not letting oxygen in. This process has never failed in 100 plus batches. .
@@HowToDoneRight Don't want to get into a debate, but you see the bubbler bubbling as the SO2 escapes? Yeast convert sugar into CO2 at an incredible rate - HALF the weight of the sugar is converted into gas BY WEIGHT and that gas is being pumped out by the yeast - and so builds up pressure in the fermenter - You can explode a glass carboy if you are fermenting fruit and the fruit forms a cap that prevents the gas from escaping. But you can test that fact simply by screwing a cap on a glass carboy .. The amount or pressure that the SO2 produces is tiny and it needs an open container to be expelled... Facts are facts... BUT another fact is that lab cultured yeast have tolerance for SO2... and so unlike indigenous yeast the Campden tablet is unlikely to kill 100% of the colony...
You still seem to be very confused... you were talking about yeast and the yeast is added to the primary fermentation bucket... you ferment in the bucket not the glass carboy. You are correct you would shatter a carboy or blow the bubbler off if added yeast to a glass carboy... that's not what this video shows. When you rack to the carboy all the yeast will die off because of no more sugar to be converted to alcohol and sink to the bottom to be racked off in 30 days.
I was really hoping this was legit "the only recipe" but it's just like the others. I doubt the "vikings" had all those gadgets and packets of yeast. I made "mead" quite by accident over the summer while i was feeding my bees old honey mixed with water. When i opened the empty jar to refill it i couldn't ignore that pungent boozy smell coming from within. That's what got my curiosity up. On the surface it seems like a natural and relatively simple process. If primitive cultures made it with primitive methods why is it every recipe video makes it so complicated with a bunch of things you don't need? Only one person left out the yeast packets, opting instead for meadowsweet... which has a natural yeast and was actually a requirement for the meadmaking process. Anyway.... onward i go, still searching for the real thing.
Keep searching. Not sure what you are really looking for a great tasting mead like this one that's one awards... ua-cam.com/video/0Z0ZH03CP4E/v-deo.html Or something old outdated and nasty tasting. Our new processes are much better than 500 years ago.
We now have a store for everything you see in our videos for supplies. www.amazon.com/shop/howtodoneright
I know its an old video but looked you up. Im making my first batch of wine. Mead actually. Thanks for the help.
Thanks so much. More coming soon. My tavel channel keeps me busy this time of year. 👍👍
Interesting process! I’ve always fermented at room temperature (around 20-22°C) as I was taught. It makes sense though, seeing that you’re using champagne yeast and most champagne yeasts are… enthusiastic. A lot of flavour would blow out the airlock. Lowering the temperature will slow that down and can help preserve the delicate floral characteristics of the honey used.
Once again it ties in with the general rule of thumb: don’t be in a hurry when home brewing and you’ll get better results!
That is another great tip for viewers... Do not rush wine or any home brewing. 👍👍
At last! You made a mead video! I've subscribed and I always hit my like button for your videos. I've watched many many wine videos, but your videos are my favorite. A little fun splashed into a deluge of pertinent information. Some people dredge on and on with useless interaction for camera time, but I know I'm going to learn what I need with a couple of giggles. Thank you for taking the time to teach us newbies. I enjoy your quirky fun. I also love that this hobby involves your wife. My husband and I are just starting with the wine making.
Melissa you just made my day. Thank you so much for your kind words. You are special and i wish you and your husband the best in the hobby and feel free to ask me anything. I was thinking of doing a live stream soon just not sure how that would go over. Lol. Thanks again for making my day 😁😁😁♥️♥️♥️🍹🍹🎂
This was awesome I would love to see a professional mead expert
Thank you.
To be classified as a mead at least 50% of its sugars need to be honey.
I am aging an Acerglyn which is 60% honey & 40% maple syrup. I did a 5-gallon batch then broke it down into 1 gallons to test different yeasts. February will be one year of aging.
Its a long aging process. But worth the wait. 👍👍
Love your videos dude!
Thank you so much. Means alot. 😁😁😁😁😁👍👍👍👍👍
LOVE THIS CHAN!! I have an abundance of maple syrup… CAN I USE 2.5lbs OF MAPLE SYRUP INSTEAD OF HONEY????😃😃
Oh yeah that will work. 👍👍
Thanks for the greatly entertaining and informative videos! I have a question could you make a mead flavored with lemon and ginger? If I did would I extract by seeping the ginger or just adding the ginger directly to the mixture before pitching yeast ?
Since ginger is a root definately grate the ginger and steep it to release all that flavor. That's going to be a great mead. 👍👍
Hi there, really enjoy your videos! Started with this one and went down the (lovely) rabbit hole and learned a bunch of tricks! Would you happen to have an advice on how to naturally clear up cloudyness in the mead? If I wanted to break into a batch early, being a bit cloudy should be safe to consume but just not appealing to the eye? Thanks again!
Pectic Enzyme will help clarify. Naturally only time will clear it.
Hi, friend! When I saw your video of the competition of your wines, where the mead won the good 3rd place, I was encouraged to make a mead with your method, because I had almost always seen that the primary fermentation was completely closed, but I have certain doubts and I would appreciate it. much your opinion and recommendations:
In primary fermentation, do you stir every 24 hours every day that the fermentation lasts until the fermentation ends and the density of 1,000 is achieved or only the first 7 days?
And I also have a question, my bucket fermenter is small, 5 liters, so in order not to take up space I added half of the fruit in primary school and I plan to add the other half in secondary school, do you think it was a good idea? ? For the fruit that I will add in high school, can I add the pectin enzyme again?
I thank you very much in advance. A hug.
Well thanks for watching our channel... yes stirring the mead for 7 days is sufficient. And i like your idea of splitting the fruit. No need to add any more pectic Enzyme.
Is it fine to follow this recipe but use Maple Syrup instead of honey? Or would I need anything different substituting those two?
Mead is made with honey only... when you use maple syrup that is called maple wine.. never tried it so I can't comment it.
In general, do you stir the bucket to pick up the sediment off the bottom before racking into the carboy? Or do you leave the sediment in the bucjet
No when racking leave the sediment behind. Do not stir when racking.
I'm worried if I let it ferment in my basement or garage it'll freeze, could I ferment it inside similarly to my wines?
Oh yeah that will be fine. 👍
Where do you buy your corks, and what brand are they,,I bought some on Amazon,they break getting them out
Corks are tough. I've used these before no issues. amzn.to/3FW1k0G
But I Have also bought some expensive commercial corks and they break sometimes too. Seems like hit or miss sometimes.
Just curious to know if you could make blueberry mead exactly the same way you make blueberry wine except use honey instead? So instead of adding blueberries during secondary fermentation use them in the mesh bag during primary instead?
That will work... fermentation with honey takes longer . I rushed it in 2 weeks really should be 3 to 4 weeks. And let age longer. Great question. 👍👍😁😁🍷🍷and yes if just want all blueberry mead i would do in primary stage.
shout out to anonymous.
How much honey do I add to sweeten it up once it’s done?
Hopefully you watched part 2. ua-cam.com/video/fhC__-Ylukw/v-deo.htmlsi=uoZ6TbAxYgQEsfhj
You add to taste your liking.
If you would want to add a cinnamon twist, would you add 1-2 sticks per gallon?
One is plenty per gallon.
Thank you!
@@tkring015 - I completely agree with HowToDoneRight. One stick is plenty. Either add in primary, or add in secondary and remove once you think you have enough cinnamon flavour. Cinnamon tends to slow fermentation and mead already is a slower process. Hence I like adding it in secondary: more control over the flavour extraction AND less inhibition of fermentation.
I started my mead and I am a bit curious as to why an acid blend and wine tannin is not used like it was with the fruit wines.
You y surely could. But usually for mead you don't need that kind of depth like wine but will not hurt at all and sure some people add it in. Great question👍👍
@@HowToDoneRight Thanks!
I added Sparkolloide to my Mead 5 days ago and still isn’t clear. Do I just leave it?
Yes let it settle out itself. Make sure carboy is topped off at the right level and it can sit in that carboy for months.
Do you add more water to the 2nd carboy with the blueberries to decrease the air space?
Yes i did.
Thanks. Do you ever add mead instead of water?
@cindyp8664 I have not but I love that idea... 👍👍
So after I stir the yeast when it's set in there for 24 hours when do I start again and how often
You will stir the must every 24 hours to get yeast mixed in and to keep your fruit wet and moist.. just gently stir each day. 👍👍
Okay thank you
Hey it's me Zack I haven't talked to you in awhile what does the first reading for the hydrometer have to be at and is it the liquid that has to be at 60° f or the house
Hey Zach... you decide the reading you want. Look at potential alcohol initial reading 12 to 15 percent... house temperature or liquid temperature is what you want.. just cooler than making wine.
I've been doing some reading but seeing mixed opinions. What temp would you say is too high for mead to cause it to have the fuel flavor?
Keep it around 65 or close. Not above 70
@@HowToDoneRight is this during fermentation only or after as well?
Can I use a 6 gal bucket to make a 3 gal batch of mead? Just fill it half way? Thanks!
You can. But that's alot of headspace for oxygen to affect yout wine. Probably not ideal.
@@HowToDoneRight I’m glad I asked. Your videos are so informative, we can’t wait to get started next week!
Please please keep in touch.😁😁 I love to hear what everyone is making. New video coming tomorrow don't miss that one. Have a great weekend.👍👍👍🥂🥂🥂
Because I use 5 lb of honey
If I have some 2 year old wine that has a skunky smell can I add a Camden tablet to get rid of it
Rule of thumb.... if it smells bad or spoiled i would not drink it.
Or can I just let the yeast sit there until fermentation process is done
What does champagne yeast do for wine that plain old wine yeast doesn't
Not much difference.... but it has higher tolerance than most yeast to get abv over 15 percent and higher if want a stronger wine.
If I do the potential alcohol by volume reading and I get my first reading am I going to use the potential alcohol by volume to get my second reading
You want too get specific gravity at 1.00 ending reading.. if you get there and your potential was 12 percent. Then ABV will be 12 percent. If don't get there watch hydrometer video and shows you all the calculation.
How much yeast do I use for 1 gallon of mead
Half pack is plenty.
@@HowToDoneRight okay thank you
Part 2 wil be viewable by 430. Let me know if you have any questions.
@@HowToDoneRight okay I will let you know if I have any questions
And also how much honey do I use for a 5 gallon batch
The recipe Is in the description. That's a 1 gallon recipe just multiply everything by 5
After letting it sit there 24 hours and adding the yeast do I have to stir the yeast
You don't have to stir yeast until 24 hours after yeast has been added. Great question👍👍
Okay thank you
Does the must have to be warm to add the yeast
Nope room temperature should work.
Okay thank you you guys are being really helpful
And I love your guys' videos by the way
I have had my fruit sitting in my Mead for a month now when do I need to rack it or do I need to rack it
I wait 60 days before removing fruit. I just finished part 2 of the mead so that video coming out very soon. Sorry for delay my other channel consuming my summer time. 👍👍
It's all good
@@zakarybocconcelli7144 - Fruit in secondary can stay in for a very long time. As the alcohol content is already high, the brew remains safe and there is little to no fermentation even if/when the ferment hasn’t been stabilised. When adding fruit in primary it’s a different process: fermentation breaks down the cell walls, you can end up with mush and there also might be an issue with mould. But with the technique as described in this video, I’d advise 4-8 weeks for maximum flavour and colour extraction before removing the fruit.
When making meads, wines and ciders, time is your best friend in most cases.
How many pounds of honey do I want to add to a 2 gallon bucket of me to make it semi-sweet
Part 2 is coming out tomorrow for you. It is not a good idea to sweeten mead upfront. Easy to difficult to get right and depends on yeast too. Part 2 shows you how to sweeten before bottling. Much more control that way. Hope that makes sense. Im editing the video right now. Thanks for watching. 😁😁👍👍
@@HowToDoneRight yeah it makes sense thank you sounds good
I have a whole video on backsweeten and same process for mead. Make sure you watch that when get to that step. Keep me posted how mead is going.👍👍
@@HowToDoneRight sounds good I sure will
no acid blend or tannin for mead?
Nope not needed for mead.
No need, but you can. It’s a matter of personal preference. A lot of meads will not recipes will not have tannin additions or additions of acid blend. But… nothing is keeping you from doing so. After all, some old recipes call for ageing in oak barrels (like some Polish meads). Oak will add tannins.
It’s all about balance and personal taste. You don’t need to or have to do anything extra… but you can. Throughout history people have been adding fruit, herbs, and spices to their meads. They’ve been consumed relatively young or allowed to age for years with anything in between. They’ve been made dry or syrupy sweet with every grade of sweetness/dryness from the one extreme to the other. Fact is: as long as 50% or more of your gravity points come from honey, you’ve got a mead. The world of flavours, additions and finishing is your oyster. Want to keep it simple? Do so. Want to play with layers? Go ahead. Have fun with it and enjoy the process!
I forgot to add enough honey .but i already add the bentonite can I add honey after it clears
Did you check ABV after primary fermentation. How much honey did you forget to add?
@@HowToDoneRight 5lbs
@@HowToDoneRight 5lbs
I would filter out bentonite. Add your honey checking for ABV to get it where you want it. Add yeast to get fermentation going. Will be kind of like starting over.
@@HowToDoneRight thank you so much
I better u could make banana wine an back sweeten with honey it would b awesome
Oh yeah you can. Alot of people do it👍👍🍷🍷
How is this 3 ingredients only if you are adding campden tablets and yeast nutrient?
That was supposed to be mead
I never use Campden tablets or yeast nutrient and my meads come out just fine. .the only time you use Campden is if your adding fruit to it... and I'm quoting the people who I learned how to make mead from
Better safe than sorry.
I'm a little confused: you added Campden tablets to kill the indigenous yeast with sulfur dioxide but then you sealed the bucket with a lid and airlock to prevent the SO2 from escaping into the air over the 24 hours you allow before you pitch the yeast - so you are now attacking your lab cultured yeast with the sulfur dioxide... In my opinion, you want to let the gas escape so keep the bucket unsealed - perhaps covered with a cloth to keep out dirt and flies. Also, adding nutrient before you pitch (add) the yeast is providing food for any volunteer bacteria. Not a major problem since you are adding the Campden tabs, but most seasoned wine makers add nutrients about 24 hours after pitching the yeast (not least because there are compounds in the nutrients that will hobble and destroy yeast as the yeast rehydrate. There are formulated nutrients to provide the yeast as you hydrate the cells and there are nutrients that you add to the active colony.
Your totally incorrect. The gases in the bucket will escape out of the airlock not letting oxygen in. This process has never failed in 100 plus batches. .
@@HowToDoneRight Don't want to get into a debate, but you see the bubbler bubbling as the SO2 escapes? Yeast convert sugar into CO2 at an incredible rate - HALF the weight of the sugar is converted into gas BY WEIGHT and that gas is being pumped out by the yeast - and so builds up pressure in the fermenter - You can explode a glass carboy if you are fermenting fruit and the fruit forms a cap that prevents the gas from escaping. But you can test that fact simply by screwing a cap on a glass carboy .. The amount or pressure that the SO2 produces is tiny and it needs an open container to be expelled... Facts are facts... BUT another fact is that lab cultured yeast have tolerance for SO2... and so unlike indigenous yeast the Campden tablet is unlikely to kill 100% of the colony...
You still seem to be very confused... you were talking about yeast and the yeast is added to the primary fermentation bucket... you ferment in the bucket not the glass carboy. You are correct you would shatter a carboy or blow the bubbler off if added yeast to a glass carboy... that's not what this video shows. When you rack to the carboy all the yeast will die off because of no more sugar to be converted to alcohol and sink to the bottom to be racked off in 30 days.
I was really hoping this was legit "the only recipe" but it's just like the others.
I doubt the "vikings" had all those gadgets and packets of yeast.
I made "mead" quite by accident over the summer while i was feeding my bees old honey mixed with water.
When i opened the empty jar to refill it i couldn't ignore that pungent boozy smell coming from within.
That's what got my curiosity up. On the surface it seems like a natural and relatively simple process. If primitive cultures made it with primitive methods why is it every recipe video makes it so complicated with a bunch of things you don't need?
Only one person left out the yeast packets, opting instead for meadowsweet... which has a natural yeast and was actually a requirement for the meadmaking process.
Anyway.... onward i go, still searching for the real thing.
Keep searching. Not sure what you are really looking for a great tasting mead like this one that's one awards... ua-cam.com/video/0Z0ZH03CP4E/v-deo.html
Or something old outdated and nasty tasting. Our new processes are much better than 500 years ago.