Best Brews of 2024! Top Ten Mead, Wine, Cider

[@DavidWesley]

Thanks for a great year! My best brew of the year was a dark cherry mead, 13%.

[@The0neGreatest]

43 Brews over the course of one year! That's almost a new brew a week! Well done and happy new years!

[@KenScott-y9y]

Thanks!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Thank you so much!

[@barrytdrake]

Thanks for the kind words on the guacamole mead! I have another 6 gallons in conditioning, ready to be bottled. That video sure triggered a lot of reactions in the comments! 🤣🤣🤣

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You are very welcome and yup! Tons of comments on that one!

[@OneImperfectSaint]

I am currently doing a 12 days of homebrew for my girl, based on things I've made all year for us. It's so hard to keep a bottle hidden. Love you guys, can't wait for content in the new year. I'll be emailing you soon about herbal infusions I can send you for new brews.

[@Veggie-Geek]

I'm so happy to be able to see the development of your craft. have you considered revisiting older mead recipes but with new techniques? I'm on the tail end of making the pyment mead and it is very flavorful.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yup! We have some planned.

[@Veggie-Geek]

@@CitySteadingBrews i look forward to those videos! Happy New Year!

[@johnp.2267]

I heard "Raspberry Beer" and continued with "the kind you find in a secondhand store". Darn Derica's musical proclivities. :P Loved Brian's "Hail Skroob!" gesture for Milton. Anywho, can't wait to see what you two make this upcoming year, especially with all the fun ingredients out there. ;)

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Ha!

[@Nudgeworth]

Wow you guys liked the pilsner kit beer :) One of my favourite beers is Emerson's pilsner, made here in Dunedin New Zealand. It tastes like passion fruit!!! The flavour comes from Riwaka hops. You should try making a beer with them :)

[@brianhedrick8614]

After making the Carrot Cake Mead, other than a bottle that was put back for 1 year, I only have a 375ml bottle left. So now I'm making a 2 gallon batch of it.

[@stephenhegarty6179]

Same here ☘️

[@teatowel11]

I started a mead with cardamom, orange zest and clove on christmas eve inspired by your various brews. Also made a cider that was ok and have a blueberry cider that is nearly ready to be bottled. Thank you

[@DonaldGoss-h5n]

I just wanted to throw this comment out there. I have watched every home brew video you guys have put out. I have been homebrewing just over a year at this point. I have had some good ones, great ones and two that got dumped. Lack of experience. I actually counted and have made 35 brews in the last year. Alot of them were influenced heavily by watching you guys. Keep them coming. :)

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That's great to hear you're making so much and learning a lot!

[@plasmatom2]

Thanks for an awesome year of brewing! My favorite homemade brew was a sweet honey wine with red fruit and spices, it was devine. Thanks for the inspiration, I am truly thankfull you guys gave me an awesome new hobby that fits my lifestyle. My worst brew was the jalapeño mead I made, it tastes like the vegetable rather than a mead.

[@jonnyl1971]

I would like to see you make a rose hip sherry. Its farastic aged 2-5 years.

[@JoeHabr-e1z]

I suggest doing cold soaking experiments on fruits or vegetables mead/wine. See if there is any differences of flavor. Right now I’m cold soaking a blueberry wine for 5 days in the fridge. I use pectin enzymes during the whole time under cold soaking. Then I take the fruits out of the must so no spoilage happens since the fruit has been soaking for a while. Then adjust PH and let the must come to temp. Then ferment. See if cold soaking does any difference. Thank you guys for the effort on making great recipes. As always cheers.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I would think that is more prone to mold growth unless you can keep it at a low enough temperature? We really don't have any way to do that ourselves with an entire batch.

[@jticonchuk]

Thank you for all the hard work! You've done some food work and growth this year for sure! The carrot cake mead was my personal favorite i made this year, however... The Holiday Mead really comes alive after its closer to a year old.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

The Carrot Cake Mead was one of our favorites too!

[@TheStraycat74]

9:42 Butterfly Pea flower tea with Meadowfoam honey mead. Super Purple and awesome...

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sure, you can do that. I've never found butterfly pea to offer much in terms of goo flavor though.

[@sheogorathoftamriel191]

Well, I thought that I'm going to spend only 27 minutes, but I just had to immediately rewatch videos about some brews you mentioned :D Thanks, this year was awesome. Good luck to you next year!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@definitelynotarobot835]

I’m starting my first mead- it’s your blueberry mead recipe! I can’t wait to see how it turns out. Have a great New Years CSB!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Sounds good and you too!

[@Beefing2012]

Loved the videos. Can't wait for my first mead to finish fermenting when it is done

[@fpvoslo]

Happy New Year from Norway c",)

[@stephenhegarty6179]

Great list and Happy New Year and new brews to come 👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Happy new year!

[@TigerPat_9180]

Really Appreciate Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

[@TigerPat_9180]

Finally got off Probation and my Rights Back to Make Comments on KZbin . Got a Notice 📤 that They would Delete My Account Completely If I kept making Comments that Offended Some People on Political Channels Anymore 🤔🤨🧐🙄 , 😂 . 🐯🤠

[@billbucktube]

A fabulous year‼️

[@anthonylundgaard6575]

the hot spiced cider i managed to start it the day the video came out and finished it in time for Christmas everyone loved it and i brought my beer i made

[@SteveGarrett-w8j]

Awesome content! Happy New Years 🎉

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Thanks and right back atcha!

[@brians_casual_shenanigans]

I didn't do much brewing, this year, but I'd have to say my favourite was a pomeganate wine, with maple syrup wine as a close second... I made the maple due to my brother-in-law being vegan and not being able to share mead with him, turned out great.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Maple wine is pretty great. I enjoyed ours.

[@shortleaf6818]

I made a molasses mead (with random assorted honey and some corn syrup). It did some really weird stuff (like randomly deciding to be carbonated almost a month after bottling), but in the end… it tasted kinda ok.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Then yours is better than ours!

[@Gmrgrl-mb5np]

I have been waiting for this and am so excited. Btw Vikings blood 2020 is 😙🤌🏻

[@stevehafke3614]

Instead of Lemon/Strawberry try Orange Strawberry. A store by me sells this as a juice/cider (whatever you want to call it). I used an orange blossom honey a when ferment completed to about .994 I back sweetened just enough for the fruit flavors to come back.

[@amessnger]

Now THAT sounds good!

[@paularndt6111]

Happy new years !!

[@vossierebel]

Hahahhahhhhahhhhahaaaa... thanks for making me laugh so much!! You are just special people doing FUN!!! Have a terrific 2025 - I'm guaranteeing I'll be back for more tips and treats!! Mole-asses.. wow... that takes the cake, strawberry lime cheese cake mead!!⚡😁🍒🍑🥂🍓🐝🤣

[@julietardos5044]

Last night, I dreamed that I was showing you my kitchen where I brew. Except it wasn't my current house, it was our last house. Happy 2025!

[@julietardos5044]

P.S. We'll be opening a bunch of bottles at our NYE party, including a pineapple mead, which came out awesome. I was thinking I'd add habaneros like you did, but I liked it so much without it that I didn't. So good. Thank you.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Lol

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It's good with or without habaneros!

[@markmanning2921]

Planning on getting some meadowfoam honey and i think ill have to back sweeten with it so i dont lose those special flavors!

[@dageman-c8p]

A bit off topic, but I wanted to let you know how much your videos helped improve the quality of life for a bunch of humanitarian workers working in a very dry country for the past year…

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Awesome! Glad to help!

[@deenottelling8492]

You are being timy wimy and I love it.

[@playmaka2007]

I literally have a cherry cheesecake brewing now, can't wait.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Oooh, that's a good one!

[@stonerainproductions]

I'm so very happy you liked the Meadowfoam Mead as I sent it to you. I recently found a bottle of it also and I'm finishing it next week. Mine is a year and a half. All the best for 2025 for you both. Sláinte!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Thanks again!

[@stonerainproductions]

@@CitySteadingBrews you bring me a lot of happiness throughout the year, it's my honor to give back even a little. Every time I see a new video from you two I click it right away, so I'm genuinely thrilled I can contribute in some way. You seriously bring a lot of joy to people, me included. I'm hoping to send more in the near future.

[@sniktripn7217]

Add coconut to the chocolate cherry and ypu should have what im aiming for with the cherry ripe mead

[@castfor1537]

Yall should consider fermenting some Dole Mandarine Oranges. They sit in grape and lemon juice

[@The_SteveBeck]

I would love to see a Tepache episode 🍍

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We should work on that!

[@SoederHouse]

Blood Oranges are in season. Would love to have your take on using it in a mead. We make four or five gallons every year based on JAOM with Blood Oranges and D47 our go to yeast.

[@amessnger]

Oooooooo...love that idea! Our blood oranges will be ripening in about a month. I think I may just do that. Thank you!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

If we can get them, that is planned.

[@amessnger]

@@CitySteadingBrews Aldi will have them in Feb. Yeah! I look forward to watching

[@jarodlojeck5150]

My In-Laws liked the low ABV wine. It was a success.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yay!

[@FarlzBarkley]

There is a homestead relatively close to me where they grow sorghum to create their own molasses. At some point they began to make a vinegar, which is delicious. I wonder if y’all were to take the molasses wine and turn it into vinegar, if that might redeem it in some way.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It certainly can't get any worse!

[@julietardos5044]

And then use the vinegar to made steak sauce or hot sauce. It would be worth experimenting with, IMO.

[@KarnivoreKaren]

Since the pineapple/habanero mead video came out, I've made 5-1gal batches. Down to 2 bottles, so it's time to make more 🍹

[@Coaltergeist]

I know it isn't on your 2024 list (since you made it in 2023, even though the video was in 2024) but the Fruitcake Mead was AMAZING! In fact I'm planning my second batch now. It was a huge hit with the family and I can't wait to make it again

[@CitySteadingBrews]

I agree, possibly the best brew we have made.

[@coolmacmilfpimp3839]

I have my first 8 gallons of mead and 2 experiments going right now!

[@CitySteadingBrews]

8 gallons for your first? Wow.

[@coolmacmilfpimp3839]

@CitySteadingBrews i had 9 lbs of apples left over from hunting camp and this man sold me his wine making collection for $40 so I figured why not ....... so I guess the 6 gallon carboy is a cyser ? it's 2 kinds of apples. connamon , clove, vanilla bean, all blended up. it exploded out of the top Christmas morning , the pectic enzyme and yeaste have since pulverized it into a churning mass of stuff. then I have the 1 gallon kit thug started it all , that's a few days from bottling , then I made an acerglyn and a kilju with brown sugar. I dont even drink but it will be great gifts....

[@raist315]

Hi, when I make mead, I ferment, then sweeten, then pasteurize. Then it sits in the jug for three months to clear, then I bottle it. Once I bottle, if it's good do I still need to age in the bottle, or is it ok to start enjoying? You let yours sit in the bottle for a year. Thanks.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

You can start drinking right after fermentation is done.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We taste after it's done and do a one year to see how it improved or changed.

[@Beefing2012]

I just found out the specific gravity for the water i used for my first mead is 1.008. How will this affect my mead for the final gravity reading? Is it normal for water to not have a 1.000 gravity? I used poland spring water

[@CitySteadingBrews]

It could be temperature? Could be dissolved solids in the water. 💦 t could have an effect but I don't think it would be that huge. I made a video for this question, it will air tomorrow at 9 am EST!

[@Beefing2012]

@CitySteadingBrews thank you guys for the videos and always replying so fast for my questions. Can't wait for the new videos.

[@IndianGlobingAround2]

Hey.. merry Christmas and happy new year .. been watching your videos alot.. very informative and easy to understand instructions specially for a noob like me.. got courage to try to brew myself. Ordered instrument. Not available in my country so have to import which is expensive. So only ordered lalvin 1118 yeast, fermenter with tap airlock thing, and sanitizer. A few questions? If you could answer please Can I brew with jaggery instead of honey (with mandarin and lemon rind and lemon juice) in your mead recipe? Hv heard about methanol. Is there any way of measuring that or any must do thing to ensure there is less quantity or nil (lesser than harmful dose)

[@CitySteadingBrews]

First, methanol.... not anything to worry about. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hHiZdHqkar2gh8Usi=Ow1u4XU9FrBNNPEz Second, yes, on the jaggery, but as I've never used it I couldn't give you amounts for substitution. It will not be mead though.

[@IndianGlobingAround2]

Even if its not mead per say but it will still produce alcohol, right? Right now I'm just trying to experiment while keeping my expenditure to minimum Can i get by without getting that test tube measurement thing with which you calculate alcohol and PH meter? Or would you recommend necessarily getting them

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Yes it will make alcohol. I highly recommend the hydrometer and pH strips are cheap. The investment will last years and will make your learning of how this all works MUCH more consistent as you will know when you've overdone sugars, or when it's done, or stalled, or any of dozens other scenarios as well as knowing if it's too acidic or basic before even adding yeast.

[@IndianGlobingAround2]

Thank you for your time and help and prompt responses... I hope to get the already ordered items by the end of January.. If it's possible, please consider using jaggery in one of your brews. Happy holidays once again!!

[@IndianGlobingAround2]

Hi! a very happy new year to you brain and derica sorry to bug you again.. 1. If I brew at night and let it remain outside (covered) to cool down till room temperature for the whole night (It will be sitting at room temperature for considerable time) will it be okay. I mean still brewable? 2. If I leave items to be sanitise for the whole night, I hope its not much of an issue?

[@chrisjohnsharp]

You should try some English ales and see what you think

[@CitySteadingBrews]

We have had several 👍

[@sniktripn7217]

I think i watched the braggot video like 100 times because i wanted to make one and i made it and think i used the wrong malt as i used dark malt and it seems to be uber sweet but hoppy and beerybut not quite right dont knkw if its the non fermentabls or if its just stalled twice over or whats going on it tastes like a dark beer but overly honey sweet is that normal ?

[@jakematthews6982]

Maybe a little info added to your notes/labels including date/time as usual but also #1 of 2025, then #2 of 2025… Just an idea. All the suggestions that I make I also practice them. So this numbering thing is something I’m starting too. But I’ve only made 21 brews in 2024. I tend to make some 1-gallon brews but mostly 5 to 6-gallon brews and I get around 20 bottles from the larger batches and I usually only get about 5 or 6 out of those 20-ish bottles. I really enjoy handing it out to friends and family, I trade x amount of bottles for a cord of wood or other goods or services. It’s really great for bartering and becoming a bit of a better neighbor. I’ve typically NEVER been a good neighbor. I’m the ‘get off my lawn!’ guy. I enjoy my privacy and my property is MY property. I realize that’s not really conducive to a happy neighborhood and having a bottle of wine to hand to a neighbor is a great ice-breaker.

[@sniktripn7217]

The second meadow foam wss smores mead

[@zackrycroft3497]

No mention of the fruit cake mead

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Was from 2023. It came right after that top ten but would have been in the top 5 for sure.

[@superiorvideoandphotograph375]

Is Derek a Green Bay Packer fan? He's wearing green and gold beads

[@CitySteadingBrews]

There is no Derek and Derica is a she.... and she is not.

[@unknown-um3lq]

​​@CitySteadingBrews I'm betting autocorrect stuck again I'm a lions fan, so today I'm a packers fan! IYKYK

[@teatowel11]

Make rum out of the molasses wine.

[@CitySteadingBrews]

That's distilling and illegal where we are.

[@MisterProducts]

I want to see the most nasty list

[@CitySteadingBrews]

Pretty much just molasses and nettle to be honest.