Mead Brewing // My award winning MEAD recipe that you can brew at home // Asatru craft.
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- čas přidán 5. 03. 2022
- #mead #Honeywine #brewing
In this video I brew a batch of Mead for service to the gods. Mead is what we use in modern times for blot and ritual in the Asatru faith. Mead is simply a wine made by fermenting honey and water. Just like any other fermented beverage it has live yeast and therefore makes a suitable sacrifice to the old gods. Mead takes the place of a blood sacrifice because we have to invest time and money into it just as we would do with livestock as in days of old. We in the Northwoods Kindred brew at least 2 batches a year just to offer in Blot and maintain our relationship with the gods of our folk.
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Mead making supplies
1. Pot big enough to boil half of the water needed
2. Primary and secondary fermentation vessels (bucket or carboy etc.)
3. Fermentation lock
4. Racking / siphoning hose
5. Long handle spoon
6. Mesh bag (optional)
7. Hydrometer (optional)
8. Honey
9. Malic acid
10. Tartaric Acid
11. Tannin
12. Water
13. Yeast
14. Bottles and caps
I have listed all of these supplies in my Amazon store and Also a few direct links for some starter kits for brewing and ingredients.
Brewing Instructions and Recipe (Gothi Bodvarr’s Blessing Mead)
Here is the down and dirty mead recipe that is easy to make, delicious and completely customizable.
12 lbs of Honey (1 gallon) dissolve in hot water (2 gallons) that is free from chemicals designed to kill bacteria. Add acid blend once the honey is dissolved in the hot water (15tsp Malic acid and 7.5tsp Tartaric or Citric acid) Can also use (22.5 tsp Acid blend as an alternative). Lightly mix in 2tsp of wine tannin. This is it, for a naked (basic) mead. You can add any adjuncts that you wish like spices or fruit. You can add adjuncts to taste but it will be very sweet at this stage. Add water to be a little over the desired total volume, for 5-gallon final batch, add water to equal 5.5 gallons. Let the entire batch cool to 65 to 75 degrees F and draw off a few ounces for yeast activation. Once yeast is activated “pitch” add yeast to the brew. Bless the mead for service to the gods. Cap the fermenter with a fermentation lock and wait with anticipation. When sediment appears simply rack the brew into a new sterile container. It will be drinkable in only one month (Honey Moon) but more time makes it more better.
Fast Ferment (only need one) amzn.to/3siIQSH
5 gallon glass carboy (need two) amzn.to/3JYkK5s
3 gallon glass carboy (need two) amzn.to/3hl4tvn
Brew bucket starter kit amzn.to/35vHcny
Mead Brewing (1 gallon) starter Kits
Mead making starter kit amzn.to/35shO22
Craft a brew mead kit amzn.to/3vndNab
Mead making nano kit amzn.to/3skw7ij
Beer brewing kits amzn.to/35qa1Sv
Cider brewing kits amzn.to/3M4fj6S
Non-Alcoholic brewing:
Kombucha can contain a trace amount of alcohol if you are sensitive to this. It would be comparable to the alcohol in any fermented food like sauerkraut, pickles, vinegar, soy sauce etc. It will vary between brands and methods but is generally considered a non-alcoholic drink at less than .5% ABV (legal designation) with many commercially available varieties below 0.1% ABV
Kombucha brewing kit. amzn.to/3Hnuq8a
Kombucha Deluxe Starter Kit amzn.to/3K0aYA5
Hey great video I just had oneee thing I wanted to comment. You seem like a skilled mead maker, maybe no pro but certainly you know what you’re doing and that’s clear. That’s why I was surprised to hear you say the powdered wine/grape tannin was going to help clear your mead and drag all the particles down to the bottom. Tannin simply adds a bitterness that coats your mouth and can leave it feeling “dry”. Wood is often also used to provide tannin to a drink. I just wanted to point that out I’m not trying to be rude or anything so please read this in a nice tone as that’s how I typed it 🙂 just want people who are inexperienced to get the right info 🙂
I learned to brew mead a long time ago and that is what it said in the little manual that I picked up at a brewing store way back then. I have never had any reason to question it, but I looked it up and you are correct. (I know that you already know that) funny even for the most Inqisitive minds some things are just not routinely questioned. Sometimes false truths, seep into the main stream and they are hard to undoo. I will be making another brew video soon as a matter of routine, and I will correct this falacy in that video. Thanks for setting the record straight in a polite manner, that is rare and much appreciated.
Also; I pinned this post to the top 🍺
@@northwoodskindred you’re awesome man keep up the great work!!
Tannin can help (somewhat) with clearing. Not as much as a fining agent, but it can help!
@@DointheMost interesting. Good to know
@@DointheMost That might be why the older documents state it as a clearing agent. Like most everything in the information age...there is a lot of bad scoop sold as gospel. Thanks for the comment.
Great video. You are super knowledgeable and explain everything really clearly. Gonna try this!
Thank you, I hope you subscribe, there are other videos posted and planned where we are brewing mead.
nice touch with the Skyrim background music! Defiantly makes me want to pour a glass of mead and fight some dragons
This is awesome! I just got done bottling my first ever batch of dandelion wine. It's now maturing and needs to be back sweetened lol I used to much citrus in mine but I did use half sugar and half honey my thought process was either wine or mead is gonna happen. So far it ain't too bad. Now to let it sit. Loved this process ty! Lol log book epic lol
Awesome, thanks for watching and I hope yours turns out amazing.
I also made my first ever batch of dandelion mead, purely out of honey this year during the season, on April 30. Before, I've always been brewing dandelion wine and loved it so I finally decided to try the mead out of dandelions...and it turned out very interesting!
I started out with a high original gravity of 1.127, thinking it would end up slightly sweet, however I used this Bayanus BC champagne yeast, and yeast nutrients so it actually went down below 1.000, all the way to 0.992 so now it is super dry and will definitely need back sweetening, but given the ABV of 17.7% which is crazy, I've never made such a strong brew, it's actually quite alright already! The bite isn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be, however it will need a longer aging, and it is currently bulk aging. The color and consistency of it are amazing tho. It's already crystal clear, and looks like golden sunset, it's beautiful!
I'm about to rack it for the second time off of the sediment.
Anyhow, good luck with yours and happy brewing everyone!
I was just looking for videos about making mead for a small gathering I’m going to, I didn’t expect to find someone following the path aswell 😂
Awesome, welcome here 😀
Pretty important to note that water over 112 degrees will kill off your honey flavors so you don't want to mix the honey in until it is below that temp.
I have never noticed any degradation is flavors at all. Interesting.
@@northwoodskindred 112 is when it starts to do that. I don't think the difference would be very noticeable until you hit around 120-130
@@bcp5296d Good info, Thanks. Ill make sure I steer clear of those temps. The only reason I even heat the water is so the honey and ingredients combine easier.
@@northwoodskindred I do the same but keep it about 100
Yeah, what's the point of boiling water, especially if you have mountain water? Just so honey mixes better?
The great thing about brewing mead is the difference in batches, especially when u naturally make your yeast. Even if you have the most amazing mead, you know you will never get something as good, you either will get something better along the line, or know that that mead is the only taste of true perfection that you’ll get, and there’s something beautiful in its transience.
Well said!
Awesome video! One quick tip I have: buy a bottling wand! It's really cheap, and makes your life so much easier on the bottling day :)
I attach a bottling wand to the bottom of this fermenter and it is super simple.
To cool my pots I place them in the sink and run some cold water. The water sucks the heat through the walls of the pot and cools it quickly.
Great idea 💡
Hi. Here in poland we brew mead differently, and there are laws of what you can call a mead.
So here we have four types and that depends on proportions you use:
Quadruple: 1 part honey/ 3 parts water- easiest to do and shorter racking time. So far all american recipes do that. ABV around 14%
Triple: 1 part honey/ 2 parts water- Racking time about two years. ABV about 16%
Double: 1 part honey/ 1 part water- Racking time about 4-5 years. ABV 16%
And finally, lets call it 'Bastard Mead' ( like 1.5 handed swords)- 1 part honey/ 0.5 part water- Racking time 8-10 years. ABV up to 20% ( havent see that but I've heard from mead maker he saw it somewhere) The reachest and most valuable mead that cost a lot. You can get good whiskey for that money.
There are 'pentuple' and more but those cant be legally called mead.
About heating up your mix. It was done to kill and remove all the bacteria in the water and honey but that was long time ago. Here we do it for meads with ( forgot the word for it) juniper, cinnamon and other non fruit meads.
Sooooo, hopefully you gonna try to make triple or double mead one day. I really like triple because its sweet enough and have some % and I have 3/4 gallon fermenter on my shelf right now but I doubt it will last till the end of the summer. More will be made and Im planning to buy same fermentor you have here.
Great video..try using kviek strain yeast..work best around 88-100 degrees
I'll look into it.
I have 5 gallons thats been sitting around 18 months. Havent decided if Im going to flavor it?
I have got a new hobby now thanks
Awesome.
I've watch numerous videos of mead making. And have brew Meads and Wines. Some really good off the bat and some that stay in carboy's up to 18 months. And with this aging most products turned out even better than before.
My question for you is with your recipe . Can the fruit be adjusted for a different type of fruit. Maybe plum or other type of fruit.
I did enjoy your video and am sure I'll enjoy more of your videos.
Thank You, for allowing myself and others to experience your thoughts on how you make Mead.
Thank you,I'll be doing another mead video soon , because I need to get some more in the fermenter. Make sure you I turn on the notifications. 😄
Thank you fellow norseman! I did infact learn what I needed to know! I love that you paid your respects to Odin and the gods! That is why you have earned yourself a new subscriber! Looking forward to more videos! Skol!
Thank you and welcome here.
I started my first mead batch back in January. I made a 5 gallon traditional batch. After primary I took two separate gallons and made 2 separate secondary batches with huckleberries and another with blackberries. My main batch has been clearing out well and now has the clarity of apple juice. Am I ready to bottle or should I wait longer for more clarity?
I usually leave mine in the carboy for about a year. Partly because I have the time and space, as well as a surpluss of mead. If you are happy with it I would say bottle it and enjoy, if not, wait til you are. Good mead doesent have to take any longer than a good beer. A few weeks and you are ready.
Sacrifice mead?! DAMN the gods. That’s my mead!
Thanks for the video, I do have a couple questions. I noticed you added the puree to a brew bag. Did you keep it in the carboy during fermentation? Second, did you add any yeast nutrients like Goferm or Fermaid O?
I didn't add any yeast energizer at all, although it could have helped. And I left the puree bag in for about two weeks. Basically simulating having it there until the first racking, but since I don't have to rack with these fermentors, I just pull out the bag.
I wish I could do this, but, I don't trust myself to do it correctly -- wouldn't want to make anybody sick.
However, I was delighted to learn that there is a meadery very close to me. Mead and different kinds of cider. I'm on it!!!
Nothing to worry about. It is not possible to brew a poison unless you start with poison ingredients. Worse case scenario is a batch that doesent taste very good or a batch of vinegar. Neither are a health risk. It is also very easy to become a competent brewer.
@@northwoodskindred Thank you! I just worry about everything!
@@CadeD679 Hard not to worry in today's world but brewing is a safe activity with epic rewards. Distilling is where you can run into issues. 😎 hit me up if you have any questions. I'll do more brewing videos for sure.
@@northwoodskindred Thanks!
@@CadeD679 what area are u in some brewerys offer classes check out your local joints
Awesome, thanks for sharing :) By the way what's the music playing at 6:00?
I know I'm a bit late here but I was trying to find the competition you are talking about and can't find it, I love mead making and if I ever become skilled enough I'd love to win my own silver bee
It was just a mead comp at a national Asatru gathering. Nothing all that special. Probably not even as organized as a county fair. 🙄
So im brewing my first mead and dont want a high abv. Any methods you use to stop the fermenting process say three four weeks in?. I wanted to use it this thanksgiving for a gathering. I just dont want to get anyone sick or anything.
What? praying to Odin? HEATHEN!!! Ow wait…
Jokes aside: love you guys!
Thanks man welcome here.
Loved the video learning about mead to start making my own but I was wondering if you noticed the “light anomaly” (term made popular by Ghost Adventures) that appears on the screen at 12:19 while your doing the voice over for your prayer to Oden? It’s very odd and moves in an odd way I don’t think it’s a bug or Lens flare
That is awesome, we have seen that in other videos but we totally missed it on this one. Good wye. 👍
Acorns are really high in tannins. Would you be willing to substitute the tannin mix that you used with roasted acorns for a video? I think that would have an interesting flavor profile and add a nice aroma. Please and a thank you from a new subscriber :)
I don't generally stray from the refined ingredients anymore because Honey is so expensive and I have had little success keeping bees myself. If that ever changes than I will be a little more daring in my experiments.
@@northwoodskindred I see. Can you tell me about your top 3 favorite batches besides the peach one that you made?
@leonslights3324 I have made multiple cinnamon metheglins and apple cysers that have been amazing, but I really just prefer a simple naked mead.
Great video but if you live in an area with chlorinated water, it can be dechlorinated by boiling for 15 minutes I've checked it with chlorine test strips and it always hits "0" chlorine
Thanks for that information. I know that chlorine evaporates overtime, so it makes sence that you can evaporate it out.
Pleasantly surprised that CZcams brought me to another Norse Pagan. I am recently turned to the old gods, and am planning my first forway into mead come spring with local honey. First batch will be simple, 1 gallon water, 3 lbs honey, five batches each with a different honey. Lalvin d 47 yeast was recommended to me, as I want mine to be a strong honey flavor, with a wine like abv (14-15%)
I think we have a video part 2 for a one gallon quick mead posting in the next day or two.
@@northwoodskindred Very nice! Also, I saw Montana honey, Bozeman was my first time having mead. Are y'all from Montana? I since moved to PA and finding a kindred feels impossible here.
@@alendonvaldor5808 We have a kinsman in the Bitterroot Valley who donated that honey. We are in North Idaho.
@@northwoodskindred Ah okay!
Humbly seeking your advice on what mead flavors youll recommend for my 132 liters of raw dark honey. We had a blast hunting honey in the southern philippines truly fortunate accumulating such harvest.
Hi there! Fellow Marine and new brewer here. Did you put the apricot puree straight in the must or did you steep it? If you steep fruit or spices, how long should you? Thanks for awesome content.
We pureed them and froze it until I was ready to use it. I only heat the water enough to easily absorb the honey. There is no steeping I just add everything and then rack it out in a few weeks depending on the speed of fermentation and the sediment that is created.
Ok thanks for the info I'll give it a try
I have some questions I wanted to know when making the mead
Do I need to throw new yeast in the batch everytime Itransfer the mead in a different container?
If I'm making just one huge batch can I keep it in the container to age rather than a bottle?
When adding additional sugars like fruits is it best to do that during the first fermentation or the second fermentation?
Thank you so much for the video again super helpful.
No, you don't need to pitch fresh yeast. It duplicates rapidly. I sometimes leave my mead in the fermentation vessel for over a year, not lately because we go through a lot in this kindred, most being poured out to the gods. I always add my fruit at the beginning because if I put it in after my initial hydrometer readings it can throw off my fin, l and I won't have an accurate alcohol %.
Drinking Mead without a Horn is pure Heresy!! Thanks for the recipe and for keeping Heathen Culture Alive!! I'm as old As the Behmer wold, And have in my life Such a brewing not seen" Old Saying(Thorp'str)
Agreed! but when you sample mead, glass is prefered because there is no effect from taste or smell, like in a horn. Glad that you mentioned it, I forgot to say that in the video.
Sanitize not sterilize they are not the same thing.
Do you ever back sweeten? I find I dont like my Mead to dry, a decent semi sweet.
I do back sweeten almost every batch. I like it just on the edge of sweet and dry where it is a hard to put it in either box.
@@northwoodskindred Thats kinda how I like it, Ive made tons of beer and a small volume of mead over the years. Back sweetening is the only thing I never practiced so its a foreign concept to me right now lol.
@MrMakto I have two 5 gallon, and two 1 gal batches that all need to be done soon. I will have a video or two on the process of killing the yeast, sweetening, and bottling coming up soon.
Awesome thanks for the heads up.
P.s. love your cupboard doors & chalk explanations 👍🤔👍
Where's this mead contest you won a silver bee at? I want a bee charm to put on my horn.
The Asatru Alliance mead brewing competition, a long time ago. I left the organization a long time ago also, so I'm not sure if they do it anymore. It's better to just buy a bee charm than to get mixed up in those politics.
Do you do leatherwork too??
Yes, we are both trained and certified saddle builders. But we don't generally do much leatherwork unless it is for ourselves or knife sheaths.
So what is that specific recipe on the board?
That is an apricot mead that we brewed as a kindred. Our kinsman Stigg donated everything sourced in Montana, so we could start a batch for this years rituals.
My mans had blackboard cabinets, what a legend
What about me that is kept in ceramic bottles because I've had vodka and ceramic and it did not taste very good
I have no idea.
5 gallons of wine or mead needs 24 wine bottles 6 would need 32 its 5 bottles per gallon.roughly
Trying to make my own mead but Amazon didn't deliver mead kits to Canada can just go buy supplies from local store
Doesn't***
The only thing I can't find is a fermantation lock we aren't really aloud to brew things here
Nvm found a website it's just Amazon that won't deliver to me
Perfect, glad you were able to find what you need! Bodvarr is out in the woods at the moment be will be back in a few days if you have any other questions once you start the brewing process. Have fun :) Skogul
@@northwoodskindred thanks for everything u guys do ,will post a update once I start brewing ,one day I really hope my family and me can come meet you guys
What is the use of the acid?
The acids do a little to lower the ph and give the yeast a stable environment to thrive in, also they offset the sweetness and add a little tart to the final flavor profile. Natural things like lemon juice or rind can also be used. Some people just add the acids afterword and adjust to taste. I put them in first because I have had good luck and amazing results doing it this way.
@@northwoodskindred ah that makes sense, thank you
@@northwoodskindred actually it’s the opposite acid raises pH and that actually makes a more hostile environment for yeast as honey already is high pH and that even climbs during ferment. People actually add sodium bicarbonate to lower pH a bit for the ferment. You might add a little acid in the end for balancing flavor.
What’s the temperature of the water you dissolve the honey in? Sounds like you have it very hot when saying to let it cool so long or require chilling. You should never heat honey above 40 degrees Celsius or you destroy flavor of the honey. It will dissolve in room temperature water as well, just needs a few minutes of stirring.
I don't check the temp of the water, just esure that it is far below boiling. I have never noticed any degradation in the flavanoids of the honey in my experience.
So it's one part of honey for 2 parts of water, or one part of honey for four parts of water?
1:4 by volume, at least that how i do it.
Great mead making. Odd seeing paganism, but the mead really looks top notch!
We are pagan and we brew primarly to offer much of it to the gods and to share with kin. Nothing odd about that.
@@northwoodskindred Appreciate the recipe, friend! :)
@@soundsnags2001 Thank you, welcome here.
I was thinking it would be fairly maintenance free once in the fermentation stage because you said you just forget about it for a year or 2 but you're doing a lot of checking, sterilizing and re-bottling in this vid.
I'd like to give this a go but it definitely seems fairly tedious and time consuming.
There are a couple time consuming events like the brewing, bottling, and back sweetening. But for the majority of the brewing time it is left completely alone.
Do you sell your stuff?
Not mead, but i sell some of my wares and writings at survivalhardwarellc.com
I thought wine tannin was for astringency and mouth feel?
That is correct
why not use vinegar or bleach as a sterilizer?
I would not use vinegar for fear of a vinegar infection, but when I first started brewing I used a cap full of bleach per gallon of water to clean and sanitize my bottles and fermentors. You just have to rinse it many times. The Starsans, is a much more reliable option with less risk to your batch.
Thank you so much for your reply to my question :) @@northwoodskindred
@@NovaDexter Always!
Such a fucking awesome video, Thanks for the information! I have to ask though... do you know a good psk I can pick up from Amazon? I've got a batch of mead that's been brewing for months and I'm looking to bottle it. I just wanna be sure the yeast is dead before I finally siphon it.
You can grab that at the brew store but any PSK should be fine, just read the directions on the package. Also if you use it. Let it sit in the carboy for a week before bottling or resweetening so all the dead yeast and psk can selttle the bottom.
@@northwoodskindredAlso found them on Amazon. It took me awhile since its not labeled as psk... there called Sodiom Campden Tablets. Thanks for the extra info btw! I'm excited to bring some once I get it bottled.
@@leifdavidsson2222 The Campden tablets are generally like one per bottle. If you are adding it to a batch, which I suggest, and letting it settle out, then it is called Potassium Sorbate. I have some here if you need it, come and get it.
What award?
The silver bee 🐝
DO NOT use Champagne yeast unless you want your mead to taste like champagne 🍾
Wrong
Bottled water is no better than city tap water.. the problem you're trying to avoid is the microplastics and chemicals which are all still present in bottled water
noted
You mean sanitize, sterilize is not possible your way !
That has been pointed out many times. However, I dont believe that it is important enough of a distinction to remove the video and discard all the other information. Thank you for your impecable attention to every datail. You are valued.
Potato potahhto, we all know what he meant
It's too bad the first 5 mins of this video is an ad for merch.
More like about 30 seconds after the intro sequence but, Yea, it's too bad that we provide a little merch for people that want to support us since the channel isn't even monetized and we are trying our best to bring value to heathens that are looking for something a little different than a circus sideshow. 🎪 shame on us, for trying, shame for mentioning our wares, shame for disabling the fast forward, wait, nope, that still works. So shameful anyway, what a shame, such shameful people. 😞
Pains me to see that honey boiled
Then I guess you didn't watch the video because I don't boil my honey, I boil the water, let it cool a bit and then dissolve the honey in it. So no pain is necessary.
So All this talk about sterilization I think you should wear gloves in the process because why not, Maybe a mask wouldn't hurt doctors use them when they do procedures and a whole gown You couldn't actually turn it into a clean room and probably get the best meed ever🙋♂️
Mead
You lost me at the paganism.
Then just keep moving, no need to declare it because nobody here cares. This is a heathen channel. You would think that should be easy to figure out. You know, with all the heathen stuff like mead brewing. Now I hope you got the attention from me that you are craving, have a good night, move along.
Hey there! I'm not Asatruar, but I am a Gardnerian dedicant, and I love your personality! As a witch, I was wondering if you've considered inscribing your brew bins, etc. with sigils or runes, etc.? :). BTW where may I find those horn-shaped gasses?
We collected the horn shaped glasses one or two at a time at goodwill. 🤔 I dont have any plans to put runes or anything on my brewing fermentors. We put so much time money, love and care into a mead, the magic is already inside. ✨️
@@northwoodskindred Sounds like I need to start stalking the Will!
MAy I use raisins as natural yeast instead of champagne yeast? for this recipe? Thank you for your answer , my best reganrds from Türkiye TR❤🩹
Rasins would be more of a natural tannin i think. I have never heard of it as a yeast supplement. The reason I use the champagne yeast is that I hit exactly what I am aiming at, honey is super expensive and I don't want to gamble a vinegar infection over a 1$ pack of yeast. But if you use the recipe and make substitutions, let me know how it works.
@@northwoodskindred okay 👌
The Finns use raisins in fermentation to make a very low ABV (0.5-1.5%) citrus infused mead, yet yeast is still used. There are a few videos on here about Sima (se-ma). They use the raisins to determine when there is just enough CO2 in the bottle so it's like a soda or seltzer.