Making Mead Like a Viking

#VikingNerds
The Viking Nerds show you how to Make Mead Like a Viking. Thanks for watching!
/ vikingnerds
/ vikingnerds
Skál!

[@dallen8997]

Meanwhile the police arresting his neighbors for their meth lab

[@straightbrutality9264]

Huh...

[@chocolaterose3483]

I'm so confused by this comment

[@Techniciansbrewery]

Lots of good information here! I'm a brewer from Norway, and I like to use a herb called Mead Wort (or Meadowsweet or Queen of the meadows) which I pick in the early summer before it blooms, and then dry it. Here in Scandinavia that was a common additive to mead, along with fruits and other herbs, like hops. I make it the modern way myself, using industrial mead yeast, plastic carboys, pure oxygen, yeast nutrients, and fining agents, but it still turns out pretty good. I might make a video on it this summer, on how I do it. For the most part I brew beer, but I like to try things, so I've made ciders, wines, and ginger beer as well. I found your video quite informative and inspiring. Cheers!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Meadowsweet is great. I use it in a lot of my brews. You're right that it was traditionally a common addition to mead, and to ale as well. That and yarrow. Have you ever read the book Brewing and Beer Traditions in Norway by Odd Nordland (www.goodreads.com/book/show/15735399-brewing-and-beer-traditions-in-norway)? It's hard to find here in the US but I've borrowed it from the library a few times. He traveled Norway in the 40s and 50s and documented farmhouse brewing traditions that were already fading away. It's mostly ale related but I use some of the herbs he references in my meads as well. And as far as making mead the modern way, I do that as well. I just like to teach people how to make it using the old ways. Old and new are both fine by me!

[@leespiderpod]

Hi, Did you get around to making a video using meadow flowers?

[@kursedklown]

Nice video! I'm a mead brewer from Finland, I just started making some ''viking mead'' yesterday from honey, raisins and sugar. I noticed I added too much brown sugar so it's kinda dark but hey, if it tastes good and gets you hammered then it's perfect!

[@czucziandras1406]

How was it?

[@valley3621]

I think if you garden or try to grow your own food, you realize that every Mead Vikings made were probably a little different, and depended on what plants were in season and how much honey they could find. I love the idea of, "in the spirit of the thing."

[@mikesemon7392]

Gardening in the Hudson Valley For sure. I farm marijuana and my honey is very skunky. It makes good mead. The poppy honey has pain relieving quality.

[@MrGrazzhoppa]

Lol, the Scandinavians makes mead like the true vikings.

[@patrickturner6878]

Brewing mead was woman's work. "Woman's Magic" that most(but by no means all) men had little interest in. A woman's value was partially based on her ability to make good mead and was a valued wife because the best mead makers could make a lot of money selling their superior product. They learned the art at their mother's knee like the spindle and distaff and was a very important part of a girl's teaching. I mention this because of the part where he talks about them maybe doing a dance to call up the brewing gods and it made me laugh envisioing a bunch of women dancing around a vat full of the latest mead, sampling the product and getting hammered while bitching about their menfolk.

[@yamuda]

I own this book and can attest to the fact that it is truly awesome. Not only is it helpful for those just starting out, but is also far more entertaining than many of the other books on the subject. I whole-heartedly recommend his book.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Thank you sir!

[@bragesteffensen3038]

Following this

[@torstenscott7571]

I just read this book from a library 3 weeks ago. I was pleasantly surprised by this video. A good book, well written, fun, and informative.

[@tarawalker5384]

This is what I miss about working at a library. Did I set out thinking..."you know what I really want to know? How to make mead like a viking..." No. But then this book crossed my desk and I just HAD to know! This is a great book. Thank you Jereme!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

I worked at a library for a few years in college myself. One of the best ways to come across books and magazine articles you may never have seen otherwise. I nearly pursued library science as a career but somehow this writing thing took over my life instead. :) Skal!

[@TheOldBlackShuckyDog]

What kinda library did you find that in lmao

[@TJ_Actual1]

This guy knows his stuff. Great video!

[@jordanaug81]

Drinking a batch of 5 year old mead I almost forgot about and it's amazing. And yeah, fresh local honey is the best way to go.

[@pimpmasterx7]

i'd have to climb a tree and drag the hive down by force if I want fresh local honey..... no apiaries near by

[@williammentink]

@@pimpmasterx7 Check out a Farmers market near you.

[@PusaStudios]

So glad to have come over your video in suggested videos. Me and my wife have been interested in viking culture for a long time. We even had an Asatru wedding on a sacred viking site in Iceland couple years ago. It is a truly raw and ancient culture!

[@VikingNerds]

Glad you found us and enjoyed the video. Congratulations on your wedding! I bet it was a very majestic experience having it out there. Skál!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

That sounds like an awesome wedding. Sounds much more Viking than the 100 degree F plus humidity outdoor wedding my wife and I had here in KY!

[@thanielxj11]

just bought your book and enjoying it immensely

[@josephdevine5229]

You are my favorite KZbin channel. You guys are funny and chill

[@sethwoodward9996]

I just started brewing mead and was given your book as a Christmas gift. I just brewed a batch of herbal mint mead. At this point I haven’t tried a wild fermented brew but I’ll probably start off with a ginger bug as you suggest in your book since it sounds so easy and delicious.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Good luck!

[@svenkaahedgerg3425]

Thanks for the nice and relaxed presentation. Very nice and I am going to try making some.

[@jdwright1313]

Great video. starting to get into the mead brewing business. Really enjoyed learning on the basic viking ways to make mead!

[@hammerheartdan6311]

Mead is sacred in both the faith and mythology. Tyr bless!

[@stanlindert6332]

I like the good old white plastic bucket.great for beginners on the cheap. I really like the magic sticks, twigs great advice.I'm going to make my first wild batch today sans crock. Can't wait to get your book.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Yep. I ferment in plenty of plastic buckets. I don't ferment long-term in them though. Usually start the fermentation and then move to a carboy if it's something I'm going to ferment for several months or a year or more. Would probably be fine but I worry about flavors from the plastic leeching in. Twigs, sticks, all kinds of plants...people in Viking days put all kinds of stuff in their meads!

[@Kinnamon100]

Raised I Anderson county ,but moved to frankfort 21 years ago. Made my first batch of mead yesterday with my nephew. Working on our shields as well. So glad to have come across your video. My nephew was wanting to buy a commercial grade sterilizer but I told him no the Vikings only had boiling water to sterilize their equipment. Definitely want to get my hands on your game once our meat is done.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Sounds awesome! To be honest, the Vikings wouldn't even necessarily have used boiling water much. It takes a good amount of fuel to keep water boiling for long, and they would have used that for cooking (as in a slow simmer over a fire). That, and it would have killed off any active yeast on their equipment. Mostly I just don't like polluting my equipment with chemicals. Skal!

[@TheOldBlackShuckyDog]

I’m a bit confused when do you put the airlock on, surely if you don’t put it on during primary fermentation then it will turn to vinegar

[@DerekTant]

Hey, Jereme! I just recently decided to get into making mead. Your book was the first purchase! I am looking forward to getting into it. You make it seem fun. Thank you so much.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Thanks! If you're not having fun, what's the point?

[@Burgerboy118]

After reading your book i now prefer a brogart over beer and mead. im going to be making a new batch when spring comes. im aiming to make a cola/rootbeer brogart using dandelion,burdock,lemon,lime,apple pie seasoning,coriander leaf,bayleaf,oak chippings,porridge oats,black tea,cranberries and raisens

[@charlespwnage5435]

Talks about mead history in a cabin while a police raid goes on in the background lol

[@peppertime1]

just for your logo you deserve a thumbs up!!!!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Our friend Steve can be thanked for that! He likes to doodle around with Viking stuff and other silliness. Check out his Google+ profile here: plus.google.com/u/0/116050048849115327589

[@MrXikwriNeyrra]

Love dice games. Gonna check it out

[@kevinmiller3084]

This video kinda drags but there's lots of great info and insight. I've bought Zimmerman's book and it's definitely worthwhile. Good info on brewing and lots of recipes.

[@augustharper800]

Mine just started fermenting yesterday. Beautiful cabin!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Thanks! That's our mead hall / man cave in the woods. :)

[@p0tat0_xo]

For some reason I found this wildly fascinating

[@teresaolofson8187]

you waked up my brewing spirits with the snow and the camera shakie shake :) LOVED it SO MUCH :)

[@VikingNerds]

Thanks for watching and the continued support! Skál!

[@manufacturedfracture]

Dansk mjöd makes mead the same way theyve had since 1300.

[@VikingNerds]

We're big fans of their mead. It has a really unique taste. Thanks for watching! Skál

[@Strider1313]

I tell everyone if you can make viking blod last it gets better when the burn disappears from fortifying it

[@phonetify]

great book! great to see the book being promoted too. I just started a lazy viking batch, including a few bits of wild foraged old juniper berries and hop flowers. after a week it finally took hold.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Awesome! And thanks!

[@petergoettler8680]

Cool.Making Some.Thxs.Merci.

[@tomchristensen2914]

As someone whos family is from Copenhagen Denmark and can trace lineage back to Berzerker clan vikings. I really enjoyed this video. little long intro but good info. i will be ordering this book. I also have a recipe that has been handed down in the family from the 1700's. Great video and spot on, I wish more mead was done with natural air fermentation..

[@theresamccune1881]

"Don't get it from a dog park" LOL!

[@mike-ology444]

insanely jealous of that thunder going on in the background also love the book

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

We were lucky to have a rare encounter with Thor AND thunder and happened to have a camera on hand!

[@Thorodin987]

Another great video guys! Funny unexpected clip of Thor. But next time he should drink some mead.

[@josephdevine5229]

And your book is gold

[@ascended9173]

I like this guy :) Definitely gonna be blasting Bathory and practicing my thu'um while I try making mead!

[@kingfisherblues57]

Well done video! I am just about finished building my first beehive. Should have bees in it by April of 2019, and hope to harvest enough honey to make a mead sometime in the fall. I would like to make enough so that I can drink one batch after it is done brewing (and maybe aged for about 3 months), and let the second batch age for a year or more. I figure If I keep doing that, over time I should have a nice inventory of well aged mead for special occasions. Thanks again for a great informative video, and I plan on picking up a copy of your book as well. Cheers

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Awesome! Good luck with that and thanks for the kind words!

[@jamisonbrooks]

Great video love the fact you are from kentucky my home state. Going to try to make mead like a Viking to see how it compares to the moderen brewed mead.

[@VikingNerds]

Thanks for watching! Good luck on your batch and let us know how it turns out. Skál!

[@anthonycoffey4699]

Just because you understand how something works doesn't mean it isn't still magical, SKAL!

[@VikingNerds]

Very true! Skál!

[@klausschwabshubris]

Viking Nerds How do you not have a million subscribers? Awesome video, i subbed.

[@bluebeard2011theorigional]

as a mead maker you need to know this so many Viking nerds are following the English recipe and making a wine, not mead mead is a ale like drink they drunk it straight out of the fermenter the English monks could not drink ale so they turned it into a wine its a common mistake even the modern Vikings are following the English wine version of mead true mead tastes like a honey champagne with a hell of a kick its shou8ld always retain all of the honey flavor once fermented it should be bottled or drank immediately that's true Viking mead years of research and years of making and drinking mead as a beekeeper i have had to dispose of lots of honey what better way then make mead so i call myself an expert mead maker so do my friends my mead lasts a day or two as my freinds wait for me to make it so two days and its all been drank.each batchalso when bottling you dont need to add sugars as mead was drunk flat after storage it does go flat but losses nothing in taste or fflavor you can keg it and add co2 to be facy or just bottle like beer without any sugar or you will blow the bottles up

[@tristanburns82]

Bluebeard2011 a mead mead in Australia called beemead.is like champagne honey. Goes down easy not like wine

[@Questionable_Talent]

Keep the knowledge alive, what's your recipe?

[@CitySteadingBrews]

In your book you said to calculate the ABV of mead, you subtract the FG from the OG and multiply by 105. Isn't it actually 131.25?

[@The411]

Appreciate the info Jereme, cheers from Canada.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Skal!

[@-Erebus]

I got 3 gallons of pure elderberry juice from a friend's farm, and using black Locust honey to ferment it

[@petergoettler1798]

Interesting,Thxs.

[@jasoncopin]

OMG!! It worked. took about five days. poured the active batch into a carboy with an airlock. now it's just a waiting game

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Yep. It's that easy!

[@jasoncopin]

I just bottled my first batch and kept about pint and drank it. It is so yummy and I got good happy buzz right now. Can barely taste the alcohol.

[@VikingNerds]

It's some yummy stuff... Well, most of the time. Glad to hear it turned out good. Skál!

[@PhlegmBoHiggins]

Bruuuuhhhh that TYR shirt finally a man of taste

[@thetaxidermywitchsymbolism5215]

Best last name in the world!!!! I'm a witch and am trying my hand at Metheglin. And I want to do it the most nature based way possible! This is THE best video on youtube!!!

[@petergoettler1385]

COOL, Thxs. [I Tried It, And It Was GOOD!}

[@STEN-164]

Man I gotta say you are a god. This is amazing and I learned a lot about using wild yeast in this video

[@djyul]

A man who loves his Mead!Nice!! I am going to make some mead,from other modern recipes,but now i have seen this,gonna make some this way as well for a comparison.Also want to try Vikings Blod.

[@petergoettler8680]

Cool,Thanks. I've Tried It, Great!

[@phillippeavey9490]

Here's a thought, perhaps the ancestors used wooden oak barrels to ferment and age the mead, like you said, they probably did not have ceramic pots or tubs to brew with. do you think it will turn out good if brewed in an Oak barrel or a wooden barrel?

[@grave1er]

If i had the money id like to buy ur book an learn to make cool things like this

[@kristiancogman1413]

Thanks bud will check it out 😀

[@justinrudd8986]

We need more videos from you man

[@HobbsBhipp]

Thank you, very educational.

[@VikingNerds]

You're welcome and thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it. Skál!

[@TheBlizzkon]

hey thats Týr Tshirt :p

[@VikingNerds]

Yes it is, one of our favorite bands! Thanks for watching.

[@unclehraefnar]

Yes, we can read it 😜

[@JackRockBLC]

Hah! I finally know what you look like! I found your website years ago (and had it bookmarked for a long time). I bought your book when the Viking exhibit came to the Denver museum, and now I'm super excited to try to make mead.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Glad to hear it! Sadly I missed that exhibit. It was in my area but I wasn't able to make it. Oh, and damn; now you know what I look like! ;)

[@robbiek444]

you can buy the 5 gallon crocks at true value, i ordered two of them not long ago, they may not keep them in stock? but you can order them through true value hardware!

[@thewildmanjoeburns]

12 minutes in and im yelling to poor the dam honey in!!!!

[@TattedBison]

I currently have a batch that produced a little white plume with a bluish center over night. I stirred it in instead of scraping it off. Any thoughts on this haha? I’m not really concerned about it but thought it was worth asking! Awesome video, I ordered your book a couple days ago and can’t wait to read it when it arrives! Thank you!

[@Kinnamon100]

Oh and I can't wait to carve our own magic stir stick.

[@fatjoecanadian81]

I just started a batch of maple mead and didn't add anything but yeast and honey and maple syrup and spring water for a clean spring on my land do u think it will come out and how long

[@slopcrusher3482]

fatjoecanadian81 how did it go? I found that maple wines are very delicate, and the Maple taste can be over powered by other flavours very easily

[@Mordred86]

Thanks for the video, bought the book (very good read it in one day) and it definitely has lots more information but this helped seeing you do the first step and explain your process. Cheers!

[@petergoettler8680]

Thxs.

[@molan1998oif]

I’ve made mead twice so far, but I need to make more... first time I bottled early and ended up with sparkling mead (that was not my intention but I got impatient lol). Second time was wonderful :)

[@1014p]

I had limited batches i did. Realized it was limited if sharing. So now i have at least 4-5 cases sitting around the kitchen of different batches ive been recipe developing with.

[@petergoettler8680]

Cool!

[@SantoMuerte187]

Awesome video thank you, I'm trying it's technique on payday

[@VikingNerds]

Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Good luck! It's a pretty simple process, but as with any kind of brewing, things can go wrong. Here's a troubleshooter / how-to I put together if you want more detail: www.jereme-zimmerman.com/news/2016/11/8/wild-yeast-is-your-friend

[@justingutierres3932]

Don't fall in the Mead hall Hell yeah throw chairs and fight the biggest man for 10sec skal

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Yep! Make mead like a Vikings and then throw some chairs and drink it like a Viking!

[@jimmyglea]

Thanks for this video.

[@VikingNerds]

Your'e welcome and thank you for watching!

[@gregorystockman4670]

Holy shit, at 27:38 or so did you say your friend's name is Dave Brown?!? One of my best friends I grew up with is named Dave Brown! LMAO Shit, now I gotta buy that game and make some fuckin mead.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Yep. Dave is the camera guy. I hear there are a few of them out there. As far as I know, all of them are awesome.

[@maxwelljeter5286]

hey bud, i wana know why the cheese cloth stops it from becoming vinegar?

[@malcus8485]

That Tyr shirt is amazing. Hail!

[@VikingNerds]

Thanks, we actually just saw Tyr in Ohio last week and even met Heri. Nice guys and awesome show.The second time seeing them. Skál!

[@teresaolofson8187]

is there a way to set it in place once it tastes the way you want it to taste? is that called stablizing in the commercialized yeast people say i am interest3ed in the natural viking way

[@epigeneticnerd4244]

Do you have a video on how to store mead? Do you wait till you don't see the percolator bubbling anymore? I want to avoid having a bottle burst once I cork it, but I prefer not to add chemical preservatives to it.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Don't have a video yet but I've addressed it in my book and various articles. I avoid chemicals myself. Short answer is: don't just rely on the airlock to finish bubbling. There is still a lot of carbonation that goes on that is too slow to appear in the airlock. Long answer: Look closely at the surface and watch for small bubbles. If it is still fermenting you'll be able to see the CO2 escaping. Even when that dies down you may still have some residual fermentation. I like to test when I think it's getting close by putting a pinch of sugar in it. If it is still active at all you'll see activity as the yeast devour the sugar. If it drops to the bottom, you should be safe for bottling. Keep in mind that even then you may have a tiny bit of carbonation but you shouldn't have popping corks or exploding bottles. Personally, I like a bit of carbonation in all of my meads. In the end, I rely on time. For one-gallon batches, I'm usually safe to bottle in 4-6 months. For five-gallon batches, it can take a year to a year and a half with two or three rackings. Another way to test, and to speed it up a bit, is to degass. For a five-gallon batch you can buy a whine whip, which you attach to the end of a drill, put in the carboy and get it spinning. It will drive CO2 to the surface, allowing it to dissipate quicker. Just don't stir too vigorously if you use something other than a wine whip. You don't want to disturb the surface too much, as the oxidation can potentially cause off flavors. I haven't been using my wine whip for long so I'm not sure if it really speeds up fermentation enough to be worth the cost (about $30) but hopefully I'll be doing a video on that soon. Hope this helps! It's a bit of a tricky subject but generally time and offerings to Odin do the job!

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Yes, regular racking definitely helps. You can also purchase a wine whip (connects to a drill) to help release CO2 levels but I'm not entirely convinced that was a worthwhile purchase yet. Regular racking, time and storing at cold temperatures are all good ways to go.

[@claytonblachly4031]

Cold crashing usually works fir me but I've had some corks fly across the room, even after I thought the yeast was dead and the gravity was low enough at least I thought

[@stephenknecht7189]

Moonshiners use a backing in making shine.. You poor it into the thumper and it steams thru the pipes. So why not use a backing making mead

[@JohnDoe-qr7fx]

great shirt

[@justinduggan7023]

Could you use a wooden barrel?

[@joelrubio4902]

I stoled, borrowed! lol

[@comicsans7437]

What about using a vessel made of wood? Would that be a huge mistake? (or wood it be, lol).

[@phillippeavey9490]

what are your thoughts on letting the mead ferment in a wooden barrel? like an old rum barrel or old whiskey barrel?

[@eieio-mn9pm]

Or buy two hives from the local bee man ....hahahaha that's what I did ...thanks for sharing

[@Swrr-de9ng]

Awesome video! I'm going to make my first batch in a few weeks. If i wanted to add blueberries or some other type of berries does it matter how much I put it and when would I put it in? Thanks!

[@drcidd8153]

Instead of Barm or Backslop, you could call it the mother. By the way, really enjoyed the video. I'm tampering with the idea of making my own mead. Wish me luck.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Glad to hear it! I wouldn't personally call it a "mother," simply because that's more like the type of yeast and bacteria (i.e., SCOBY) that keeps things like kombucha and kefir going. The traditional term was "barm" which is a word that eventually came to mean "yeast," but I don't get nit-picky over these things. I say call it what you like! Skal!

[@trevorfichtner3539]

They spelled your name jereme as to prophesiez who your are, instead of my it's me or short for MEAD. Aka, JEREMEAD! the one and only! Yup, that's my theory. Long live the great JEREMEAD!

[@TheMrhycannon]

You can also get good honey at heath food stores..

[@KelliepbAclecticChannel]

Great video!!!

[@VikingNerds]

Thanks!

[@jmeyer833]

Nice thankyou ))))

[@wickedways581]

I heard in some countries(cant remember which) they would slosh a mouthful of their brew in the beginning stage and spit it back in. The yeast from their mouth would cause the fermentation.

[@REALjohnmosesbrowning]

wonder what other creature does that

[@eterwill2999]

Hello! Loved your book! I just started a batch of mead with some starter mead from my last batch, and some fruit. Within 24 hours it was bubbling pretty good! Is that too soon? Is there a chance that the fermentation will become stuck?

[@tristanburns82]

If you sprout a heap of seeds of something else you want to add grind before adding you'll be adding natural yeast to. Corn even. Anyone tried distilling their mead? Meadshine

[@ismellcinnamonrolls3]

Would you ever try putting hops in mead, I've never made mead before and don't know what to expect?

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Mead can definitely be made with hops. Just take care to select a fairly low alpha variety and not overdo it. Don't add more than an ounce or two to a five-gallon batch and move up from there if you don't think it's hoppy enough. I've put hops in mead and barely noticed their presence but it's also easy to overdo it. I don't have a specific recipe to share but I recommend experimenting away and seeing what happens. Skal!

[@Fabian-oz5oj]

I was wondering two things: Can I use regular pasteurised honey from the local supermarket and can I use bread/baking yeast. Or even, do I need to add any yeast if I were to use pasteurised honey. And if I'm to use fresh grapes, do I need to get the pits out or anything?? I really want to start a batch of my own before the harvest

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

You can use regular pasteurized honey. All you really need is a sugar source. I use bread yeast for some meads, but that's for more of a "small mead" which is made with a smaller amount of honey and ferments to around 6-7% alcohol over a couple of weeks. Look up "Joe's Ancient Orange Mead" for a good recipe and technique.

[@kristiancogman1413]

Awesome video brother shall b making some frosty brew of the gods thanks for the info where can I get your book? 😀

[@VikingNerds]

Thanks for watching and we're glad you enjoyed it! You can get the book here www.jereme-zimmerman.com/ or on Amazon. Skál!

[@HEYangelYOUduhSEXAYH]

My bottle is close to being empty, and ths liquor store is closed tomorrow.. send prayers.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

We're getting really worried about you. It's been four days. We sent Hugin and Munin to check on you but haven't heard anything back yet. Did you make it? Is your bottle full again?

[@gummypotatoes2887]

Its been a year... doesnt look good.

[@thechiseledbeaver]

Are you familiar with mead beer? I have seen some old recipes but i have yet to try one. I was wondering if you had? Thanks.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

I assume you mean bragot? It's essentially a beer made with grains and enough honey to make it qualify as a mead. Basically, you make beer and then add a bunch of honey to the fermenter. It's quite good. I've got some recipes in my book.

[@thechiseledbeaver]

I ordered your book 5 minutes after i sent you this so i am excited to read it and make some. I've been making mead for a few years now and i am ready to expand my knowledge. Skol

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Awesome! Happy meading!

[@geek2the2ndpower]

Do you ever get a lot of flies or anything with a big open container like that?

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

I cover it with a cheesecloth or a dish towel when I'm not stirring it. Open fermentation is important for the initial fermentation to get lots of air. When there are a lot of fruit flies around I set up some fruit fly traps with cider vinegar and a bit of dish soap.

[@geek2the2ndpower]

Also, how do you keep your stirring stick? I kinda just rinsed mine off and it started getting moldy. Today I saw flies on my stick, so I tossed it...

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Hmmmm.... I just keep mine in my brewing room, usually in a bucket or crock I'm not using. Sometimes I hang it up, which is the traditional way of storing it. I rinse it with warm water when I'm done using it. Occasionally it has some fruit flies hanging around (unavoidable in the summer, even with lots of traps) but I've never had mold on it over the several years I've been using it. Sometimes you may need to "reset" it by soaking it in hot water and scrubbing it really good. That's what I'd do if I had mold show up.

[@sydneyalbert7070]

What kind of consistency does mead made like this tend to have? A friend thinks it must go down like you're drinking honey itself or with some sort of thick/molasses-type consistency, but that doesn't sound right.

[@jeremezimmerman8264]

Honestly, most of my meads tend to be dry with just a hint of sweetness. Some commercial meads are very sweet and have consistency closer to a honey liqueur but those are my least favorites. Made right, yeast eat up most of the honey and turn it to booze so you're definitely not drinking something syrupy!