6 Tips for Better Traditional Meads!

[@markprescott2011]

Not all honey crystallizes. I am a beekeeper in southern Appalachia Southern Virginia. In our area, Sourwood is a tree that blooms in July. Sourwood honey tastes like buttery caramel and has a beautiful amber color. The aftertaste has a slight twang that has been likened to gingerbread. Sour honey smells like cinnamon and cloves and has a smooth and syrupy texture. Sourwood honey does not Crystallize, though it will darken over time.

[@MAGACOPP]

Send me a Bucket.

[@aidensushi5075]

I’m located in southern Virginia as well! Do you sell your honey in bulk? I’d love to buy some.

[@matthimes7647]

this is a fantastic channel, i really appreciate all the videos. i started my first batch 12-23-23 and then took a 3 month crash course in mead making. thanks to your channel and several others as well as several books i have a pretty good understanding of the concepts and have made several tasty batches so far. i find the balancing to be daunting and the area i still need to improve the most.

[@Wulfjager]

huge point about not picking a champagne yeast. my first and only two batches of mead i used champagne yeast. it made my mead taste like Chardonnay. it was surreal when i tasted my first batch expecting honey character only to get a white wine flavor. i had good quality crystalized local honey that tasted deliciously floral as honey but lost all of its honey character in the fermentation process

[@analog-pedals]

Thats why you need to backsweeten

[@GogiRegion]

I don't know if this makes it no longer a traditional mead, but I love wood aging as a primary source of tannin. Not just oak, but apple wood (fruity and bright) and cherry wood (fruity and dark). On top of that, I like to re-use my wood chips in different things because it absorbs flavors, as well as different parts of its lifespan releases different compounds. Early on it's more sulfurous wood notes and tannin, while later on it has more of the softer sweet wood notes. It's like the difference between Bourbon and Scotch. This doesn't involve traditional mead, but I think you can see where it may help with one. I recently did a very high ABV fortified cider with wood aging of a combination of apple and cherry wood, giving the cider a lot of tannin and woodiness. I then used those to help brighten a Cabernet Sauvignon since it absorbed a lot of bright fruit notes from the cider. It didn't need much additional tannin so the lowered tannin release wasn't as big of a deal. After that, it got used in a viking blood to help round out dark fruit flavors to make the cherry feel more rich, using the flavor of the previous brews more than the chips themselves. Three different brews all using wood for different reasons, but still using the exact same chips.

[@CrazyIvan865]

I would say. If not making a competition show mead. The 3 most important things I have learned to make a better fermented product outside of what you've covered are as follows. 1- calculate and consider carefully. You can calculate the total fermentable sugars before ever starting. When using a fruit juice for a wine, a good rule of thumb is 10% sugars by fruit weight. I can't remember the sugars by juice volume. If using a packaged product, it will tell you the sugar content by volume. So calculating the casuals, it's 17g of sugar per 1% ABV per 1 Liter of total volume. And you can calculate your starting gravity by dividing the calculated ABV by approximately 131.5. So if I were making a 15% mead, 15÷131.5=0.114. My OG would be 1.114. When using honey, which is 17% water but not all sugars are fermentablet, IIRC, it comes out to calculating 21.4g per 1% ABV per 1L. So if I want to make 1 US gallon (approximately 3.78L) 12% traditional mead, I would calculate 21.4×12×3.78 which equals 970.7g... 970 would be beneficial, that 0.17g isn't going to make a huge difference, it would be around 0.1%ABV. 2- going along with choosing good water. Acid adjust water prior to mixing. I have not has a single infection since I started doing this. Is did have some anaerobic production of citric acid from a microidganism I'm some grape juice that is benign and used to make citric acid and Vitamin C. I ended up with a tart wine, but no mold. Not only will the yeast be happier and produce less off flavors in a more acidic environment: but also everyone is worries about "botulism"... clostridium botulinum is a soil born microorganisms, so it shouldn't be that common to begin with. However, it cannot grow below 3.75, and a pH of 3.7 will greatly limit the number of potential microorganisms that can go to town and get busy. This is in no way any means of substitute for sanitation. Just a way to get a better finished product by giving the yeast an environment that is good for them and not good for some of their competitors. Honey has a pH around 3.7-ish. But in a few different tests, adding around 3lbs of honey to water only brings the water down to around 6.7pH. Most water I've tested is Alkaline (approx 7.3pH) and even with the honey, barely enters the ideal range for the yeast. The yeasts ideal range is closer to 5.4-5.6. But it tolerates a more acidic environment much better than a mote alkaline environment. Not to mention... there's a LOT of microorganism that will thrive at that oH, but not as many that will fare well at 3.7pH. I wouldn't go lower than 3.5pH. The yeast will produce some acidity as they ferment, especiakly during the peak just before alcohol production drops off and the ferment start to clear. So if you start at 3.5, it could drop as low as 3.2, which is where you start to stress the yeast. The yeast tend to stall around 3.0 or lower and that's why Cranberry ferments take so long or stall (~2.8pH). Long story short, shoot for around 3.8-4.0 and you should be okay once the honey is in. 3- dump feed. Many people will not agree with this. Mostly because "how can you get an accurate OG reading?" Which I've explained. Planning and calculating the ferment before even starting. But I've tried step feeding vs mixing vs dump feed (pausing all the sugars in and letting them settle to the bottom). There was almost no predictable difference in smell or taste between the step feed and the dump feed. The dump feed took longer to ferment. But personal bias warning, I feel the dump feed was ever so slightly better and a lot less babysitting or having to mix and try to get an accurate reading after a sugar/honey addition. Set it and forget it. Like I said, it did take longer. Because "Kilju" is notoriously disgusting (not when carefully planned, calculated and with proper acid amendment up front and proper nutrition) I tried it on Kilju. Testing invert sugar syrup vs granulated sugar... found there to be no detectable difference in the 2. And then tested step feed vs dump feed, by making a gallon og water that was acid adjusted and had the nutrients all mixed up into it, and then splitting between 2 separate 64oz containers. Again, almost no perceived difference between the step feed and the dump feed, using the exact same amount of sugar. Even if it doesnt come out "better" that one can tell... isn't easier and KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) better overall? If you've made it this far, the point in this video are on point and really improved my own brewing/fermenting. And the 3 tips I listed... 1-calculate and plan. Proper planning prevents poor performance. 2-acid adjust wated prior to fermenation. 3-dump feed for simplicity Will very likely help you improve your ferments and take some of the anxiety and uncertainty out of it. One other note... I have noticed that especially with honey, the yeast will leave more of the fructose and unfermentable sugars behind. I lije sweet. But where I was getting less residual sweetness. Then switched to dump feed, I found that the yeast fell between the bottom and middle of the yeasts range. So where before, I woukd have yeast going to 17 or 18% and completely dry on a 14-16% yeast. I was now getting between 13 and 15% and a little too sweet. So it does take a little practice. But the results will align more closely with what you expect from the yeast. Which I find to be a benefit. But to each their own.

[@beniaminorocchi]

As a beekeeper, keep in mind that botulin spores are found naturally in honey (that's why pediatricians usually recommend children under the age of 2 do not eat honey). It's not a problem for grown-ups , but if something goes wrong in the fermentation the botulin could grow and produce its toxins

[@phlosen7854]

Most underrated comment on youtube :)

[@JC-es5un]

Have you ever tried to make a Heather mead? I don’t have access to Heather honey, so I just use Heather flower tips and it’s phenomenal. I’ve even made it in 5 gallon batches before. I definitely recommend giving it a shot. Nothing beats the “mead of inspiration” 👍

[@reallybigphilly]

I have my first two 5-litre batches of mead fermenting right now. One (with jalapeno and cinnamon) is just past its peak activity, and the other (with homegrown raspberries and blackberries) is approaching its peak. I intend to backsweeten these to taste with the original honey as per your tip when they're done fermenting and stabilized. But balancing out the tannin / acidity levels is a great tip I will certainly keep in mind, as my ABV will certainly be under 10% for both of them. I have some smoker BBQ chunks in different wood species that I can shred, clean and add that might help.

[@donbarnes6377]

How do you backsweeten with honey and bottle carbonate?

[@ManMadeMead]

Here's a video on how to do it: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6GzepV4bdmGZq8&pp=ygUgaG93IHRvIGJvdHRsZSBjYXJib25hdGUgaG9tZWJyZXc%3D

[@aaronvt9980]

I use Irish Breakfast black tea to add tannin. The flavor isn't as overpowering as wine tannin and goes well with strong honey flavor.

[@razzakbane]

(New meadmaker here) how do you add the tea? Do you brew it in the water, let it cool, then add the honey and yeast? Or do you add it after the primary fermentation somehow?

[@TzeentchLordofChange]

@@razzakbane i personally add it in the water where i get my yeast started

[@SoapyLight]

@@razzakbane Some add to primary and some brew it like you normally would and then add the tea water to the primary container once cooled.

[@aaronvt9980]

@razzakbane I've tried a couple things. Typically I add it in primary fermentation as strong-brewed and cooled tea. I'll add more in post depending on mouthfeel and taste. I've tried tea bags(lightly boiled first) directly in the mead, but it was hard to control the "dosage".

[@bobbymeadows2959]

Very informative video. You provide more than you know for people new to mead making, not just in your informative videos but your showcase videos as well. Keep up the awesome work.

[@ManMadeMead]

I’m happy to share!

[@mmcgartland2095]

Omg. Radish mead. I think that I am in love.

[@jasondavis7408]

I made 4 traditional meads last month (Buckwheat, Mango, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower) and will be using these tips and the past 4 trads to make better versions in the future!

[@snakeoo7ca]

Did you buy those 4-packs on Amazon 😅

[@jasondavis7408]

@@snakeoo7ca no! Are there honey variety packs on Amazon?? I bought bulk 60 pounds for wildflower, mango, orangeblossom, and then somewhere around 24 pounds for buckwheat

[@JordanFayter]

Thank You

[@Helliconia54]

ahhh i use good old bakers yeast. VERY traditional

[@ruthdella37]

I love your humility! Thank you!😊

[@ThaMetalMan]

Great video my friend! Tomorrow I'll be ordering all the supplies for my first mead. You're videos have been so educational.

[@ManMadeMead]

I’m happy I can help!

[@Calendyr]

Welcome to the joy of home brewing!

[@ryanmcdonough6179]

I liked the graphic for the yeast profile, where do you get those for different yeasts?

[@ManMadeMead]

You can google each one and find the graphics for most of them!

[@dwadeweallin17]

Biggest learning curve for trads for me was the role of alcohol. Also, with dry trads, carbonation is almost a must. They can be good still, but they so subtle and thin compared to other meads. Carbonation can drive the aromatics and the bubbles can add to the mouthfeel. Thanks for spearheading a discussion on trads and being beginner friendly in the presentation.

[@ManMadeMead]

I definitely agree! I should have talked about that here as well

[@LaurieAnd]

Beekeeper here. Thank you for confirming that chrystallzed honey is still good honey!

[@ManMadeMead]

You bet!

[@robertbeaulieu8721]

If you can get your hands on Greek mountain honey that is from hazelnut pollination it really tastes nutty great stuff.

[@ManMadeMead]

That sounds pretty fun!

[@dylweezy117]

What would you consider high-quality water in terms of Ph, mineral content, etc?

[@duncanyoung8688]

cooler temperature during fermentation is best, some companies use cooler jackets for a slow cool fermentation 👍

[@fredwells7403]

Your comment could be misinterpreted as "cold as possible is best" . There is an optimum range, you don't want to ferment at 1°C either, or it literally won't ferment. 18°C is usually the sweet spot for most yeast.

[@lanmind1024]

From where did the yeast profile chart come?

[@XxBloggs]

I use honey from my own apiary and it creates beautiful flavours.

[@aidanviarengo8536]

I’m interested in trying out a mead made with royal jelly

[@dorseydorsey7129]

I’m a fan and a first time mead brewer and I was wondering if you ever tried a fellow brewer’s mead who has reached out to you. Most of my friends have tried my mead and liked it but they really never had mead before so they wouldn’t know how good it is or for that matter how bad. My question is how could I get someone with experience to sample my brew.

[@ІлляЛавріненко]

1:40 sorta cultural shock when you talk about corn syrup like something vastly cheaper than honey... Being among the world leaders by honey production is kinda lucky for mead makers))

[@7Thunders777]

Turn a honey bottle upside down and watch the bubble. One big Bubble is good honey, lots of Little bubbles, sugar has been added, not good honey. Thanks for Your tips, good channel. Respect.

[@Biedrik4]

Regarding acid balance, I know that tartaric acid is popular for trads, but to my palate it tastes a bit like artificial grape, even when used sparingly. I personally prefer a mix of citric and tartaric. It doesn't jump out as any specific type of fruit/acid flavor, and can give a nice complex kick of acidity.

[@MAGACOPP]

Tartaric is better for Berry meads.

[@aidanviarengo8536]

This may sound like blasphemy but, mixing Papago orange blossom beer with your mug of mead tastes fantastic for carbonation

[@TigerPat_9180]

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

[@68RedDragonz]

Have a fireweed honey trad in ferment.... Will likely lightly french oak it but the honey was so good I really want that to shine. Will also likely backsweeten with some of the same. Use only whistler spring water even though our local tap is very good.

[@Calendyr]

I would say that letting the mead age before drinking it would be in the top 3. There is a huge difference in quality between a mead just made and one that is say 1 or 2 years old. Also, give it time to clear before bottling.

[@shieldontario9233]

Love your videos brethren ! Thanks for the insight. However ! Noticed your audio quality is causing this unpleasant hissing sound. As an audio engineer, if you would like my help to clarify the sound and make it that much more pleasant I'd be glad to. Quick advice to get rid of hissing open the audio file onto Audacity a free software, make sure you leave like 5 seconds of just the blank hiss sound, than you can go through the "noise removal" effect that is simple to do especially if you watch a tutorial

[@dorseydorsey7129]

I have several packages of the EC1118 what combination of ingredients would go well in a mead that this yeast would work well.

[@ManMadeMead]

I use EC1118 for lots of berry meads!

[@gerardbradshaw5644]

i always take your advice as really good as well as your friends just can't get better and thanks

[@edgrice355]

Do you skip balancing with tannin and acid when carbonating a low ABV mead?

[@ManMadeMead]

Nope! You still need to do some adjustments with those!

[@RePetesBees]

Great content as always! Thanks for your perspective! Any particular yeasts you find that have above par results in a traditional mead? (I use whatever honey my bees produce, but always unfiltered well water.) So the yeast is going to be my controllable variation. I been using mostly Red star products with GREAT results with Cote Des Blancs is regards to simple blueberry/berry melomels + some black tea that are clear enough to read text through in

[@ManMadeMead]

Boy do I have a video for you! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y5DWmYmgp798hZYsi=TuZvq20_D-fXCpXd

[@tylerstout1549]

I have stopped thinking of the balance. Is a triangle between acid tannin and sweetness and more of a diamond or square in which the fourth point is ABV because alcohol content heavily influences the perception of balance of the other factors. Port style wine being a prime example of this four-way balancing act

[@hamedjafaroghli]

Can anyone introduce some natural yeast nutrient?

[@ManMadeMead]

Fermaid O is natural!

[@JordanFayter]

I'm thinking about trying Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead Yeast with y next brew. Has anyone used it and if so what are your thoughts about it?

[@uzdenskijmed]

I tried m05. I really liked this yeast. 4 gallons were fermented in heat in 14 days. The traditional mead tasted good.

[@ming562]

I like it. Leaves some residual sugars from primary usually. Has nice floral notes, goes great with wildflower and clover too!

[@ManMadeMead]

It’s a good yeast! I’ve used it for an assortment of meads and it’s always great

[@JordanFayter]

@@ManMadeMead Thank you

[@j0ltid]

You mentioned you backsweetened your carbonated mead with honey. What method did you use to bottle carbonate without using unfermentable sugars?

[@ManMadeMead]

I stabilized the mead and then force carbonated it in a keg!

[@andrewtappa1138]

Any suggestions on reputable online sources of honey?

[@jerrydearth8818]

What type of wine glass does he use?

[@ManMadeMead]

I use any!

[@loganfox9424]

I'm trying to look for a yeast that compliments buckwheat and maple syrup mead. I'm going to redo my mead in the future. I used lalvin ec1118. I want to use a different type of wine yeast. I have k1v116, 71b, rc212, also read star premier classique and cote des blanc. Also kveik voss. If anybody can think of what yeast Is beat please lmk in the comments.

[@curioponics]

QA23 is not uncommonly recommended for maple syrup-related brews, because of terpene retention.

[@ming562]

Good video. Pls do a xmas mead video sometime if you have time.

[@jimdent351]

Do you have a good cherry mead recipe? I just watched a tasting video of yours and you seemed a little reluctant to call it fabulous. Have you came up with something different since that tasting? My biggest thing is knowing the best honeys to use. Thanks.

[@ManMadeMead]

I've got this one that ended up tasting pretty good! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f2qtmqKibpejp8U

[@kevin_ninja_jones2363]

I wish I knew someone who also does mead and wine. My mead I made at the beginning of this year is good but I feel like it's missing something but I'm not sure what it's missing

[@TrenbologneSandwich]

Did you forget to add the bee's?

[@riukrobu]

Yay traditionals! Great tips!

[@bigcmcg3946]

So if your making a “traditional” just water honey yeast nutes, what yeast do you want for more sweetness naturally honey flavor

[@ManMadeMead]

You can see any yeast to make a sweet mead! You will more than likely have to back sweeten after fermentation, but that's okay. I have a video on how to make a sweet mead here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qYDTc6uvp6aBorM&pp=ygUYaG93IHRvIG1ha2UgYSBzd2VldCBtZWFk

[@SammyOneThumb]

I'm making my first batch all natural my next will be all natural all the way from yeast and all

[@ManMadeMead]

Sounds like an adventure!

[@navyphil6105]

No one wants to give numbers. How much acid? How much sweetness? How much tannin? I know your answer will probably be “it’s up to what you want it to taste”. I understand this but a starting point would help.

[@ManMadeMead]

Start with 1/8 tsp of acid per gallon, 2 oz of honey per gallon and 1/2 tsp of powdered wine tannin per gallon. Add more if you feel like you need more to taste!

[@navyphil6105]

@@ManMadeMead wonderful. Thank you.

[@bansheebird]

For a traditional mead I begin with a SG of 1.100 and end with FG of 1.000. I then back sweeten with honey to taste and check my gravity. Most of the time my reading ends up being 1.030 to 1.040. Does that amount of sweetness seem excessive to you? Do you measure your gravity after back sweeting? If so, what range are you normally in?

[@padensmith7643]

You like low ABVs I don't. What yeast will get me to 14% ABV in a5 gallon bucket. People say use EC-1118 you say don't. I don't get it. Is it D47? I don't want some sweet low ABV mead. I just don't want a dry champagne taste. I would like a standard full bodied 14 or so ABV mead.

[@ManMadeMead]

Any yeast with a listed alcohol cap of at least 14% (which is pretty much every one!) I don't like EC-1118 because it generally ferments too vigorously and doesn't really add anything to the flavor of a mead.

[@jkwynn87]

Imma go against the grain here and say distilled water is okay, but I'm also a beer brewer who does water chemistry, and I've got brewer's salts on hand to build whatever water profile I'm going for.

[@je-sus-6910]

Traditional by definition would be a mead that is fermented till no sugar left and then drank right after.

[@ManMadeMead]

I don’t think that’s true. A traditional mead is one that only features honey, water and yeast.

[@je-sus-6910]

@@ManMadeMead that’s the flavor id to it. Traditional flavor.

[@Spaget453]

@@je-sus-6910 Traditionals can have any level of sweetness / residual sugar

[@Troscoman]

Do you know, why they called "traditional", if we know there's nothing traditional at all? The history recipes are always with something in it. hehe

[@ManMadeMead]

I’m not certain… it does seem odd!

[@zachburton4190]

I don’t know the history but if I had to take a stab I would guess it’s because it’s the baseline mead. It would be what’s “traditionally made”. Not like it’s a tradition like something passed dow, but more like “what’s usually done”. No variation, no flavor additives. Just pure straight mead. It showcases what the original honey is “traditionally” like. Just my guess! 😁

[@TastyTrees916]

Yeah for sure cause once they realized the sugar made the alcohol you know they started dumping fruit in it

[@aidanviarengo8536]

The ancient ways of making mead included using a wool blanket as an airlock so the question may come where one asks, how traditional are we making this

[@mutantryeff]

Tip #7: Bottle should be tipped to consume.

[@Hawk2phreak]

Not sure chunky is a good way of describing back sweetened mouth feel. If someone offered me a drink they described as chunky, I would politely pass lol

[@ManMadeMead]

True haha

[@kb2vca]

@@ManMadeMead This was a really good video. I would perhaps offer the term "more viscous" rather than "chunky". And as a mead maker we are actually aiming for a mead with as much viscosity as the flavors, aromas, sweetness, acidity, tannin and the amount of alcohol need. You really want a mead to coat your mouth and not slide down like water. Back sweetening adds more viscosity to a lower viscous mead

[@sharpi1507]

I am here because bees were mentioned. Please tell me more.

[@ManMadeMead]

Bees made honey!