The Cheapest & Best Gallon of Mead Possible (ONLY 12$)

Today we are trying to make the cheapest and best gallon of mead possible. I went out and found a really great deal on honey (only 9 bucks for the 3 pounds) and decided that this had to happen! This mead is really simple to make and I am excited to share it with you all. The steps are simple and recipe is easy. Can you make a cheaper mead than this? Of course, if you have your own bees, use tap water and wild yeast you could make a free mead! However, there is a lot of risk in that and many of us don't have our own bees. Make sure you hit like and subscribe to see more content. Thanks for watching!
12$ Mead Recipe:
1 Gallon of Spring Water (1$)
3 Pounds of Fischers Honey
1 Packet of Lalvin EC-1118
Equipment needed (this is not factored in the 12$)
1 Gallon Glass Carboy
A Hydrometer
An airlock & bung
Auto syphon & Tubing
Bottling wand
A bottle capper or corker.
Steps to make this mead:
1.) Gather ingredients & Sanitize everything
2.) Mix your honey and water together.
3.) Take a gravity reading. Add your yeast into the mix and place your airlock & bung on it.
4.) After it finishes fermenting, move it into a new container (and take a gravity reading)
5.) Let age for as long as desired.
6.) Bottle when you're ready!
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Mead Making is an art that people have enjoyed doing for years. It's something that intermediate to expert people can do and I'm somewhere in between. I've really enjoyed trying to use lots of different flavors in my meads like: Apple, Peach, Mango, Pear, Traditional, Elderberry, Blueberry, Blackberry, Maple Syrup, Apple Pie, Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Cherry, Chocolate, Bochets, Bochet, White Chocolate, Cilantro, Peaches, Melomels, Melomel, Acerglyn, Hydromel, Berries, Berry, Capsicumel, Peppers, Fenugreek. Some of my favorite meads have been the big blueberry mead, apple cinnamon mead, Bochet, OK Bochet, Raspberry Bochet, Mixed Berry Mead, Orange Cream mead, and Peppermint mead. I focus on how to make mead and how to make mead for beginners and hopefully anyone who wants to continue to grow in their mead making.

[@martharetallick204]

All right, that did it. I will stop procrastinating and start my first mead.

[@ManMadeMead]

Go for it!

[@martharetallick204]

@@ManMadeMead - I just did! One gallon of dechlorinated water, locally produced mesquite honey, Lalvin QA23, and an OG of 1.10.

[@CoolKarateMan]

@@martharetallick204 How did it turn out? :)

[@martharetallick204]

It turned out great! Still making mead -- this is the video that got me started.

[@mr.radical2899]

It is fun to make once you start making it, mine was mixture of apple juice honey and Baker's yeast Ballons for airlock 14 day fermentation process. I made some pretty strong stuff. It's been awhile since my last batch but these videos have inspired me to get back into it. 🍺cheers!!

[@kaldaka87]

I just did this exact process yesterday with my first harvest of honey from my own hive. 😁🐝

[@micahestep7679]

Thumbs up from a fellow beek. Started with an ahb wild hive, started over and now have 9 italian hives.

[@mtnbiker78]

Have you cracked it open and tried it yet?

[@brokentablespodcast]

I wish i could put my jealousy into words... 10/10 on jealousy meter.

[@athing8523]

Modern Viking, love it!

[@VroomvroomNY]

Hell yeah thats awsome!!!! I would love to keep bees!

[@michaelwescott8064]

12 bucks for a gallon of quality 10% booze and the satisfaction of doing it yourself. Best deal ever.

[@th4bl4zedg4mer9]

Went to a “mead making class” awhile back and the instructor was very knowledgeable and used a lot of terminology I just didn’t get and it didn’t stick but he gave us a lot of material to study after watching this guys videos I’m feeling a lot better about making mead. My hydrometer kit came broken due to shipping but once i got my replacement I’ll be so happy. We have a local honey guy so I’m excited to experiment.

[@ETHANR26]

how'd it go

[@joonasmeelisluste]

​@@ETHANR26they died

[@ETHANR26]

@@joonasmeelisluste every time

[@boomshanka8743]

Ok, I'm in. 3 lbs raw wild flower honey, and Lavin D47. This weekend I will make mead. 😀

[@VeritasEtAequitas]

Yes, so much better than the 1118 yeast. It's for chewing through a ton of sugar fast with high carbonation for champagne. It's basically designed to destroy flavors

[@davidt1621]

If you like peanut butter and honey sandwiches, try adding barley mash to your next batch. It adds the nutty profile of barley beer and tastes similar to peanuts.

[@adamgreen7638]

I made my first ever batch of mead following your instructions in this video to the letter. I let it age for abouit 2 months and OMG it turned out amazing, and it's SO simple to do. Thanks so much for showing us how to do it. I will be using your exact recipe/instructions when I do this again.

[@ManMadeMead]

I'm so happy I could help!

[@dwadeweallin17]

I love how economical mead can be especially when buying honey in bulk! Thanks for this content!

[@PokemonMyself]

I was very unsecured about trying to make my first mead. People online tends to make this process over complicated. This seems like the best 1st mead tutorial I've seen yet, and I watched a ton! Thank you so much for the video man :) Cheers from Canada! 🇨🇦🍁

[@ManMadeMead]

I'm happy to help!!

[@alexlarsen6413]

Exactly. This was so cool because they really do, the people online tend to make the process overly complicated or often get lost in perfectionism. You don't even need yeast and the fermentation will start nonetheless...it's actually much harder to prevent fermentation than to get it going. Yeast only speeds it up, and with secondary fermentation you can experiment with different flavors. Essentially, don't be insecure about it..you won't mess it up and as you go about doing it, you will only become better at it. :)

[@alexlarsen6413]

@Hops Yes it can, and it's unpredictable. I was just emphasizing how simple the fermentation process really is. Essentially, the most important and work heavy part is sanitizing everything, cleaning up and bottling. :)

[@chaserevstuning9271]

Made 2 gallons of pretty cheap mead for a wedding. Tastes pretty good too, 14 for honey and 1 for spring water at Walmart. So 15 in total, have lots of yeast so not counting it

[@abrahamtaboada7269]

I really hope your channel grows!, the approach was quite enjoyable!

[@ManMadeMead]

Thank you so much for watching!

[@CC-ff4jw]

This helped me a lot. I actually used your Sansa's Lemon mead recipe for my first batch but this video broke down the process better and made it a breeze to get my first gallon going. Subscribed.

[@ManMadeMead]

Welcome!

[@denaetak1147]

I really like this one! So far I only have made wine but now I would like to try this one. Thanks for sharing!

[@fixationuk]

Getting so damn excited. Followed this at the end of January..... Nearly 45 days in with my first mead and my mead is actually looking pretty clear. I'll try keep a bottle for aging but I can't guarantee the rest

[@ManMadeMead]

Let me know how that turns out!!

[@ryannemeth694]

thank you this was great and I'm motivated :)

[@Smokey0284]

You got me too. I have a Clamper doins coming up in 2 months. I was going to just take cider, which i can make cheaper, but I'm going to start a batch of this to tote along also.

[@kellyharbaugh9391]

Very informative

[@urbanfrog8466]

Greetings from New Zealand. Great video, thanks 😊. I hope to start making mead (melomels actually) this autumn after my blackberries, damson, and Blackboy peach have finished (and I'm not so frantically busy with gardening, harvesting, and preserving). Cheers.

[@ManMadeMead]

That sounds amazing! Let me know how you like your first meads!

[@mifunejones6560]

well done, sir

[@exidy-yt]

Just what I was looking for. My carboy, yeast and bung/airlock just arrived, picking up good honey tomorrow, and will be following this process! Thank you, consider me subbed because now i want to check out this "14.5% in 48 hours mead". ;-)

[@ManMadeMead]

Good luck!! You're going to love this journey!

[@jkidd7608]

I'm getting a mead making kit for Christmas but I saw it has quite a few added steps. This method seems great for a first crack at mead making. The kit I will be getting has a couple days of adding nutrients as well which seems like some people do and some people don't. I'd rather try the simplest way possible at first just to see what this is like. Thanks for the video 👍

[@divinityplus4327]

Forgot how basic and informative this was. We all might need a basics video soon!

[@ManMadeMead]

I should make one!

[@jims5453]

Awesome video, fermenting now!

[@ManMadeMead]

Thank you! I’m glad it’s going well!

[@patricklastname5646]

Just got 1st batch done fermenting. Taste good, like mead but with strong beer taste. I guess now it's gotta age...if I don't drink it all 🥳 1st timers, you don't need all the equipment, just carboy, thingy on top, buy water with screw top and keep the jar so you can transfer in for aging.

[@SherryTheSecretary]

I made my first mead last fall in my apartment. I added raisins and orange slices. It was so easy and tasted wonderful. I've made two more batches and they were just as yummy. 😘 Now I live in my 5th wheel. Can't wait to make more and try different flavors. Cheers!

[@bigskyproducers]

hell yea

[@jgar538]

Great video overall. I really miss Ozark bottled water, now that I've moved to the Northwest. I like to transfer to a secondary jug and stabilize. Allowing to let settle even more for a month before bottling. Cheerz.

[@frydemwingz]

I've made a lot of mead, some of which has been in my fridge for over a year, and still taste it sometimes, its about 15%, it was only honey and a cinnamon stick in 2 1gal jugs. They became clear after a very long time. It took almost 2 months for it to be pretty clear, and actually became ever more clear after aging for months after that. I'd say after 60 days of chilling, it's fine to siphon off into bottles, it being slightly cloudy wont mess up your stomach at this point. Some people are understandably hesitant of drinking cloudy stuff lol

[@shawnveltheim1688]

thanks

[@elischultes6587]

At work I multiple times a day read gravity. Depending on the season and location I read 37-44. I also have to keep track of the observed temperature of the gravity. A perfect barrel of crude oil of 40 at 60° weights 200 lbs.

[@terrain-hardy]

Please make a gallon of licorice mead ... ;-)) I've never made a mead before, but you and your channel have aroused my inner viking and my desire to make some mead ... I'm from Denmark, and it's normal to like licorice there ; - )) I don't think that licorice is a big hit in the usa ;-) but I would be very happy if you would make your version of a licorice mead. the vikings used propolis, licorice root, dried chamomile flowers to make a good cough mixture Mead ... ;-) Many many thanks for showing a please keep up the good work.

[@ManMadeMead]

I’ll add it to the list!

[@cosmicbrambleclawv2]

I always manage to get 5 wine bottles from 1 gallon of water But I think that's cause I use the entire gallon in addition to the honey so it adds a little extra volume once the honey disolves in

[@jasonlowe9559]

Great content! Im enjoying your video series. One question, do you degas your mead or introduce yeast nutrient or oxygen at different stages throughout fermentation?

[@ManMadeMead]

I normally degas throughout fermentation and add nutrients over time if I’m using a staggered nutrient schedule!

[@stephenstevens4153]

I recommend using a yeast nutrient too. But since we're on a budget around 25 chopped rains works as a substitute. 1 cup of black tea will add the tannins to enhance your flavor and texture.

[@ManMadeMead]

Raisins won’t add yeast nutrient. Tea will add a little tannin but it will also add flavor! If you want to just add tannin without flavor - powdered wine tannin is the way to go!

[@worldhistoryexplained1]

Thought i got drunk there for a second watching the video but just your camera lmao

[@LemonyFresh2000]

I'm just about to finish this lemon honey mead that I made, the tea wasn't as pronounced as I wanted it to be so I may just leave some tea leaves in there to help with the flavor next time. 100% suggest it. Doesn't give you a bad hangover and depending on what you use and how you use it you can end up with a Very strong mead. I'm mixing the last little bit of it with vodka and honestly it's not that much stronger mixed together. Although I didn't add too much vodka. Maybe 1/3rd of it is vodka but still, strong for a mead! If you want a strong mead use mixed bread yeasts and add lots of honey! The strongest yeast survives and breeds and ends up being poured into the next batch! Not even lying! Im currently doing the same with straight sugar water so that I can blend it with berries to see how it goes, probably poorly but still a fun experiment! It's still fermenting and ima poor a sip in like 3 days to see how it's going but fingers crossed!

[@LemonyFresh2000]

My next mead is gonna be from the same batch pour, but from the sugar water alch this time to a basically 30% mead mixture mixed into a juice. We'll see how it goes!

[@johnhubbard6262]

Love the car oil funnel, much longer reach

[@Music-fk2qj]

Im at 16:01, still wondering if you ever eliminated the yeast from growing? Or did u let it live? Little lost

[@jamiepittman4855]

I have made a budget mead... used an old gallon milk jug and tap water.. only cost was the honey. Found it for about 5 bucks. 5 bucks for a gallon of mead is not bad ...

[@Bob_Belcher]

I misread your comment and thought you meant 5 bucks for a gallon of honey.

[@ManMadeMead]

True! I wouldn't age long term in a plastic fermenter, but you could for sure get it started!

[@Modernwarcraft5]

So I'm still new to the whole brewing process. I just have a question about the yeast fermentation processes. What temperature should my brew be fermenting in? Should it be ok at room temperature or should it be in a warmer place? Does it depend on the brand/type of yeast (i.e Bakers yeast, champagne yeast, etc.)? Sorry for the questions and thank you sincerely in advance!

[@ManMadeMead]

It depends on the yeast you're using, but between 65 - 70F is normally a good range for most yeast! Can you tell me what kind of yeast you are using?

[@Modernwarcraft5]

@@ManMadeMead Fleischmann's Rapid Rise Instant Yeast

[@buddymc]

Your vids are getting better and so is your winemaking since you started. Good job, I see I've got a lot of catching up to do with your vids.

[@ManMadeMead]

Thank you!

[@slywolf2025]

Starting tomorrow wish me luck

[@andy-thebodyforge2904]

Thank you for Your video, may I ask at the 12 day point in the video when you said it may be a couple more days. Then it skipped to you saying it had been 45 days. Had that all been untouched in the same bottle or did it get put in a new bottle short after the 12 days? Thanks

[@ManMadeMead]

I didn’t touch it for the 45 days!

[@SuperGokuSon]

I purchased a 1 micron filter that you port threw what is your opinion on that and I used 4.5 lbs of honey in a 1 gallon did I mess it up?

[@757trltrl757]

After they are bottled, how long is shelf life for aging and such do I need to pasteurize or are they good to go and be stored after they're racked into the bottles?

[@JacobBrownacro]

I made a gallon of mead and it came out pretty good. I let it ferment for 7 days and it is about 8 percent alcohol. What would happen if I left it in the carboy longer? Would it continue to rise in ABV until it became undrinkable honey vinegar? Do I age the mead in the carboy with the airlock or does aging have to occur in a sealed bottle?

[@GrimReefer1983]

If theres sugars left (which im guessing it is after only 7 days), the ABV will continue to rise, and the mead will get drier (more sour/less sweet). In a gallon carboy whit little air/overhead, the mead can sit for months whitout any problems. It would probably just get better and better..

[@erossi490]

Question on your yeast the EC-1118 comes in two different types Champagne and one for a Dried wine. which one do you use in this receipt or can be used?

[@exidy-yt]

You will want the Champagne one, it can convert pretty much all the sugar you can get out of a honey mead, even if you 'supplement' it with some more sugar. Goes up to 18%abv before dying off.

[@cindydotson5686]

I have a couple of questions. #1- How much black tea should I brew for a 6 gal batch? #2- How much blackberries should i use for 6 gal? #3- When racking with my plastic racking cane I am getting bubbles after the level drops below about half way. Thinking I could have a crack in outer tube that I can't see? Thank you very much. Enjoy your videos. Very informative.

[@ManMadeMead]

I would use at least a gallon of black tea, I would use 12 - 18 pounds of blackberries, the bubbles are pretty natural! It’s okay!

[@cindydotson5686]

@@ManMadeMead Thank you for the timely reply.

[@aleckbrown5341]

Awesome man thank you...

[@jamesgreen2974]

I've been a fan of your channel for almost a year now and I've just started my very first ever 1 gallon batch of mead using the steps outlined in this video. I'm about 3 weeks into the fermentation process and plan on letting it ferment for 45 days as instructed in the video. Airlock is bubbling and no funky colors or smells in the musk so I'm assuming everything is going well. My question is, why did you not do a secondary fermentation? Is that even necessary, and would it have effected the final outcome had you done it? Once my 45 days are up, and if there is no activity in the airlock, I plan on bottling my mead and letting it age in the bottle. I was just wondering why you didn't do a secondary fermentation. Any reply will be most helpful. Thanks in advance.

[@ManMadeMead]

Secondary is only important if you want more fermentation. Really primary fermentation is the one that matters the most. Make sure to stabilize your brew if you’re going to backsweeten before bottling!

[@comp0smentis]

Potential sources of contamination- table you sat things on, hydration cup, the outside of the funnel, your hands, and stirrer... Personally I'd have omitted the funnel, stirrer, and cup. If you're really worried about the sugar concentration shocking the yeast or something then just mix up the water and honey first then pitch the yeast straight in it. That rehydration step at hobby level is most likely just adding potential contamination. If you were doing more than 5gal off one pack of yeast or if the yeast was really old then that boost to flocculation can be clutch but for 1gal it's just extra steps. P.s. bees aren't that hard to keep :)

[@darthniveous8779]

Just made my first mead last night on this recipe! Just trying to find the right amount of fermaid O to add

[@ManMadeMead]

Try this! It will help for all your future batches! www.meadmakr.com/batch-buildr/

[@mandieyoung2559]

​@@ManMadeMeadI have the same question I can't get my head around this batch building thing.. I don't know how much nutrients to add.. its putting me off trying to make mead. I've got everything to get going and got dap fermaid k and fermaid 0. But don't know how much to ad and when.. please help😮

[@cberown146]

I never made mead but I do wine. I would have racked it and let it set and clear for another two or three months, than bottle.

[@tagon42]

Yeast can be reused. I have not done it but I am thinking about trying out some yeast washing.

[@1014p]

Just drop it into a new batch after bottling. No need to wash it at all.

[@ManMadeMead]

True!

[@HellaciousWhiskey]

Man, have honey prices really gotten that high or am I just paying too much for honey? lol Cool video though! I just started my mead making journey last night with a 1 gallon and a 3 gallon, bunch of research but at the end of the day the recipe was kind of just thrown together, hoping it's good!

[@LukesHumanFactor]

if you remove the airlock to taste test during fermentation, should i reactivate the mead or put more oxygen in via shaking the carboy at all? always been skeptical about removing the airlock during fermentation

[@ManMadeMead]

You can remove the airlock during the fermetation to do a taste test! You don't need to worry about adding more oxygen though. Oxygen is really only important during the first 3 - 6 days of fermentation!

[@stanleygrover2162]

Use a ,vinbrit , filter kit . Use the coarse filter fist and I like it.

[@catherina2611]

I like mead but have never made it which is a little sad (or lazy) because I have a bunch of bee hives. I've bought the equipment and all that's left to do is do a honey harvest.

[@FrankFourFree]

Did he say 45 days after the 12 days in? Did he leave it on the shelf for 45 days total? Trying to make my first mead and I just want to be sure. Thank you

[@stuartmerelie2]

Great video, how many days in bottle before you drink it.

[@ManMadeMead]

You can drink it right after you bottle! But it will definitely taste better with age.

[@liloof7568]

What equipment should I use and how much should I spend?

[@Legohaiden]

I ended up backsweetening my first batch of mead. Im also using Lavalin yeast, its the best apparently, almost every winemaker uses some type of Lavalin. Ended up with a 16% Mead, a bit heavy handed, and the reason i needed to backsweeten to remove a touch of the heat. Once i did that though every friend i gifted a 375ml bottle too really enjoyed it. (that and well... who doesn't enjoy free alcohol?)

[@tommywills4891]

There was one time at a bar I didn't enjoy free beers, the owner was tight with my friend I went with and he claimed he had a micro brew on tap free for the night. That was the most green tasting beer I've ever had lol. I'm about to make up my first batch of beer. I did make some wine a couple times with my dad and it came out pretty good.

[@melrichardson2392]

Do you use distilled water for the whole process.

[@Gs_Bees]

2 questions for ya: 1) You end at 1.000 gravity. Does this mean nutrients wouldn't have been necessary for this batch because the yeast worked to their full potential, eating all the sugars? 2) Do you need to stir the must again after adding the yeast? Thanks!

[@mandieyoung2559]

Thinking the same thing? Is this mead done without adding any nutrients

[@SignalJones]

i'm watching this waiting for him to reference my OG $12 traditional mead recipe.

[@ManMadeMead]

Hey! I just heard about this for the first time. I apologize if it seems like I’ve copied off you, but I truly had never seen your stuff until someone pointed it out after I posted this video!

[@SignalJones]

@@ManMadeMead I think more people making more mead is a good thing, $12 is about the least i've been able to make a wine-strength mead for. melomels can be cheaper, but 10%+ is gonna be $12 or more

[@NoTalentHackJob]

So did you just put everything into the one carboy and leave it for 45 days and bottle it directly? Or did you move it over to a different carboy after it had stopped fermenting?

[@ManMadeMead]

I moved it over to a different carboy first!

[@Ishkatan]

Distillers throw out the first 100-200 ml of output because it is methanol. Do you worry about Methanol in your mead? or what happens to it?

[@ManMadeMead]

Only if the fermentation goes south and the yeast get stressed!

[@oldtimeengineer26]

I thought they always said that it had to be in a dark space while fermenting ? Can you leave it out like you do?

[@ManMadeMead]

It doesn't have to be in a dark space!

[@oldtimeengineer26]

@@ManMadeMead thanks

[@virgilmccabe2828]

Yeast does not like light above certain wavelengths. Visible wavelengths don’t bother it much but uv will definitely harm your yeast. Dark is safer especially for high abv. I’m more into distilling so I always mash in the dark.

[@TreeCamper]

Just don't leave it in the sunlight. Too much direct sunlight damages living organisms. You don't want your yeast getting sunburn.

[@DanielJAudette]

That yeast is good for 5 gallon so split it up get 3 or 4 batches

[@rayrous8229]

I like a cloudy drink too. You should probably mention that this recipe will produce a VERY dry mead. When the alcohol tolerance exceeds the potential alcohol by this much, you are not going to get much sugar left. Also, why are you using an automotive oil funnel?

[@dennishillman6205]

“Relative density, or specific gravity, is the ratio of the density of a substance to the density of a given reference material. Specific gravity for liquids is nearly always measured with respect to water at its densest; for gases, the reference is air at room temperature. “ Wikipedia

[@chadgilbert609]

Where did you get the stir rod for the drill?

[@ManMadeMead]

Here! www.amazon.com/Northern-Brewer-GK-FZ2V-0QIS-Stainless-Mix-Stir/dp/B0064OG79E/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=stir+drill+rod+brewing&qid=1591324777&sr=8-1

[@cravinfishin2507]

Does it matter if I have a metal screw on lid with my glass jar? Or does this impart metallic flavours

[@ManMadeMead]

It should be fine!

[@ClutchXRexx]

Do you have to bottle age? Or could we age in just the glass container (i assume thats what is happening to the ones in the back on shelves).

[@ManMadeMead]

You can age it in a glass container as long as there isn't a lot of oxygen on top of your brew for a long time!

[@carion2116]

I have a question I asked someone else about it but for a different part of the brewing. So you put your rehydrated yeast into your mix and then mix it all to get the yeast started, right? The yeast need sugar and o2 to start growing when you mix you pull o2 in, right. So what if you slide an o2 line when your don’t mixing. What that help the yeast grow faster? I don’t know if there is an up or down side to doing it that. What are your thoughts.

[@ManMadeMead]

I think it might help in their beginning process as they acclimate & reproduce. After the first 48 - 72 hours you wouldn't need to leave the O2 in!

[@carion2116]

@@ManMadeMead thank you

[@osutuba]

If you don't have a carboy, could you start the mead in the bottle the water came in? I know in another video of yours, you created a basic airlock using cheesecloth and poking a hole in the lid of the bottle.

[@ManMadeMead]

Yes you can!

[@andrewmccollum4252]

where can I get the labels for my bottles? I couldn't find that information on your website

[@ManMadeMead]

I make my own, I have a video coming out about them sometime!

[@xXCP1993Xx]

Soooo the last time I made mead 1 gallon of cranberry juice cost the same as distilled water due to a sale. Damn it was good.

[@DavOlek_ua]

in what temperature do you need to keep the jar for fermentation?

[@ManMadeMead]

At whatever temperature your yeast needs! Every one has a best temperature range. I recommend looking up your yeast and trying to set in the middle of the range!

[@thomasa5619]

Rather than the metabisulfate, could the mead be pasteurised (though at a lower temperature, say 150°F, and not pressurised) to stop the ferment for back sweetening? Or would even a temperature like that affect temperature?

[@ManMadeMead]

Absolutely! I've done that many times (it's easier with small batches like this). I highly suggest doing that if you don't want to use potassium sorbate & potassium metabisulfite.

[@thomasa5619]

Sweet. Thought it would be worth asking, saves me buying more stuff when I have the microwave. And some people are scared of chemicals. I’ve never actually tried mead before but I’ve just started distilling and have neutral yeast saved from that ferment, I’m trying 1/3 gallon with some Australian honey

[@omecronrodneydheel349]

@@thomasa5619 do not use microwaved ANYTHING in your mead. Just trust.

[@thomasa5619]

@@omecronrodneydheel349 do you have any reasons for that? Or just instructions

[@mandieyoung2559]

I didn't see you put any nutrients in there is that right? Will it still work without them.. 😊

[@wretchedrider2157]

I seem to be missing a step somewhere. Looking in between the 12 day fermentation slowing and the 45 day bottling step, do you transfer the liquid to another (sanitized) gallon jug with a carboy and let it finish? Can someone please explain what to do? Our mead has been bubbling for nearly 30 days in the same jug as day 1, though they bubbles look different and there's a couple inches of sediment at the bottom of the jug. Thank you!

[@ManMadeMead]

I would transfer once you see the yeast fall to the bottom and it start to clear up some. This normally means the yeast are done fermenting.

[@puddlywuddlenob2654]

I only use a spoon full or a quarter cup of honey to a gallon, it stays just the same as other meads and has a good buzz with nice hydration , seeing as the alcohol is lower than if you used more honey, alot of people describe methods if at last four cups of honey for a gallon, that seems excessive considering I can drink two gallons of water a day. And if the mead has high alcohol from large amounts of honey , it would be more dangerous to hydrate with,

[@theastronomer5800]

Interesting. Do you have any honey flavours or aromas left with that little honey?

[@Umbraldancer]

so the unsanitised external of your funnel thats dipped in the mead, what do you do with that bit?

[@ManMadeMead]

Well theoretically you should also dump that to sanitizer!

[@Umbraldancer]

@@ManMadeMead :D

[@havoc608]

So you spray the funnel with sanitizer and immediately just dump the water into the glass? How does the sanitizer get killed off during this process?

[@jamesc5936]

In order to make it a higher abv , would you just add more honey ?

[@ManMadeMead]

Correct!

[@ryanmesler3242]

A few years ago I saw a mead tutorial that said you should start your mead in the summer and it'll be ready by Christmas. This seems to be contrary to what you're saying. Here I haven't made mead yet because I thought it took six months.... So how do I know when the fermenting process is truly done? Just wait for the bubble action to stop?

[@ManMadeMead]

So meads are generally better after age - but you can make a mead that's ready after a month or two. It just won't be it's best. You can tell the fermentation process is done by doing a gravity reading with a hydrometer or possibly just letting it go until it starts to clear up!

[@CaseyinTexas]

Is a dishwasher sufficient for initial cleaning and sanitizing. Also, I noticed you didn't rinse after using the sanitizer, so I take the sanitizer is not toxic.

[@ManMadeMead]

I would avoid using dish soap or any sudsy soap unless you rinse it really well!

[@zekeoutdoors]

Do you test the ability before and after or just before?

[@ManMadeMead]

Both!

[@noahjones3446]

when you sprayed star san right onto the bottling equipment and funnel you could see the bubbles from the cleaner going into the must and into the bottles... is that not a concern at all?

[@Nomorejello]

It's no wash sanitizer so it's probably fine

[@neromachiavelli5670]

Now this my type of mead, but no yeast

[@horse5407]

Huh?

[@fire_stick9124]

How long should I let the mead mature in bottles before drinking?

[@ManMadeMead]

As long as you can wait! The elongate you wait, the bettere the mead will be!

[@nickzhaosun]

Question: why gydrate the yeast separately? Wouldn't it make sense to add early on before mixing with the drill?

[@ManMadeMead]

It helps them wake up. Adding them into the sugar water to rehydrate can shock then. Imagine waking up in a hot tub... you might be a little shocked at first!

[@nickzhaosun]

@@ManMadeMead after the rehydration, you add and then gently mix the whole batch?

[@baijokull]

So you're saying that rehydrating your yest is "very very important". I just recently watched your big video where you did a comparison between hydrating and not hydrating and found that there wasn't really a difference except for it starting a few hours faster. So which is it?

[@ManMadeMead]

In my opinion, rehydrating helps to wake up the yeast which allows for them to ferment faster and it allows for them to have an easier time fermenting in general. You want your yeast to have the easiest time fermenting possible, therefore I am a proponent of rehydrating your yeast more often than not!

[@danielgriffin5737]

Can you reuse yeast

[@alexwagoner285]

What clearing agent would you suggest using to clear the mead?

[@ManMadeMead]

Super kleer or dual fine are great!

[@alexwagoner285]

@@ManMadeMead how soon after fermentation is done can I add the clarifying agent? Do I let it set for the 45 days, then add it? Or can I add it right away and rack into bottles? About how long do you let it age in a bottle? I know it's a lot of questions, but I want to be thorough before I start any batches

[@theastronomer5800]

TIME also works very well. I rack some of my meads and then let them stand for another two months. Out of 20 that I made only two didn't fully clear (a linden honey and an acergyln didn't clear for me). Some meads I don't bother racking, just let them sit for three months. Since you should give your mead some time to bulk age anyways, you don't need to add anything in my opinion.

[@alexwagoner285]

I started a batch of traditional mead today using k1-v1116 yeast, 6 pounds of honey, and 2 gallons of water, but I haven't seen many bubbles out of the airlock yet and it's been several hours since I added the rehydrated yeast. I sanitized everything using star-san. I mixed the honey and water in a bucket, waited about 20 minutes for my yeast to rehydrate, then pitched it into the honey/water mixture. I then poured the must into a 3 gallon sanitized glass carboy, and set my airlock. Did I do something wrong?

[@Vykk_Draygo]

I'm actually fermenting a batch of molasses ginger beer in a water jug right now. I was like... why not? Just drilled out the bottle cap, and popped in an airlock. About $5 worth of ingredients. Easier for my wife to say "OK" at that price. She also just doesn't like the idea of fermenters sitting around the house. Not that I blame her.

[@ManMadeMead]

That can work! I would just make sure to age it in a glass container so you don’t have to worry about any off flavors from the plastic (or oxygen getting in through the plastic)

[@Wahatoyas]

About what would the abv be if I were to use half the amount of honey ? Like 5 or 6 % alcohol content ?

[@ManMadeMead]

It would theoretically be half of the abv from the recipe!

[@chrischaney3082]

What would you say is the total equipment cost to make this batch?

[@ManMadeMead]

Probably 30 bucks!

[@believingtheoutdoorschanel3241]

Can you make mead during the winter months

[@ManMadeMead]

Of course you can!

[@Mangeurdemouton]

I have a few questions and things that I dont understand. at 15:40 you sanitize your equipment to pump out the mead but you put it right inside the mead??!!! So the sanitizer chemical in the mead is fine??!! Also Do you absolutely have to put the mead in bottles? What are the other option to store the finished mead?

[@ManMadeMead]

That sanitizer is safe to do that with! You don’t have to bottle your mead. You can always just drink from the carboy