Making the Black Mead of Medieval France - Bochet

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Subtitles: Jose Mendoza | IG @worldagainstjose
#tastinghistory #mead #medieval

[@TastingHistory]

If you’re not up for making your own mead, here are a couple of my favorites. They aren’t bochet, but they’re delicious: bit.ly/maxdanskmeads

[@guycampbell733]

You are after all the Michael Bay of your alternative bochet

[@sarchlalaith8836]

On a scale of: zero - I like this so much ill brew it at least once a year Where does this lay?

[@tommske]

We need more drinking history!

[@africanwarlord4283]

you should try to find something from native north americans.

[@MariaMartinez-researcher]

15:49. That's why the Catholic Church instituted the process of canonization, in which the life, virtues, writings and actions of candidates are thoughtfully examined. Also, Olga was not a Christian when her husband was assassinated and she avenged him. She converted later, and is venerated as a saint only by the Eastern Orthodox Church, for her efforts in Christianizing her country.

[@MeMe-Moi]

Just a note to anyone who tries this: make sure you get food or brewing quality wood. Don't just use any old wood from Lowe's or the lumber yard as it may be treated with wood preservatives that are definitely not safe for human consumption (case in point, arsenic was used in wood preservative within living memory and can still be found in older structures). In the name of safety, just purchase the wood chips from a brewing store or the grilling section of a grocery store (they sell bags of wood chips for smoking and grilling most places you can buy a barbecue or at some grocery stores, or just check online)

[@gaslitworldf.melissab2897]

I had the same thought.

[@SgtBuck01]

nah man, the treatment adds flavor jk lol

[@poggergen1937]

But I want toxic chemicals in my mead! 😂

[@lynnodonnell4764]

​@@poggergen1937That would make it 21centuary legit 😂

[@SimonCallahan]

As a bonus (or not), barbecue wood chips will sometimes come flavoured. It will usually be flavoured to the kind of wood (ie. oak, applewood, cedar, whatever), but some are flavoured to other alcohols, like whiskey, bourbon, or brandy

[@marcusmoonstein242]

To anybody who wants to try this recipe, please NEVER add water to boiling honey. The water will instantly turn to steam and cause a "steam explosion", splattering boiling hot honey everywhere. The correct technique is to let the honey cool to just under 100 C (say to about 90 C) and only then add the water. Once the water has been added then bring the temperature back up to boiling to reduce as per normal. This will have no effect on the taste of the final product but will be a heck of a lot safer. (From a homebrewer who has made his share of meads).

[@freya1548]

Sounds like a more intelligent way of doing things.

[@InksplatOops]

And here I was sympathizing with the unfortunate medieval wife trying to clean her kitchen after making this (and hoping she hadn’t been burnt as well). This sounds so much easier.

[@fridocalifornia6276]

Goggles should also be used with gloves and sleeves.

[@lucycat241]

Thank you!😮

[@yourmetalgod69]

Or you add boiling water and then there is minimal temp difference and the honey will not harden which speeds things up. Done this many times and it is very helpful

[@rlborger]

I am a brewer of beer and mead. I had friends who kept bees. One October, 27 years ago, they brought me a gallon of black (end of season) honey. It was almost like molasses. I made black mead from it. I first tasted it after 5 years aging in the bottle and was not impressed. It sat in our laundry room for another 22 years. Earlier this year I pulled out another bottle and opened it amongst brewing friends. HOLY CRAP, it was better than the best Port we had ever consumed. It was a WONDERFUL. It now resides in my beverage refrigerator where it will remain until the appropriate special occasion requires an extra special toast. BTW, all the warnings of the previous posters must be observed for your safety.

[@RosemaryBread]

Bonkers! Love it when food & drink takes you on a journey.

[@theodorekorehonen]

Was it buckwheat honey by any chance?

[@rlborger]

@@theodorekorehonen No, this was "end of year" honey collected from anything the bees could find rather than from one selected flower. It's always very dark and strong. According to my friends, not particularly good for eating but good for the bees to overwinter on.

[@matthewgoebel8785]

good thing you didn't toss it out but let it age

[@wxlurker]

@@rlborgerWhat does the end of year honey taste like on its own?

[@pocaluneksmierci]

As a Pole I gotta compliment your effort on pronouncing the Polish names other things 💅 well done! I was well impressed!

[@f4rnsworth138]

I started making mead because of that original episode. Four years later and I still make it several times a year. I have about two gallons aging now. Thank you!

[@TastingHistory]

I love that! Well here’s another project for you. Just be safe!

[@divemonkeys]

@@TastingHistory On pouring the water in the honey, is there any reasons you could not pour through a large strainer, colander, or tamis to capture the splatter?

[@EggplantHarmesan]

@@divemonkeys you could but also thats an extra item you need to sterilize

[@jama211]

@@divemonkeys perhaps, if you have a pot lid you could mostly cover the opening too... and perhaps wear safety glasses!

[@bigernbladesmith]

I actually found this channel trying to find mead recipes on KZbin. I had been brewing and mead making for about 2 years by then.

[@lymb3914]

"Your father gave his life for this mead," is something some poor kid might very well have actually heard

[@TastingHistory]

😂

[@Jacksimon18909]

That last bottle of it sitting dusty on the shelf like a lost soul.

[@waynehendrix4806]

I just hope he didn't have to hide it like Bruce Willis's grandfather in pulp fiction.

[@thecomment9489]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@bigbonededFFB]

Olga was my 35th great grandmother! Thanks for including my family.

[@MossyMozart]

You could join the Black Sheep Society of Genealogists.

[@Yanramich]

no

[@elizabethhowe2110]

I hope no one ever upsets you. She was one bad-*ss woman.

[@nurabusnaq6367]

Greetings cousin!

[@donyasigalesin1087]

No she wasn’t you liar

[@cjtzioumis686]

The Polish history was very interesting, I've made a Polish honey liquer called Krupnik, which is made by cooking honey with various spices and zest, straining and cooling and adding vodka. The recipe claims its 400 years old.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

Polish nobility did love mead a lot. One of our princes refused to join a crusade for Holy Land in an official letter to the Pope, citing lack of mead there as a reason. He wrote that his knights would not be able to deal with the lack of their favorite drink, making them useless in fighting. IMO pretty good reason to stay home LOL

[@pattheplanter]

Land of Milk and Honey? Not good enough for us.

[@CRneu]

that sounds like a rad excuse for someone who just didn't want to go. lol

[@vattghern257]

I think this was Leszek II the Black but idk for sure.

[@hayuseen6683]

Based

[@rustomkanishka]

Excellent reason to not partake in unnecessary wars.

[@DaveAwesome]

"They don't make saints like that anymore." LOL

[@gabbonoo]

Like The Doom Slayer! with more schemes and less explosions, demons, and ...ok maybe not.

[@kyrab7914]

We forget about the crusades and ppl like st Augustine, or st George

[@arnox4554]

@@gabbonoo Good Christian man bringing Christ to Mars. :)

[@gabbonoo]

@@kyrab7914 Deus Vult! How can anyone forget the goodest saint? ~Saint Guinefort~

[@MossyMozart]

@@kyrab7914 - Those crusaders were so vicious and murdery. (And I gasped the moment the word "crusade" came out of George Bush's mouth regarding the Middle East, knowing there was backlash coming! Does nobody vet those speeches?)

[@thehoennbazaar]

2 tips for safer brewing to anyone wanting to follow along: Fill the airlock with vodka instead of water to prevent bacteria growth in the airlock while fermenting. Also, fermentation can still be occurring when bubbles are not visible, so use a hydrometer to measure alcohol content and fermentation will be complete when the reading stops dropping for ~1 week

[@Freakinviking]

If you don't want spirits to might enter your brew under fermentation (from storm fermentation etc) there are antibacterial (foodsafe) serums you can use such as craftsan/ starsan/ chemipro san. This is what we recommend to most customers and what we practice ourselves. I work at a brewing supply store for reference.

[@Linktuts]

Do you recommend any brand of vodka in particular?

[@thehoennbazaar]

@@Linktuts it doesn't matter since it's only going in the airlock. Any spirit works

[@MossyMozart]

*Another vodka tip,* this from the "Laundry Evangelist" channel - - - Using straight (cheap) unflavored vodka, spray clothing that cannot be readily washed and prepared overnight for the next day. It will dry without any scent and take away body odors, too. This is a wardrobe department method used in theater productions. I tried it on some musty polyester curtains instead of Fabreeze and it worked well.

[@MandrakeFernflower]

Very salty water could also work and you don't need to pay tax on that

[@davidclark7584]

I made mead several years ago. 15 lbs of honey in 5 gallons of water. Then after the first fermentation I added in about 3 quarts of muscadine grape juice from my vines. After about 3 months of fermenting it was done. It was a translucent hot pink color because of the grape juice. I have never tasted a better alcoholic beverage in my life. It was dangerously good. And mead hangovers are the worst

[@Gafgarion852]

Great example of why it's "water before acid, and everything's placid" in chemistry class.

[@noob19087]

In Finnish it's "vesi ensin, sitten happo, muuten tulee käteen rakko". Meaning "water first, acid then, or else you get a rash on your hand".

[@RSSIPPEL.ART.]

Or, " acid into water, in that order".🤠

[@smvuy]

in Spanish is: "no le des de beber al ácido" or "do not give the acid a drink"

[@kpNov23]

High concentration to low concentration.

[@sarahgilliss3503]

As my middle school science teacher used to say, "Acid before base, else you'll blister your face."

[@dell2115]

Is there anyone else that believes that Max deserves a TV show way more than half the people on the actual History channel? I've learned more ACTUAL history from you than any source that immediately comes to mind, with the exception of reading an actual book about the topic. I love the focus on real everyday life (which would of course be present on any history based on food!) Love your content in general!

[@tonyharpur8383]

Me! Me! Me! 🖐

[@purplecat4977]

The whole reason this channel is so good and its content is so good is because there are no producers or marketing executives breathing down his neck.

[@tonyharpur8383]

@@purplecat4977 100% right!

[@pattheplanter]

He just announced that an agency has taken him on. It seems he may be getting some TV work. Unless they can get him to star in a film that is the cooking equivalent of National Treasure. I agree with purplecat that it may not have the charm of this channel if a mundane media team and committees take over a lot of the work. Or perhaps it will release him to be far more creative and productive, who knows.

[@iaincowell9747]

No

[@pablodelsegundo9502]

St. Olga rocks my spiritual world! Patron saint of defiance and vengeance... gotta LOVE that.

[@SuttonHaye]

I’ve got 4 gallons of mead in the closet aging right now. Regular, Apricot, Cherry, Blackberry. That 2020 video is what kicked it off for me too. Great episode!

[@gretchenkiley6615]

Quality Control here, address please 😁😆 Those are some of my favorite flavors!!

[@TsunamiWombat]

The Olga of Kiev story is so, so much better. Partly it was Igor's fault. The Drevlians were a client tribe and former allies of the Kievan Rus who had broken off and started paying protection to a local warlord years prior. Igor went out with his army to 'persuade' them to return to the fold and seeing his large force they did, paying him tribute. However on his way back, Igor decides the amount was insufficient and goes back - but critically he takes only a small escort with him. Incensed, the Devlians murder Igor, reportedly by tying him to a tree and tearing him with two (presumably with horses), though historians think this might be made up. Whatever the case, Olga took over rulership as their son was only 3. The Devlians, feeling their oats, sent 20 diplomats to Olga taking credit for the killing and conveying their intention that she should marry their ruler (and her husbands killer), Prince Mal. Now back then most dynastic marriages were just political things and they figured Olga was probably in far too vulnerable a position to say no. Unfortunately, they were unaware that Olga was, as modern doctors have diagnosed, metal as F**K. Olga plays along and pretends to be good with the idea, and tells the messengers to return on the morrow where she will honor them in front of her people and have them carried aloft in a boat like a palanquin. The diplomats do so, and on the next day repeat the message they were told to give and the people of Kiev did indeed rise up and carry the men aloft in a boat... to a big old trench they had dug, where they dropped them. The mob then buried the men alive while Olga watched, taunting them and asking if the honour was to their taste. Then Olga sends messengers to the Drevlians and tells them they should send their nobles to her in Kiev, so they can escourt her to meet Prince Mal. Not knowing she had *just* murdered their diplomats and thinking their mission was a success, the Drevlians agree and sent a party of nobles called 'the best men who governed Dereva'. When they arrive, they are greeted with honor and given leave to enter a bathhouse to clean themselves before meeting the Queen. Once the men are all inside the bathhouse, Olga has all of the doors barred and burns it down with the men inside. THEN Olga sends another message, and this is when the funeral feast massacre mentioned in the video occurs. Olga wept and held a feast, the Drevlians joined, and when they were sufficiently drunk Olga's own men were signalled and they massacred the Drevlian's in attendance, it is recorded 5,000 were slaughtered here with Olga going around egging her men on exhorting them to kill every last one of them. At this point even the Drevlians are onto things and Olga gathers her husbands army and marches out, and the Kievan Rus won very well in the field, driving the Drevlians back into their cities. Olga marched her army to the city where her husband had been murdered, Iskorosten (Korosten), and laid siege to it. This siege lasted a year without a break and the Drevlians began to starve, so Olga sent word to them that if they surrendered and paid tribute, they would be given clemency. The Drevlians at this point (to their credit) are a bit wary of trusting Olga and report as much. Olga replies that she will not seek vengeance and consider the debt repaid, so long as they "Give me three pigeons ... and three sparrows from each house." The Drevlians complied and send Olga the birds. Olga in turn has her men tie small pieces of cloth wrapped sulfur to each bird, and releases them. The birds all return to their nests throughout the city, and Olga proceeds to have the place set fire to. With the extra kindling spread around to every house, the entire city turns into a blaze. As people begin fleeing the burning city, Olga has her soldiers capture (for enslaving) or kill those who try to get out. She then left the remnant of the Drevlians to pay tribute. Olga of Kiev incidentally is one of the few people who is a saint in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churchs. This relates to her tremendous efforts to Christianize the Rus later on and involves a story where the Emperor of Constantinople himself tries to make her his wife (probably untrue but funny).

[@slwrabbits]

This woman was terrifying. Wow.

[@Tkm-bi8gk]

Good for her.

[@kirstenpaff8946]

First off, thank you for that awesome description, it gave me a good chuckle. Secondly, I now want an anime of Olga wandering the land spreading chaos and serving vengeance.

[@hannahbrown2728]

This reads like a less profanity filed edition of Badass of the Week. I already knew about Olga but hearing about her cracks me up anytime

[@JulieTheReader]

Between the mead and the buried boat, those early Scandinavian roots that made up part of the Kievan Rus’ really make themselves known!

[@TLM4590]

Black Mead sounds like a great metal band name.

[@cronoz-sensei4259]

Not sure about Metal, but probably Punk Rock of some form of Folk/Folk Rock (if thats even a thing, Folk Rock I mean). P.S.: I probably could've worded myself better here, but for anyone else the reason why I said this was because I wasn't sure that Folk Rock was a thing 100% and I didn't want to pull up something from my ass. I really didn't mean to imply that Folk Rock doesn't exist, if that's what this comment is making you think, I was barely noting I didn't fully know if it does or doesn't exist, which has been cleared up by enough people lol. So please, consider this before replying.

[@platannapipidae9621]

​@@cronoz-sensei4259 folk-rock is definitely a thing, was rather popular in the russian underground in 2000's. If curious, you can search Wallace Band or Мельница. I think Black Mead is a song Powerwolf would've wrote.

[@willemthijssen1082]

@@cronoz-sensei4259 Folk Rock is definitely a thing. I recommend Feuerschwanz if you want to give it a shot. Or one of the huge number of Celtic Punk bands there are.

[@Jaeler9]

@@willemthijssen1082then there’s the sub-genres like southern folk metal.

[@borrago]

​@@cronoz-sensei4259folk rock is absolutely a genre.

[@HannibalFan52]

Your comment about not sealing the jar completely reminded me of the fashion of making home-make root beer in the early 20th century. According to my mother, it was not uncommon for people to have their bottles explode if they weren't careful.

[@HrafnirKrumr]

I am from the region of Ukraine where drevliany lived and gave a good stretch to Ingvar, Helga's husband. You may be interested to know that in a modern city - successor to the Iskorost' that Olga burned, there is a sculpture of her in the park. It is human size down the hill in the river. But there is also a sculpture of the kniaz' (prince) Mal that killed her husband, it is on the top of that hill and like 6 meters tall. Some deeds are never forgotten I guess 😅

[@mr.jglokta191]

"and she was upset..." one of the greatest understatements in history 😂

[@sheepcouldtalk]

“Olga was mad and that makes sense.” - best sentence i didnt know i needed, thank you.

[@marcpeterson1092]

Maybe a bit of both meanings of mad.

[@dsr0116]

I'm into home brewing beer. My kitchen ceiling had a stain for a number of years-when I first was trying to ferment an imperial stout, I didn't have adequate enough blow off. In the dead of night I woke up to a bang. Went down stairs, and saw my fermentation bucket lid on the floor (the bucket was on my counter) and foam had gotten all the way up to my vaulted ceiling. An interesting medieval ale I tried brewing was a rose pedal ale from the Belgium region. There are some Belgian monasteries that keep their fermentors completely open-letting wild yeast begin fermentation and bacteria to sour it over time (forming a gross looking pellicle on top).

[@imdeplorable2241]

Now, pair that with a kettle of "pottage" (oats, peas, beans, barley) from 1418 and you'll have a meal fit for an English army. I've had modern Mead. It was excellent. I love this channel. Can't wait to see the new kitchen.

[@thescatologistcopromancer3936]

I recently worked for a meadery here in New England. The owner HATED the bochet we made but I loved it

[@TastingHistory]

It’s definitely different from a traditional mead. I prefer a sweet mead, but the flavor of the bochet is so much more complex, it’s hard to complain.

[@Ivehadenuff]

Was the meadery in Ipswich?

[@karlajaeger2082]

Moonlight meadery?

[@MossyMozart]

@@TastingHistory - The caramelization and the intense spices must do it. But I can only tolerate the sweet stuff, like an expensive port. So, I would like to try the sweet mead.

[@plwadodveeefdv]

​@@TastingHistorythe majority of sweet alcohols are back-sweetened (sugar added after pasteurization or sulfites) because the yeast tends to eat most or all of the existing sugar in whatever you put it

[@TisHotMessHistory]

It's so interesting to learn how the measuring quantities have varied throughout the years.

[@TastingHistory]

Interesting and frustrating 😂

[@jasonmaclean719]

I think the very same anytime I watch a Townsends cooking episode.

[@mrab4222]

You also have to remember that he's measuring in US pints and gallons because they're different from UK pints and gallons.

[@sarg_eras]

​@@mrab4222US and UK are standardised, which wasn't the case until recently. During the Middle Ages, just going up a hill to the neighbouring village could mean a new measuring system. 😂

[@erickg9011]

@@sarg_eras A lot of countries had different miles too. The 1960 Swedish Viggen fighter used Swedish miles in its navigation.

[@corikusik5036]

I made that same Bochet recipe in 2007. I still have one bottle left and it is incredibly smooth, complex, and delicious! I backsweeten my meads with Honey after primary fermentation so mine is on the sweet side. I also cooked it in a copper cauldron outside and used ale barm to ferment it. I make 5 gallons of mead at a time, but I don't drink much. I've been making mead for 25 years now!

[@phileas007]

I've discovered that if you use more resilient wine yeast, you can actually finalize the fermentation with some degree of sweetness left and get a very smooth dessert mead

[@Mojova1]

In Finland there is a tradition for many families to make (Sima, a kind of mead) during Vappu (May day) every spring.

[@duod7847]

it's so refreshing to have an American KZbinr make an actual effort to pronounce the Polish names corectly ❤

[@mateuszQRDL]

Max does it for all languages. Truly impressive.

[@VinsCool]

Max pronounce French words really well too, this is usually pretty difficult for English speakers.

[@hazenoki628]

He always seems to make a serious effort to pronounce words properly, which was actually one of the very first things I noticed when I started watching the channel. It's refreshing!

[@daboo444]

Currently, in Poland, the most popular types of mead are Trójniak ("threetimer"), Dwójniak ("twicer"), and Półtorak ("one-and-a-halfer") - these names correspond to the amount of water used to dilute the honey. My favorite is the one using 1.5 parts of water to one part of honey - it is devilishly sweet so you can't drink too much of it, but it warms you up incredibly. Also - great pronunciation of Polish names!

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

How do you drink mead? Hot, cold, spiced? I've only had German Met so far (room temperature, from the bottle), which to me, tasted as a sort of dangerously sweet port wine. Dangerous, as in, dangerously easy to drink way too much of it, too quickly.

[@slwrabbits]

Love the names, poetic but also very much to the point

[@adamchojnowski8563]

As I understand the names include sum of honey and water parts - always with 1 part of honey. So 1.5 (półtorak) is actually 1 part of honey and 0.5 part of water.

[@MichalGlowacz86]

@@adamchojnowski8563 This is correct! Czwórniak = 1 part of honey and 3 parts of water, trójniak = 1 part of honey and 2 parts of water, dwójniak = 1 part of honey and 1 part of water, półtorak = 1 part of honey and 0.5 part of water.

[@daboo444]

@@MichalGlowacz86 oh man, I messed up so badly there 😬

[@quigonkenny]

Probably the most metal part of the vengeance of St Olga of Kiev was the final part. Having already decimated the Drevilian fighting force via several different ploys, her troops laid siege to their city for over a year. When they finally begged for mercy, she only asked for three pigeons and three sparrows from each house as tribute. The Drevilians happily agreed, thinking they were getting off easy. They were not. Once received, that night Olga had her soldiers tie smoldering pieces of sulphur to the birds and set them free. When the terrified birds returned to their homes in the roofs and rafters of the buildings of the city, they set them alight, burning the emtire city to the ground in one night. When the residents fleed the fire, she had her army cut down or sell into slavery most of them. She did leave a few ro rebuild the city, though. No point in completely removing a source of tribute, after all...

[@ArthurianFables]

"gross calling it blisters bursting but thats how they called it" and thats exactly how it looks like! if more recipes were this good at descriptions, people would have an easier time cooking lol.

[@zflash3088]

Wife got me your book for fathersday! Keep the good time going, and thanks.

[@TastingHistory]

Oh great! I hope you like it. Happy late Father’s Day.

[@Neptunequeen42]

I have two separate scars from on-fire marshmallow incidents. I can confirm that burning sugar is one of the worst things to have making contact with human skin. It's like napalm, it sticks!

[@seanmalloy7249]

The two worst food burns I've had were from a) taking an aluminum pan of lasagna out of the oven while being stupid enough not to have put it on a sheet pan; the sides collapsed in, letting it fall to the oven door (only a few inches) and splash 350° tomato sauce on both forearms, and b) having the side of a polystyrene container of Thai red curry blow out and drop hot curry across my thigh, creating a blister the size of my palm.

[@odapunkt]

I tried to put cinnamon buns sideways in the toaster before and took them out with my bare hands 🙃 that was fun

[@MossyMozart]

@@seanmalloy7249 - In high school chemistry class, I spilled sulfuric acid on the back of my have right into a cut I had, producing a _MIGHTY_ sting. The doughy teacher was an instant hero, actually leaping over his bench to get to me and get my hand under water. He surprised and impressed us all! ----- Another time, while in the middle of reading _Treblinka,_ a non-fiction book about the Nazi death camp, I burned my finger in a Bunsen burner and nearly passed out from the smell of the scorched flesh, flashing on the book the whole time. ------ Chemistry wasn't my calling.

[@oldrunner6]

You can get one and half mead(one part honey, half part water) in almost all alcohol stores here in Poland. It is aged 8 years and expensive compared to other meads but not as expensive as one would think.

[@sinnersucksatgamingsp9228]

I just noticed something quite fun! In the background of this video is a whiskey from Hven, the bottle that looks like a beaker with a blue and copper label on it. That comes from the island of Hven or more modernly known as Ven and that is where I grew up! That's where my grandparents live all year round! I'm so glad I saw that!

[@brandonkaye5227]

Two things from someone who has made a lot of mead: Highly recommend spirals or cubes for your wood next time. One, they tend to allow for more control with oak flavors because it is a bit slower; and two, they tend to not contribute some off flavors from the wood because the surface area is less. I know your recipe calls for monitoring fermentation based on bubbles, but this is generally known to be inaccurate. For people who are wanting to re-create this, ideally you would use a hydrometer because often when you think fermentation has continued (based on bubbles), it has stalled (which is not uncommon with Bochets). Bubbles can continue for days and weeks because of dissolved CO2 offgassing over time, and bochets often take a while to fully ferment because the new complex sugars formed during caramelization are harder for the yeast to digest. Other tips include using a proper sterilizing solution for all of your equipment. It isn’t mentioned, so I thought I would add that for new mead makers. You mentioned yeast nutrients, which is awesome. Often overlooked, micronutrients for yeast help the fermentation to go to completion more easily, and often results in a more drinkable product earlier. Less stressed/better fed yeast = better flavors. Bochets, especially those that are heavily caramelized, can take quite a long time to age. If anyone does this recipe and is underwhelmed, you can expect the aging process to take a few years before it tastes fantastic (which it likely will).

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

Thank you for the advice, including the mention of complex sugars being difficult for the yeast to digest. Is there a naturally occurring variety of those yeast nutrients?

[@brandonkaye5227]

@@erzsebetkovacs2527 in theory you can use yeast hulls, which are boiled dead yeast. There are commercially available alternatives like Fermaid-O and GoFerm which are better suited for fermentation, however.

[@dlvial55]

100% agree. Oak cubes or spirals are ideal.

[@mattia_carciola]

Thanks for all those tips! Does yeast strain make a huge difference? It's a bit overwhelming trying to choose one lol

[@brandonkaye5227]

@@mattia_carciolaYeast strain is up to personal preference, but yes it does make a big difference. Essentially, stick with a champagne yeast (ale yeast tends to have a relatively low ABV, and most champagne yeasts tolerate wine-levels of alcohol), and look up preferred ABV/tasting notes. Some yeast generate esters, some don't; some have higher ABV and are yeast-killers (compete with other strains in case of contamination). So really, it is up to you.

[@denduo3680]

Honestly can't get over how proud Max looks in the thumbnail but it is deserved for successfully brewing something as metal as Black Mead!

[@kimvibk9242]

Black Mead - good name for a heavy metal band, actually...!

[@MossyMozart]

@@kimvibk9242 - Especially if they include Norse undercurrents in their music.

[@sizer99]

Max is not kidding when he says it will blow up without an airlock. And you might want to check every day to make sure the airlock isn't clogged. We had a fairly thick 5 gallon glass carboy explode when the airlock clogged because it was fermenting so hard! Thankfully in the garage, but still a mess. Also, the end result is not too sweet because you used a lot of water. If there's a lot more honey, the yeast actually makes so much alcohol that it kills itself and fermentation stops - there are higher gravity yeasts for this, but if there's enough honey there will eventually be enough alcohol and it knocks itself out. So you're left with a lot of unfermented honey, which is of course sweet. In this case though, almost all your honey sugars got converted into alcohol, so it's no longer sweet.

[@vikkiroxx]

Thanks for bringing Polish mead traditions up! In fact, we still use the same naming conventions, based on the proportions of honey vs. water in the mead. The more honey, the more sugar of course, and the longer the maturing process. The highest prized one is the "półtorak" (one and a half), which uses 1 part of honey for each half part of water (by volume).

[@aelithmackinnon8656]

"I wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with Juniper Berries mixed in." -Ralof

[@marcusmoonstein242]

It was only on my umpteenth playthrough that I discovered if I went back to the ruined Helgen and searched the houses I would find the unique item "mead with juniper berries".

[@jamesthepatriot6213]

@@marcusmoonstein242 What a great detail! I didn't know that.

[@plumbthumbs9584]

That Ralof had weird quotes.

[@Serenity_Dee]

2:38 One of the motivations for the metric system is because the traditional French systems of measurement were hilariously, absurdly inconsistent, not only across time but also across the lands ruled by the French crown; you go from one village to another a day's travel away and you couldn't be sure that any of the units would be the same despite the same name. The biggest exception was arguably units of wine, but once you started trading internationally it all became a mess again.

[@naamadossantossilva4736]

Why didn't the monarchs try to fix this mess?

[@Serenity_Dee]

@@naamadossantossilva4736 Why would they care?

[@evilbarrels2506]

​@@naamadossantossilva4736 many did. There are so many times in history where various measurements were set by monarchs, local lords, and other prominent figures, but it didn't fix the underlying issue. What really caused the lack of standardisation was the lack of efficient communication and record keeping tools, as well as the lack of public education. No one can use a monarch's new standard of measurement if they're not told about it, and the systems to do that were very much lacking until after the invention of the printing press.

[@janzizka9963]

Little correction: Grains of Paradise being "type of pepper" is a misnomer (but we call Piper and Capsicum both "peppers" so whatever...). It is Aframom (Aframomum melegueta) and some other species are consumed also. It is also Zingiberales family (Ginger related plants) as the Cardamoms are.

[@ImpreccablePony]

I have never been more hyped about someone else's kitchen makeover lol.

[@markedwards9247]

What is really interesting is that honey can have hugely different flavors, depending on the blossoms the pollen has been collected from. Many of the honeys you get from the stores are quite homogenous. I think perhaps the closest we can get today, to what would have been used a thousand years ago, is an organic honey harvested from wild woodland. I am sure the honey that is used can dramatically change the taste of the mead.

[@fredericapanon207]

@markedwards9247, hehehe, I found a linden flower honey that I look forward to trying out once the current bottle of honey is done.

[@bobthirdwalling1901]

I make Bochet a few times a year. Aged on a charred oak spiral with a vanilla bean, I call it "Bobby Bochet" (because compared to it, water sucks!) Everyone that tries it loves it.

[@gabbonoo]

The volatiles in vanilla bean are really nice but they dont last and cant endure much heat. Probably worth just using a little vanillin(vanilla essence) instead.

[@MossyMozart]

@@gabbonoo - it sounds like @bobthirdwalling1901 puts the bean in after it is off the heat.

[@martinmaynard141]

There is a reference to mead in the book "Larkrise to Candleford" by Flora Thompson about growing up in rural Oxfordshire in the 1880s / 90s. They didn't call it mead but megathin (if my mmory servs me well). There is a story of a soldier returning to vist his family and the mead is brought out. The young daughter is given a sip and on her way to bed turns to the returned solderier and says "Uncle Ruby is a booby" and the soldier laughs and compliments the quality of the mead.

[@Milos111Zivkov]

I am from Serbia. There is still a custom that people do here where we eat and drink at the grave of our deceased. Sometimes when we drink, we also toast to the dead and spill a bit of what we're drinking on the floor (so that the dead can drink it as well).

[@eyechartny]

I was expecting this to be a Drinking History episode, but I ain't mad. Being Polish I am well acquainted with another honey liqueur called krupnik, so hearing how far back in Polish history honey liquors go was nice to hear.

[@ronfroehlich4697]

I remember reading somewhere that the Polish knights were reluctant to join the crusades because "there is no mead in Palestine"

[@johnransom1146]

There were Orthodox monks in my neighborhood. They kept bees and made mead. They made wine and beer too. In fact they were pretty much drunks lol. Their mead was so strong it burned going down your throat. I suspect it was distilled. They lost it all in the Woodstock on tornado of ‘79.

[@urbanurchin5930]

Young mead is extremely harsh . I brewed several batches in the late 80's and early 90's . Most bottles were lost during various moves over the years - but I have two 7-ounce bottles that have 1996 inscribed on the bottle caps . They have been kept in a climate-controlled room for many, many years . Some day - I will have to crack one open and see how it tastes ! Mostly - it is not drinkable for 15 to 20 years .

[@johnransom1146]

@@urbanurchin5930 we were teenagers, anything is drinkable

[@drawmaster77]

Absolute gem of a channel. The light hearted narration, the humor, the history, and the food... What more to ask?

[@masimbamutamba7696]

"They don't make saints like that anymore." You're the best, Max 😂

[@lemmypop1300]

We still go to graves of our loved ones at the one year anniversary of their death here in Serbia, and we have a meal that sadly doesn't include mead anymore; it has been replaced by rakija, beer and wine. In fact, we have meals at the graveyard at specific times: at the funeral (only a bite of bread and honey and a sip of wine though), 1, 3, 9, 40 days after, one year after and at some saint days (though customs vary in different regions).

[@phenomadology23]

This seems like a really great tradition! My family/culture only gets together once (for the funeral or memorial) to celebrate the dead, and that's just not enough. I want more stories, and the grief doesn't just go away. Thanks for sharing!

[@lemmypop1300]

@@phenomadology23 Thanks man. I think our customs are some weird amalgamation of pre-Christian pagan stuff with Orthodox Christian tradition. Having a set of things you have to do kinda helps to distract you, while having your friends and relatives around gives you emotional support. I find that as I'm getting older myself I realize that there's a great value in following certain traditions. They are there for a reason.

[@nurabusnaq6367]

I lived a time in Bosnia and had the experience of trying mead made by a Serbian and mead made by a Croatian person. The Serbian mead was much better than the Croatian mead.

[@lemmypop1300]

@@nurabusnaq6367 Serbian mead for the win! 😄But seriously, it was probably just a skill issue on the Croatian guy's part.

[@andrekrzyzowiec4063]

Glad to see that Polish (and overall Slavic) mead got more justice this time, it is often associated only with Scandinavians. One clarification to the "Upper class" in Kingdom of Poland and later in Commonwealth, depending on the period one could be quite wealthy without being nobleman (f.e. wealthy merchant) and even the nobility later on became divided into 3 subclasses and the lowest of them rarely had more fortune to them than just their name and maybe family sabre (those were also often servants to the upper subclass of nobility).

[@carolreaume6518]

St. Olga of Kiev was a cunning and amazing woman. Definitely one of those "Hell hath no fury" type ladies. Even her conversion story and how she got out of having to marry the emperor is so awesome.

[@elfappo9330]

You literally uploaded this the day that I get my supplies for making my first mead. Serendipitous.

[@mitsurugi52]

I applaud your restraint to not make a joke about bringing sextier back.

[@TastingHistory]

😂 I chasten myself for NOT making that joke.

[@Jacksimon18909]

Ah I see you're a fan of the bard Justin of the Timberlake. Excellent tastes.

[@Colddirector]

I bingewatched your content while I was really sick a few weeks ago. They were a solace during those frankly quite miserable weeks. When I was finally back on my feet, the first thing I did was get some honey and yeast and start making mead because of you. It's still in my storage room, fermenting away. Might try this once I'm done with this batch ;)

[@arthurfascina]

I've been obsessed with mead the last few days and I love this channel. This video appearing now is a combo of happiness

[@CaffeinePanda]

As someone who's burned a knuckle from a splash of searing hot caramel, can confirm the gloves and long sleeves are a fantastic idea. Sugar holds some serious heat.

[@notreallymyname3736]

Yep. I'm a maple syrup maker, and good lord that stuff can burn you.

[@jorik4271]

The story of Princess Olga is generally my favorite. After the death of her husband, the Drevlyans had the audacity to send ambassadors to her to woo the widow with their prince. Olga buried the first ambassadors along with the boat. Then in her letter she complained that the ambassadors were not noble enough to woo her, and they sent new ones. She greeted the new ones well, ordered the bathhouse to be lit, and when they were there, she ordered the doors and windows to be boarded up and burned them. But in the end, she went to a meeting with the Drevlyans, where she was given the feast described in the video and her guards slaughtered everyone. But the most interesting thing happened when the city of the Drevlyans went on the defensive. As an act of peace, she asked the Drevlyans for a number of pigeons and sparrows to feed her army. After she received the birds, a bag of sulfur was tied to each animal's paw. The birds flew to their nests, which were located in the city, and the wooden city burned to the ground. Never anger a woman who has at least some kind of power in her hands. She will find a way to take advantage of her and cause you as much harm as possible.

[@amasterofone]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@floydblandston108]

Plus, let's acknowledge the 'Drevlyans' as the stupidest villains in history.

[@genericpersonx333]

Little Trick to avoid splatter pain: Pour the water through a mesh splatter screen. Just put the screen over the pot and pour through it. You can also use cloth if you don't have a metal-mesh thing for whatever reason, but you may lose some water to the cloth depending on how it is made.

[@lyonesskim]

I can't wait for the short with the tasting of the aged Bouchet. I'm afraid you had me giggling tonight... you were at a loss for words to describe it!! And that made me enjoy this episode even more.

[@taniasteyn4078]

Every time I watch, I'm more impressed. You're wonderful, Max. 👌

[@Kaijugan]

My favorite meadery Two Warriors Meadery (one run and owned by Veterans and helps veteran causes) has a mead called Bobby’s Bochet which is a black mead like this that they worked to have a toasted marshmallow, almost s’mores note to it. They also ship to several states, so if you’re interested, Max, I’d check out their website.

[@TastingHistory]

I’ll check it out

[@Kaijugan]

@@TastingHistory The owners are also big fans of your channel.

[@mattia_carciola]

@@Kaijugan I definitely would love a collaboration

[@tankpenguin175]

That recipe is really well written considering it is medieval. "Exact" quantities, description of the production itself etc.

[@OcarinaSapphr-]

It was more likely in alcoholic drinks- & anything that had spices was likely to have more precise measures, due to the insane costs of things like spices, sugar/ honey- & imported items like citrus fruits & wine...

[@keebbles]

I had a syrupy berry honey mead back in 80's. (Blackberry in this case) They only added yeast + water charges when bubbles weren't active during process. Clay jar was used. Last part was to put it out for a hard frost. Then strain it. Then for remainder of winter it was wax sealed and placed in a very warm place. It was deemed ready when the plug popped. ABV was higher at bottom of jug, but it was just served as is. Never stirred really. It was spicey (think all spice and black peppercorns were added during initial boil and redux before wild berries added. And filtered out in frost phase. Spicy, almost cloying with a very sharp and tart berry bite. The brewer said these jugs would often be buried for years like treasures. Taken up only for weddings or funerals. Also could be used for taxes according to the Norwegian brewer. He said he put down several gallons at the birth of each of his children. And some just for himself. I joked that since 4 of his 5 children were girls, he probably needs to lay more down for himself too, once he gets wedding bill.😊 He laughed and have me a bottle of Spring spruce honey mead. Darker and reminiscent of rootbeer a bit. ( 🤤) Only reaso I ever went to SCA meets was to hang out with brewers.

[@cronoz-sensei4259]

The moment I saw that wink after the deliberation, I knew this was good. Max your face language has genuinely become as good of a way to tell how good something is as the actual descriptions, its wonderful seeing your different responses across the series to all different (sometimes good and bad) recipes. But seeing you find something you genuinely enjoy is always a delight.

[@peabody1976]

Bursting bubbles leading to bochet, with a beautiful bouquet bounding forth. Enjoy your bounty!

[@TastingHistory]

Alliteration!

[@belight123]

One of your best videos yet! You're such a good entertainer, hilarious and this historical account was awesome and also hilarious. The part where you said "Don't mess with Olga" and it flashed to a picture of her face all mad was so funny that I laughed out loud and watched it twice!

[@dmcarstensen]

Little tip. Instead of using water in your airlock, use vodka. It will prevent weird growth from happening within the airlock that could get into your brew. I personally use Everclear because I always have some on hand for making limoncello :)

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

You are the best Max! My days are always better with your videos lifting my spirits! Longtime fan! Your enthusiasm is such a joy to watch! Your joliness always puts a smile on my face! Always look forward to more of your amazing content! I’m so proud to be a member of this community! You're Truly awesome!

[@TastingHistory]

Glad I can make you smile 😀

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

@@TastingHistory You always do 🤗🤗🤗

[@lamebubblesflysohigh]

you can cover the pot with dense mesh used to cover pans (for same reason) you can sometimes find in kitchen supplies and pour water through that (or really large fine strainer) for more safety :)

[@TheOccupants]

Fantastic video as always. I started my homebrewing hobby with a mead. Honey, lemon juice, cloves, and basil. I aged it for 3 months, and saved a bottle for my wedding. At that point it was 9 years old and was incredible.

[@CaravanFarms]

A trick is to heat the water and let the honey cool just a small bit.... keeps the danger to a bit less!

[@CaravanFarms]

And a great mead yeast is California Ale...

[@mikespangler98]

The boiling point of a sugar syrup is higher than that of water. Adding water to the boiling honey makes the water flash to steam which is dangerous and messy. Let the honey cool down a bit before adding the water.

[@shnupps765]

My very first batch of mead i tried to make , it was from the Elder Scroll Official Cookbook, the Juniper berry mead. It wasn't very good and the first batch i didn't put the ventalition setup on it so it exploded in the downstairs bathroom in the middle of the night.

[@azuromesser849]

Must have been quite the shock

[@scourge758]

must have been the wind🤣🤣

[@elizabethhowe2110]

You ppl are scaring the h*ll out of me. I may have to pass on making the mead. But the stories just have me LMAO.

[@dyderich]

I have brewed mead for over 25 years. I'm excited to give this recipe a try.

[@cinemaocd1752]

I often go to an Eastern European market and I'm amazed at the huge variety of honey they have on offer. We go once every couple weeks and I've tried a new one every time. We got buckwheat honey which is dark brown and has a flavor similar to beer when it's in the wort stage. Very sweet and malty, and an odor similar to treacle. I'd like to try making some mead again with it.

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

That vespiquen is amazing max! Love your collection! Very fitting! 🐝🐝🐝🍯🍯😊😊😊😊

[@robwilson90rw]

As a mead drinker this makes me insanely happy!

[@jonathanthomas8736]

Max, in the 90s and 2000s I did a TON of homebrewing (one year we hit the legal limit: 240 gallons for two households). Won some awards too. The point: it'd be a superb idea to mix half a cup of honey, enough hot water to make a cup of honey syrup at 104⁰F, put it in a Quart jar, and let your yeast ferment in that for a day before pitching. Mead is particularly susceptible to having wild yeast get into it, so it's a good idea to have a starter.

[@susanbrennan5511]

My Polish father introduced me to mead at a very young age and I love it to this day. I also applaud your accents in pronouncing the Polish names in this video. Dziekuje bardzo!

[@revgurley]

I discovered Grains of Paradise several years ago to season fish. The slightly citrus flavor, with the peppery kick, is perfect for seafood. Long pepper is also good if you have someone who doesn't like regular pepper. A milder flavor, so it doesn't set off a coughing fit if a bit is on your tongue.

[@sinocte]

Alton Brown uses grains of paradise for apple pie. I've always been curious, but never enough to go track some down lol

[@revgurley]

@@sinocte I think I ordered for the first time after watching Alton Brown. I like Spice House for both types of pepper, but I'm sure there are other companies that will sell some to you.

[@MossyMozart]

@@revgurley - I came to make that Alton Brown reference, too. Since that episode, I use grains of paradise _all the time,_ in egg salad, in stuffing, in soup, everywhere. And of course, apple pie. "Atlantic Spice Company" on Cape Cod sells it and does mail order. I got my long pepper from a local Middle Eastern grocery, as well as asafetida.

[@revgurley]

@@MossyMozart I'm lucky to live in an area with a lot of Indian markets, so I get my "Hing" (as an Indian neighbor referred to asefetida) there. But mainly, I order from Spice House. They have everything.

[@andrewbatts7678]

I so miss being able to cook and prepare things for myself. I watch your channels like your's from the comfort of a bed or wheelchair. The food is good and everyone is awesome but I long for my independence. My discharge day was supposed to be by mid July but a nasty bout of pneumonia and a few days on a ventilator set everything back to possibly September. The first thing I'm gonna do is cook a nice thick medium rare porterhouse with potatoes and mushrooms 😊😊

[@jake9705]

21:06 -- "it bites the belly hard & generates the diarrhea" **LOOOOOOOOOL**

[@bryantipple9951]

I've been homebrewing mead for two years now and I've never come across this recipie. So I'm very exited to try it. Thank you for all your research, I love this channel. And congrats on the new kitchen. Keep making your great content, I'll be here watching.

[@rameybutler-hm7nx]

If you do like my grandfather take one peice of oak char on one side then put in jar. He did that for his moon shine to get the golden color and flavour...same thing

[@skylar7740]

Being an archaeologist I love this very entertaining channel.

[@TastingHistory]

Oooh what area do you study?

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

What Max does is experimental archaeology, right?

[@skylar7740]

@@TastingHistory My main areas of interest include the Roman Army, warfare and conflict, Medieval history and battlefield archaeology. I've been in the field for years but as I've got older I've moved into post excavation work. Even though I know what for instance the Romans ate, as well as finding/handling the material culture related to it, I've never had the opportunity to see the food brought to life and hear what it tastes like. I love your presentation of including such in-depth history behind the historical food and is now one of my favourite channels. Keep up the good work.

[@skylar7740]

@@erzsebetkovacs2527 It is indeed and done in a very entertaining way!

[@ulrike9978]

@@skylar7740 Oh, hello colleague!

[@sugarrrfree]

I didn’t expect us Poles to be mentioned here 😂 anyway videos before ‘900 are my favorite! Feels like REAL history.

[@Oggydoggy1989]

Loving the hidden nerdisms. The queen sits proudly amongst ichor and ale, watching over you as her honey is transformed.

[@RealCaptainJaws]

Ohhh, nice, this is the freshest Max I've had so far. I never catch these videos until they're a week old, lol. Hot Max, right out of the oven!

[@TastingHistory]

😂

[@EmMiller-wu3dy]

Yay it’s Max Tuesday! This will burn you, blind you and if you’re not careful, it can explode. Thanks for the warning. Sounds delicious; I’m in😂

[@TastingHistory]

The danger adds to the taste.

[@EmMiller-wu3dy]

@@TastingHistoryI bet you said that to the remodeling crew when they saw your splattered walls.

[@justinnamilee]

100 more mead episodes! Let's get the hype train rolling~

[@IcestormTundra]

What I love about this, is just how similar this recipe is to most modern mead recipes you find online, spices included!

[@PhoenicopterusR]

Amazing timing on this, I picked up my first bottle of bochet from a local meadery last week. I'm surprised it's not a more common variation, at least in the meaderies in my area, because it's absolutely delicious.

[@TastingHistory]

That’s awesome! I think because it doesn’t look like mead, it turns people off. That and it really is dangerous to make.

[@Baysha1000]

@@TastingHistory I guess the danger could be somewhat mitigated by letting the caramelised honey cool down a bit before adding water. Or is there a reason to add the water while the honey is still at an explosive temperature?

[@PhoenicopterusR]

@@TastingHistory both very good reasons from a sales and production standpoint. Well, hopefully it catches on as potential seasonal offering. I could see a nice warm cider mixed with bochet as a perfect fall/winter drink.

[@owenheckmann6962]

As a meadmaker for many years now and a big fan of Bochet, I love this video! Thank you Max for bringing attention to this under appreciated style. (I just started on a batch of Christmas Bochet a few days ago as well, so the timing is serendipitous as well)

[@kieranstyx3633]

I appreciate the fact you haven't failed to include a different pokemon plushie in every single video.

[@PokhrajRoy.]

Bochet is just Medieval France’s Benadryl Cough Syrup.

[@TastingHistory]

😂

[@erzsebetkovacs2527]

It is. :) Or it isn't (the author of the Menagier de Paris does not say).

[@jenniferkerner6444]

Or its slightly alcoholic Throat Coat.

[@Michael-es4dt]

I was just watching old episodes! How did you know? Love the channel, it's really made me enjoy cooking more.