@@xerolad4086 It’s versatile for lots of different fermentations, but it’s crazy aggressive and can sometimes obliterate flavors if not managed well through nutrition and temperature control.
EC-1118 is the way to go for sure if you just want to convert sugar to booze and get hammered. Ohhh boy. See what I did there? I'm sorry, that was terrible.
One of the weirdest and most potentially expensive myths I've been told is about how long it takes yeast to get a foothold. I was making skeeter pee, and it was my second brew ever, and I put in EC-1118 for the yeast....and then waited. I waited a few days, and asked a friend if this was normal. They asked a friend who makes mead and they were like "oh yeah EC-1118 always gets started within 48 hours, if it's longer than that than she needs to repitch yeast or throw the whole thing out and start over before it can get infected." I asked some coworkers who do homebrewing and they went "uhhhh what? No, give it at least a week and a half before you start worrying." Sure enough, one week and one day into fermentation and the EC-1118 started the most vigorous fermentation I've ever seen in my life. It's not the most delicious drink I've ever made, but it's way better than if I had thrown out the whole bucket
I think THE #1 Myth is home brewing will save you money on your “Drinking Hobby “ It’s a rabbit hole for sure, next thing you know you’ve got 20 gallons of home brew in n different stages, then bottling labels ( if you do them) and everything else that comes wit it. From wine bottle racks to large primary fermenters, conical fermenters, OMG! 😲. It doesn’t end. 😉🍷❤️
@@DointheMost Yep. Even if you keep things real real simple and bottle everything in old milk jugs, unless you grow your own fruit and/or grain, I don't see how anyone could save money making their own beer or wine. Shortly after coming to that realization, I suddenly became an avid gardener. :D
Yeah, as anyone who has worked with any sort of manufacturing or production or supply chain would know, or even anyone who's stepped foot inside of Costco, You get discounts for buying in bulk, which alcohol suppliers do. You can't beat the pricing cut that professionals can get, so you're really just brewing as a creative hobby.
No additive costs more money than the honey or fruit/juices that you are wasting making a bad batch. I get someone wanting to start out and are just dabbling in home brewing... eBay is chock full of people that dumped a lot on money into home brewing and are getting out of it trying to recoup some money. However, there is a right tool for the right job, and the right tool costs a little money, but saves you effort and increases quality. Ask any woodworker that has tried to cut a straight line on 4x8 with a jigsaw or a mechanic trying to use one of those one size fits all sockets
I don’t know how many people I’ve talked to over the years who, by just expanding their horizons a little bit, agree that their home brews have gotten leagues better. Use the right tool for the job!
@@DragonsinGenesisPodcast Flashback: The Twain company we bought our main product from to sell in the U.S. decided they could save a penny by buying a cheaper part for their new equipment. When the equipment kept breaking down, we would replace the part with the higher costing component to solve the issue. I don't know about them, but the cost to repair the equipment cost us a bundle. Far more than using a reliable part would have cost. P.S. The owner of our company was also a partner in our equipment source company, so I'm sure he had more than a few words to share with them.
The base fruit/juice/honey/whatever is pretty much always going to be by far the largest expense. If a person is really concerned about saving a buck, there are a lot of very affordable and very drinkable wines and beers out there. If you don't grow your own fruit/grain/raise bees etc, I really don't see how anyone could save money making their own alcoholic beverages (unless there's some crazy tax thing going on like one commentor above described). Edit: OK maybe mead, but that seems to be the one outlier. By the way, you should see what people are paying per pound for certain heirloom corn varieties to make home moonshine these days. COMPLETELY by coincidence, I'll be dedicating a whole lot more of my space and efforts in the gardens this year to growing Jimmy Red corn...
@@dogslobbergardens6606 Sure, but where's the fun in that. I can normally make about 5 bottles (about a gallon) of grape wine for under $15. A store bought country grape wine sells for about $11, depending on where you buy it. I have a 2 gallon batch of peppermint wine going now that cost about $10 to make. That's about 10 bottles, at around $1 each. I happen to like this wine. I make others, but you get the picture.
This is exactly why I am so glad to have found your little corner of the internet…. My cider is just simply better because of the advice I have gotten on the discord…
Almost every yeast comparison video I’ve watched agree that bread yeast makes good fruit meads. Herbs, flowers, spices, get better results from wine/champagne/brewing yeasts.
I’d love some links to those videos! I am always eager to learn and see what others are up to. I honestly cannot say that I have put bread yeast in anything (other than bread) in quite some time. Happy brewing!
I’ve gotten the great results from using Fleischmans Active Dry in conjunction with Fermaid O and GoFerm in two of my fruit mead/wines. One was a black cherry pyment and the other was a red and white grape wine that was oaked. They were 1 gallon experimental test batches but they will be made in larger quantities because they got drank. Also they were clear
Very good video, I agree on all points. I heard from a couple of mead brewers recently that they think we're all over-dosing with nutrients. You say you probably use more than other brewers on CZcams, so I guess you'd disagree with that. Have you heard that kind of opinion recently?
Ken Schramm, author of the Compleat Meadmaker and master meadmaker is on record saying we are probably regularly over-nutrifying our musts. I trust him on that. And there are almost certainly occasions where I am doing that. I use Fermaid-O and don’t add any nutrient after the 2/3 sugar break to reduce risk of off-flavors. There’s still a lot to learn about nutrient calculations, certainly. I typically use the BatchBuildr calculator.
@@DointheMost You're right, it was indeed Ken. Quick question about the Batchbuildr - does it factor in back-sweetening? Because I planned a batch with that, and also with the GotMead calculator and they gave me very different quantities of honey!
@@timyoung6535 BatchBuildr is the nutrient calculator, but I think you are referring to MeadCalc. I trust MeadCalc over most other tools, but I always backsweeten to taste.
Home brewing can save you money if you only drink once every few months. It really just depends on how much and what you drink and how often. For example if I make a gallon of mead for 15 dollars (just cheap basic mead) and I get 3 one liter bottles out of it then that’s 5 dollars a bottle. I’ve seen some bottles of mead for 20-40 dollars. If I make a gallon and drink a bottle once every 2-3 months then sure I’m saving money. (Especially if I’m washing yeast and using cheap honey). But if I’m making gallons of mead and using expensive ingredients and drinking all of the time then no I’m not saving money. I could get a 12 pack of beer or bottle of wine for 12-20 dollars say 1 time a week compared to using fresh local honey at 11 dollars a pound or using exotic ingredients and buying the top of the line brewing equipment or 5 dollars for some special yeast. It just depends on how often you drink and what you drink compared to what you brew. I like to make basic mead and every once in a while I’ll make something special. Some times I take them to events and some times I drink at home. Then I also like beer wine and whiskey on occasion. Well some whiskey or wine can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. So just something to think about. I like brewing because I can customize it and I can share it and it can be an art. It’s a good hobby that can be cheap but it can also be expensive. Just depends on you.
Firstly, thanks for bringing us this video with all the information. One caveat tho; in Scotland we have a Minimum Unit Price of Alcohol pricing structure (GBP0.50 per 1%), brought in by I feel a wannabe dictator Nicola Sturgeon. For me when I brew 24 litres apple juice + 2kg table sugar to 0.900 (12% ish) with EC-1118 it saves me over GBP100 every time. It's not fine wine or mead, but will get you there quick. With all else going on in the world just now and prices rising everywhere, I would encourage everyone to take up this hobby to ease the burden. (The proceeds of the MUPA go straight to the retailer, and do not fund any public service, hence it is not a tax, and in my belief illegal, but I'm too busy brewing/drunk to care :)
There are absolutely ways to work it it out to save money. That last half of #10 is in part a joke about how hobbies grow out of control. Cheers, and I sincerely hope conditions improve!
I think it comes down to what you define as Natural, for example the various acid powders and tannin powders, i wouldn't consider them natural because whatever they came from had to be heavily processed to get them, the processing makes it not natural, according to my personal opinion of what natural is.
@@travisadams8628 They're still a science project. I have no dog in this fight, I say use whatever works for you! But acid powder etc doesn't just "occur" and fall into a bottle or bag "naturally." They're processed products. That's.... science. (sorry for the "well ACKSHULLY" stuff, but... there it is.)
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I think his point was more that the harvested compounds exist in nature on their own and are merely extracted to make the powder as opposed to a man made non-naturally occurring compound or product that would not exist if man didn't synthesize it
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I agree with that. I think "science project" was the wrong choice of words as it does still take some science to extract the powders just not to create them.
great information, as is expected from DTM...and i'm always looking to improve (and definitely need to!)...i know you were careful not to mention anyone in particular, but this does seem somewhat pointed at B and D at CS? or am i way off target? i've watched all the mead channels (CS, DTM, MMM, FWM, etc.) over the past few years, and i've learned much from each of you...i hope there is no discord (see what i did there?) among the channels...that would bum my heart right out. :( keep up the wonderful content! learners will always need teachers, and teachers will always need learners!
Many of us are in communication and several of us have agreed to disagree on several issues. My only goal is to point out the facts and how there are sources out there that are misleading folks, despite overwhelming evidence that the information is incorrect. And some of the biggest perpetrators are actually blogs!
#9 may perhaps be something like a “quarter truth”, technically nutrients can make it cloudier, but two things: 1. They will clear out in time of course, as they’re also yeast bits, but 2. This is a good thing. An increase in turbidity is a good thing for the yeast, it keeps particles in suspension which lets the yeast ferment better. This is why yeast hulls are recommended for use in stuck fermentations, they help keep the yeast active. Also simple hulls aren’t as good of a nutrient as Fermaid O which although is also yeast hulls, is optimized for adding nutrition.
Hey you showed golden raisins. I think you should not use golden raisins unless you use organic sultanas because regular golden raisins have added sulphurs dioxide and vegetable oils which probably are not good for starting your brew.
number 7 : MTHFR polymorphism, definetly come with a sulfur sensibilty, makes RA and Raynauds syndrome much worse for me. if you dont have a familly history with RA and dont get joint pain in the coming days after consuming sulfites then i guess its fine. the headaches are a myth. its just basic dehydration from drinking govt water or not enough good water.
You are not saving money making your own brew but you are taking control of what you consume. It's an expensive hobby that is wonderful, exciting, and fulfilling.
Considering Mead can be $15 to $30/750ml, its very much cheaper provided you source your ingredients from decent vendors. Per batch its roughly $3-$5 per bottle.
@@dwinterowd it’s definitely true that it can be cheaper compared to commercial products. But you also have to factor in equipment costs and time as part of the equation, in my opinion.
@@DointheMost Ahh, I didn't consider the time element. Considering the equipment, almost all I have sourced is free/lowcost besides a few Carboys. I haven't ventured into expensive honey like tupelo or vetch yet though...mainly because I can't justify the cost yet haha.
Myth 10 - homebrewing saves money is a myth. Idk. I'm making 48 beers for $40. That's $5 per 6 pack. My grocery store usually averages around $10/6 pack. Caveat, this assumes my time is worth nothing and that setup costs are ignored. My gear is all 2nd hand and not very complex, so it's low cost, but not free.
My all grain gear was all secondhand but required about $300 worth of maintenance and repairs to get it up and running. I’m still waiting for that expense to wash out in my beer making. And I definitely factor gear, time, and energy into all of my brews. Making 5 gallons of beer consumes 4 1/2 hours of my time that could be spent doing pretty much anything else! 🙃
Time is ALWAYS worth money. Don't undersell yourself. In the time you spent making and bottling 48 beers, you likely could have just flipped burgers, then bought two cases of beer and had a good portion of the money you earned left over. Not even considering the ingredients and gear. Flipping burgers isn't as much fun, though. So in a way we're sort of just paying to have fun. And it's hard to put a dollar amount on intangible stuff like fun and learning new things and personal pride in making a delicious beverage.
Thanks for your time, and information. Another great video. I've been Homebrewing for just over 4 years now. I've learned alot from trial and error... Alot from the CZcams Homebrew Community. I watch different channels and owe alot to all of you guys . I like how you bring different views, opinions, and methods to the table and point out fact vs fiction. Or just plan misunderstanding. Thanks BC. Brew on Brother brew on..
There’s no harm in any brewing technique as long as it’s rooted in good practice and understanding the pros and cons! We have a lot of natural adjacent recipes on the channel here. Just about using the tools when it’s the right time!
I only recently started using Wine Tannins and acids in my wines, meads. Why, Jack Kellers book. Also started using Sorbate and sulfites because of that book. But the remark about sulfites and sorbates in low dosages being ok, overlooks the fact that you are getting it in so many other sources why get it in one more source that you make yourself? Like you said fast food has it everywhere, many bottled juices have it etc.. What if that glass of home made wine puts you over the maximum recommended daily allowance.
That’s definitely possible. But again everything else is way higher. I think the smart choice for my body would be to eat one less Big Mac a day than drink one less glass of wine. Happy brewing!
The CO2 blanket is one of those things that irks me a bit. While it’s fermenting and possibly the early part of off gassing you get some protection, but I think a lot of folks have internalized it as an oil and water situation, but CO2 is readily miscible in the atmosphere. Unless there’s a huge temperature differential, it’s safer to assume it’s mixing with the air. Possibly the easiest way to see if the air above the liquid is anoxic is seeing it extinguish a lit match. Even with a good seal, after a month or so that match often stays lit
Well done! clear, concise, based in fact and not feeling, I've heard each one of these several hundred times now. Thank you for cleaning up the incorrect soundbites that get passed around our homebrewing circles 🤝
Some people in online forums are adamant that mead isn't any good until it ages for at least one year. I know aging a few months helps improve taste but waiting one year to drink any mead seems extreme. I'm just about 1 year into mead making and I have meads about to be a year old, so I'll find out soon enough with my own brews. I wonder if different styles of mead need different times to age. I wouldn't expect that a hydromel needs a year to age. Another unusual step I've seen in some posted recipes is to boil honey in water before pitching yeast. I've never done this. Is there any reason to do this?
I attended a mead conference in Poland last month and heard from several brewers (home and pro) that with correct nutrition scheduling, you can make great mead in much less time than a year. Check out Carvin's traditional mead recipe, it's easily searchable. I've made it and it was actually delicious while fermenting! I'm going to rack it and bottle after 3 months and I expect it to be just fine. Although I will save a bottle or 2 for about a year as well.
Great video! Thanks for dispelling these myths about natural brewing. IMHO it just hinges on what tools you have available to you where you live, and your own personal choices. To me, aside from basic good practices there is no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to brew. There is no reason to paint yourself into a corner or to vilify other brewers for either using, or choosing not to use certain methods. I believe in investigating possibilities, weighing the pros and cons, and taking an educated decision based on research and personal experience. No brew ‘needs’ to be simple… or complicated. Sole brews I make are entirely ‘natural’ and some brews have added powdered tannins for example. I prefer to steer away from sulphites and a lot of other preservatives because even when they are present in foods or drinks without me knowing it before consuming them I end up feeling utterly crappy. But that’s me and how my body react. It doesn’t mean they’re bad per se. Peanuts aren’t bad either but some people had better steer clear of them. Dogs or cats aren’t evil but there are people who feel awful (or worse) after having been in contact with them. There are people who opt not to consume certain products or ingredients because these don’t align with their vision of how they wish to lead their lives. That’s all perfectly fine. It doesn’t mean others are evil because they do not make the same choices and it certainly doesn’t mean they should send untruths into the world about the things they choose not to expose themselves to. Long story short: thanks for asking people to keep an open mind… and to use basic common sense. People shouldn’t fall into the trap of believing powders, additives, gadgets and doo-dads are the ultimate road to perfect home brews, but neither should they believe they’re evil and nobody should use them. We need more videos like this. How about one on methanol? Over where I live, it’s definitely a thing.
I like the taste and feel of raisins in my brews. May not be a nutrient source or a good one, but mixed with fermaid O it definitely makes the brews fire up and go strong and clean.
Been having really good results using QA23 for fruit hydromels. 5 gal batch: 15lbs of Raspberry with 3 gal apple cider, spike with 1.5 cups honey for bottle condition.
Love the video! Thanks BC. I'm relabeling my EC 1118 to swiss army hammer in its storage bottle. Well done on dispelling myths and half truths. Reminder that things are not always on the label is extremely important (in my country for example something just needs to be 70% organic to be called organic, and then they often don't mention the preservatives).
The "flavor" thing always cracks me up, especially in advertising. "It has MORE FLAVOR! And it's NATURAL flavor!" Welllll... I imagine dog poop has a lot of flavor, and that's natural too. Doesn't mean I want it in my food or beverage.
Fantastic video. All of its content was important to point out. I liked that you included aging in it. Even the wines made for long bottle aging, still have a peak after which they slowly start to deteriorate. Might be up to 10 years in some wines, yet after that period they're not anymore in their best. Overall a very important video for homebrewers.
Thank you friend! It’s always a bummer to find out that a homebrew has crossed past the peak. But I guess it’s still good information to know for the next time you brew it!
@@DointheMost That reminds me of people with so much money that they buy an ancient bottle of wine for hundreds if thousands of dollars, just so they can claim owning one. I consider that nuts. Why throw away money on an ancient bottle of vinegar,?
I finally had to purchase some nutrient because I was making a molasses rum, and I kind of knew it wouldn’t work without nutrient because it was basically just burnt sugar and like nothing else at least with fruit the other compounds that the yeast needs is at least in there on some level. Maybe not in great quantities or that accessible. But with the molasses, I kinda knew it was gonna turn out pretty shit without nutrient. And yeah, within like two days it’s already gone basically dead. It’s still bubbling, but way slower so I’m ganna add some nutrients
Home brewing is cheaper then buying cider, but not by much if you only do small batches. I can get 100g of bread yeast for £1.00 (get the little 7g packets it is cheaper but not as cheap as buying in bulk if you brew a lot) 1kg of sugar is £0.65 and 4L of apple juice for £3.00 A cheap super market cider is about £2.50 but it will have a very low ABV.
Thank you for dispelling so many of the myths in this video. Excellent information! I learned something new when you were talking about gelatin and isinglass.
Gelatin has definitely been a clutch ingredient for me in a handful of brews over the years. I haven’t used it often, but when I have, it has come in handy.
If you like crazy myths and angry people, go hang out in a knifemaking forum or FB group for a while. There are still a lot of people out there who truly believe they can make a piece of steel more dense by heating it up and banging on it with their spindly little human arms and a hammer, for instance. They call it "edge packing." Also MANY who swear that things like Grandpa's rusty old file or broken leaf springs from a '38 Packard are the bestest steel ever made. It goes on and on. It's a very strange field absolutely rife with half-understood myths, old wive's tales and pure unadulterated bullshit. The flood of nonsense was sort of calming down for a while, but then the cameras started rolling. TV has not helped things any.
My take away is things being shrouded in “myth, tradition and legend” sounds spooky and cool but the only spooky thing is how thin your mead will end up!
Ec1118 is a great and easy to use and is very fast fermenting but as taste is concerned it's not very good. It's a quintessential yeast for distilling fruit however but that's not winemaking 😂
Tell me the last time you bought only a single gram of any ingredient as opposed to the much more common bulk ingredients.....that's a stupid example at the very base of it all. The idea and education that is a product you have on hand is used but may impart x favorite or profiles to is not just misleading but instead informing the audience of what is to be expected. Sorry dtm but a bunch of what you've had to say in this video is completely unnecessary and if you only spent a fraction of time looking at it for the others sides perspective instead of bashing the " natural brewing" side of things you would be helping to bridge the gap between the 2 and not further the divide.
I would like to see a blind taste test on the fining agents part of this video. I have tried it myself and tried it from a test done at the homebrew store and in my experience it does have an impact. Not a major impact but it is still an impact. That said, I still use dual clear in 95% of everything I make because I want as few lees in the bottle as possible.
Bingo! Haha. I’ll save money by making a traditional mead! JK, I wanna make that traditional mead with the most expensive best quality honey I can find. Jokes on me!
Excellent video. Off topic but have you ever made a fortified wine? My first blackberry mead wine is very dry. I tried spiking some with brandy and its pretty good. Wondering if it would help preserve it too if we have a bottle open for a while
Kveik has been my sledge hammer lately, ive used mostly Voss but have some lutra I need to try out, also evey one should try using the propper seltzer nutrient for mead its done wonders for me and it easy as hell to use
you talk about oxydation with pouring, but don't really talk about oxydation from racking. How many racks is too many in terms of oxidation? Is it really required to put co2 in a carboy if i am racking to it?
Can you do a video on using fining agents to remove flavor? I'm mostly a use what I can get from the grocery store person and I've a couple of brews get sour.
LOL #8 with the color progression was hilarious 😂 switched to kegging to fight oxidation and still found it necessary to add 10 ppm SO2 safety net, it's insidious
I totally agree about home brewing not being cheaper than just buying alcohol. I used to just do kits and I still think that saved a fair amount vs what I would have spent at the liquor store but I’ve been doing meads and other ‘from scratch’ home brew recipes for less than a year now and I’ve spent more on home brew equipment/ingredients/etc since then than I have on alcohol since I was old enough to drink.
Idk, for some of these 6 packs of craft beer nowadays at 11-16 dollars I think I'm saving money. Plus I can make beers that aren't "trendy", pretty hard pressed to find more that two good English styled brown ales at the store.
Well if you want to save money you should know a homebrewer. ;-) But it's true, you will never save any money doing homebrewing. Good work on the mythbusting.
Someone recently just tried to claim that 1.6 lbs of honey per Gallon will cause yeast to Stress out lol XD or in other words having too little Honey will stress out the yeast XD
Ethan, while half true, there’s so much more that goes into the development of modern medicines. But yes, there are some historical healing methods based on nature.
@@DointheMost like what. most all modern medicine is literally just isolated from plants, but without the entourage effect of the actual plant and follow the science is propaganda.
EC-1118 being described as a Swiss Army knife with a sledgehammer attached to it might be the funniest and most accurate description of yeast ever lol
It was the best analogy I could come up with 😅
@@DointheMost Can you explain the sledgehammer analogy? Is it just because it can reach higher ABV?
@@xerolad4086 It’s versatile for lots of different fermentations, but it’s crazy aggressive and can sometimes obliterate flavors if not managed well through nutrition and temperature control.
EC-1118 is the way to go for sure if you just want to convert sugar to booze and get hammered.
Ohhh boy. See what I did there? I'm sorry, that was terrible.
That's how I feel about premier cuvee
One of the weirdest and most potentially expensive myths I've been told is about how long it takes yeast to get a foothold. I was making skeeter pee, and it was my second brew ever, and I put in EC-1118 for the yeast....and then waited. I waited a few days, and asked a friend if this was normal. They asked a friend who makes mead and they were like "oh yeah EC-1118 always gets started within 48 hours, if it's longer than that than she needs to repitch yeast or throw the whole thing out and start over before it can get infected." I asked some coworkers who do homebrewing and they went "uhhhh what? No, give it at least a week and a half before you start worrying."
Sure enough, one week and one day into fermentation and the EC-1118 started the most vigorous fermentation I've ever seen in my life. It's not the most delicious drink I've ever made, but it's way better than if I had thrown out the whole bucket
Glad you didn’t throw that out!
One misconception, that pectic haze is common at all. I've made jam wines without pectic enzyme and they clarify wonderfully all on their own.
Equippment beside, if you live in Norway and do hombrewing, you will save alot per bottle compared to just buying. And it usually tastes better ;)
Don't tell my wife that I'm not saving money by doing home brewing
It’ll be our little secret. “Our” referring to the entire Internet, of course.
I think THE #1 Myth is home brewing will save you money on your “Drinking Hobby “ It’s a rabbit hole for sure, next thing you know you’ve got 20 gallons of home brew in n different stages, then bottling labels ( if you do them) and everything else that comes wit it. From wine bottle racks to large primary fermenters, conical fermenters, OMG! 😲. It doesn’t end. 😉🍷❤️
Absolutely agree! I got into it in my early 20s to save money on booze for parties and look how that turned out.
@@DointheMost Yep. Even if you keep things real real simple and bottle everything in old milk jugs, unless you grow your own fruit and/or grain, I don't see how anyone could save money making their own beer or wine.
Shortly after coming to that realization, I suddenly became an avid gardener. :D
Yeah, as anyone who has worked with any sort of manufacturing or production or supply chain would know, or even anyone who's stepped foot inside of Costco, You get discounts for buying in bulk, which alcohol suppliers do. You can't beat the pricing cut that professionals can get, so you're really just brewing as a creative hobby.
I've used EC-1118 for years its. Its great for wines and meads. Iplay with natural yeasts as well.
No additive costs more money than the honey or fruit/juices that you are wasting making a bad batch. I get someone wanting to start out and are just dabbling in home brewing... eBay is chock full of people that dumped a lot on money into home brewing and are getting out of it trying to recoup some money. However, there is a right tool for the right job, and the right tool costs a little money, but saves you effort and increases quality. Ask any woodworker that has tried to cut a straight line on 4x8 with a jigsaw or a mechanic trying to use one of those one size fits all sockets
I don’t know how many people I’ve talked to over the years who, by just expanding their horizons a little bit, agree that their home brews have gotten leagues better. Use the right tool for the job!
Yup. There’s nothing worse than saving a dime to ruin a dollar.
@@DragonsinGenesisPodcast Flashback: The Twain company we bought our main product from to sell in the U.S. decided they could save a penny by buying a cheaper part for their new equipment. When the equipment kept breaking down, we would replace the part with the higher costing component to solve the issue. I don't know about them, but the cost to repair the equipment cost us a bundle. Far more than using a reliable part would have cost.
P.S. The owner of our company was also a partner in our equipment source company, so I'm sure he had more than a few words to share with them.
The base fruit/juice/honey/whatever is pretty much always going to be by far the largest expense. If a person is really concerned about saving a buck, there are a lot of very affordable and very drinkable wines and beers out there.
If you don't grow your own fruit/grain/raise bees etc, I really don't see how anyone could save money making their own alcoholic beverages (unless there's some crazy tax thing going on like one commentor above described). Edit: OK maybe mead, but that seems
to be the one outlier.
By the way, you should see what people are paying per pound for certain heirloom corn varieties to make home moonshine these days.
COMPLETELY by coincidence, I'll be dedicating a whole lot more of my space and efforts in the gardens this year to growing Jimmy Red corn...
@@dogslobbergardens6606 Sure, but where's the fun in that.
I can normally make about 5 bottles (about a gallon) of grape wine for under $15. A store bought country grape wine sells for about $11, depending on where you buy it.
I have a 2 gallon batch of peppermint wine going now that cost about $10 to make. That's about 10 bottles, at around $1 each. I happen to like this wine.
I make others, but you get the picture.
This is exactly why I am so glad to have found your little corner of the internet…. My cider is just simply better because of the advice I have gotten on the discord…
The discord is the best thing that ever happened to our channel. It’s like suddenly the level of genius went up by 1000%.
Almost every yeast comparison video I’ve watched agree that bread yeast makes good fruit meads. Herbs, flowers, spices, get better results from wine/champagne/brewing yeasts.
I’d love some links to those videos! I am always eager to learn and see what others are up to. I honestly cannot say that I have put bread yeast in anything (other than bread) in quite some time. Happy brewing!
I’ve gotten the great results from using Fleischmans Active Dry in conjunction with Fermaid O and GoFerm in two of my fruit mead/wines. One was a black cherry pyment and the other was a red and white grape wine that was oaked. They were 1 gallon experimental test batches but they will be made in larger quantities because they got drank. Also they were clear
Very good video, I agree on all points. I heard from a couple of mead brewers recently that they think we're all over-dosing with nutrients. You say you probably use more than other brewers on CZcams, so I guess you'd disagree with that. Have you heard that kind of opinion recently?
Ken Schramm, author of the Compleat Meadmaker and master meadmaker is on record saying we are probably regularly over-nutrifying our musts. I trust him on that. And there are almost certainly occasions where I am doing that. I use Fermaid-O and don’t add any nutrient after the 2/3 sugar break to reduce risk of off-flavors. There’s still a lot to learn about nutrient calculations, certainly. I typically use the BatchBuildr calculator.
@@DointheMost You're right, it was indeed Ken. Quick question about the Batchbuildr - does it factor in back-sweetening? Because I planned a batch with that, and also with the GotMead calculator and they gave me very different quantities of honey!
@@timyoung6535 BatchBuildr is the nutrient calculator, but I think you are referring to MeadCalc. I trust MeadCalc over most other tools, but I always backsweeten to taste.
Home brewing can save you money if you only drink once every few months. It really just depends on how much and what you drink and how often. For example if I make a gallon of mead for 15 dollars (just cheap basic mead) and I get 3 one liter bottles out of it then that’s 5 dollars a bottle. I’ve seen some bottles of mead for 20-40 dollars. If I make a gallon and drink a bottle once every 2-3 months then sure I’m saving money. (Especially if I’m washing yeast and using cheap honey). But if I’m making gallons of mead and using expensive ingredients and drinking all of the time then no I’m not saving money. I could get a 12 pack of beer or bottle of wine for 12-20 dollars say 1 time a week compared to using fresh local honey at 11 dollars a pound or using exotic ingredients and buying the top of the line brewing equipment or 5 dollars for some special yeast. It just depends on how often you drink and what you drink compared to what you brew. I like to make basic mead and every once in a while I’ll make something special. Some times I take them to events and some times I drink at home. Then I also like beer wine and whiskey on occasion. Well some whiskey or wine can be hundreds or thousands of dollars. So just something to think about. I like brewing because I can customize it and I can share it and it can be an art. It’s a good hobby that can be cheap but it can also be expensive. Just depends on you.
Firstly, thanks for bringing us this video with all the information. One caveat tho; in Scotland we have a Minimum Unit Price of Alcohol pricing structure (GBP0.50 per 1%), brought in by I feel a wannabe dictator Nicola Sturgeon. For me when I brew 24 litres apple juice + 2kg table sugar to 0.900 (12% ish) with EC-1118 it saves me over GBP100 every time. It's not fine wine or mead, but will get you there quick. With all else going on in the world just now and prices rising everywhere, I would encourage everyone to take up this hobby to ease the burden. (The proceeds of the MUPA go straight to the retailer, and do not fund any public service, hence it is not a tax, and in my belief illegal, but I'm too busy brewing/drunk to care :)
There are absolutely ways to work it it out to save money. That last half of #10 is in part a joke about how hobbies grow out of control. Cheers, and I sincerely hope conditions improve!
You could have just called out City Steading Brews by name and opened up a dialogue.
He could also learn quite a few things about brewing from City Steading as well.
I think it comes down to what you define as Natural, for example the various acid powders and tannin powders, i wouldn't consider them natural because whatever they came from had to be heavily processed to get them, the processing makes it not natural, according to my personal opinion of what natural is.
I think the point is that these adjuncts are naturally occurring, meaning they are not the result of a science project.
@@travisadams8628 They're still a science project. I have no dog in this fight, I say use whatever works for you! But acid powder etc doesn't just "occur" and fall into a bottle or bag "naturally." They're processed products.
That's.... science.
(sorry for the "well ACKSHULLY" stuff, but... there it is.)
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I think his point was more that the harvested compounds exist in nature on their own and are merely extracted to make the powder as opposed to a man made non-naturally occurring compound or product that would not exist if man didn't synthesize it
@@BigBenC1991 I understand, it's sort of just semantics.
@@dogslobbergardens6606 I agree with that. I think "science project" was the wrong choice of words as it does still take some science to extract the powders just not to create them.
great information, as is expected from DTM...and i'm always looking to improve (and definitely need to!)...i know you were careful not to mention anyone in particular, but this does seem somewhat pointed at B and D at CS? or am i way off target? i've watched all the mead channels (CS, DTM, MMM, FWM, etc.) over the past few years, and i've learned much from each of you...i hope there is no discord (see what i did there?) among the channels...that would bum my heart right out. :( keep up the wonderful content! learners will always need teachers, and teachers will always need learners!
Many of us are in communication and several of us have agreed to disagree on several issues. My only goal is to point out the facts and how there are sources out there that are misleading folks, despite overwhelming evidence that the information is incorrect. And some of the biggest perpetrators are actually blogs!
#9 may perhaps be something like a “quarter truth”, technically nutrients can make it cloudier, but two things: 1. They will clear out in time of course, as they’re also yeast bits, but 2. This is a good thing. An increase in turbidity is a good thing for the yeast, it keeps particles in suspension which lets the yeast ferment better. This is why yeast hulls are recommended for use in stuck fermentations, they help keep the yeast active. Also simple hulls aren’t as good of a nutrient as Fermaid O which although is also yeast hulls, is optimized for adding nutrition.
Good info!
Hey you showed golden raisins. I think you should not use golden raisins unless you use organic sultanas because regular golden raisins have added sulphurs dioxide and vegetable oils which probably are not good for starting your brew.
number 7 : MTHFR polymorphism, definetly come with a sulfur sensibilty, makes RA and Raynauds syndrome much worse for me.
if you dont have a familly history with RA and dont get joint pain in the coming days after consuming sulfites then i guess its fine. the headaches are a myth. its just basic dehydration from drinking govt water or not enough good water.
You can't forget that people say that mead can not be fortified. Claiming it's no longer mead. Actually most commercial meads fortify their products.
You are not saving money making your own brew but you are taking control of what you consume. It's an expensive hobby that is wonderful, exciting, and fulfilling.
Agree!
Considering Mead can be $15 to $30/750ml, its very much cheaper provided you source your ingredients from decent vendors. Per batch its roughly $3-$5 per bottle.
@@dwinterowd it’s definitely true that it can be cheaper compared to commercial products. But you also have to factor in equipment costs and time as part of the equation, in my opinion.
@@DointheMost Ahh, I didn't consider the time element. Considering the equipment, almost all I have sourced is free/lowcost besides a few Carboys. I haven't ventured into expensive honey like tupelo or vetch yet though...mainly because I can't justify the cost yet haha.
Myth 10 - homebrewing saves money is a myth. Idk. I'm making 48 beers for $40. That's $5 per 6 pack. My grocery store usually averages around $10/6 pack. Caveat, this assumes my time is worth nothing and that setup costs are ignored. My gear is all 2nd hand and not very complex, so it's low cost, but not free.
My all grain gear was all secondhand but required about $300 worth of maintenance and repairs to get it up and running. I’m still waiting for that expense to wash out in my beer making. And I definitely factor gear, time, and energy into all of my brews. Making 5 gallons of beer consumes 4 1/2 hours of my time that could be spent doing pretty much anything else! 🙃
Time is ALWAYS worth money. Don't undersell yourself. In the time you spent making and bottling 48 beers, you likely could have just flipped burgers, then bought two cases of beer and had a good portion of the money you earned left over. Not even considering the ingredients and gear.
Flipping burgers isn't as much fun, though. So in a way we're sort of just paying to have fun. And it's hard to put a dollar amount on intangible stuff like fun and learning new things and personal pride in making a delicious beverage.
Over under this video metions raisins?
It better !!!
Do a shot every time!
Thanks for your time, and information.
Another great video.
I've been Homebrewing for just over 4 years now.
I've learned alot from trial and error...
Alot from the CZcams Homebrew Community.
I watch different channels and owe alot to all of you guys .
I like how you bring different views, opinions, and methods to the table and point out fact vs fiction. Or just plan misunderstanding.
Thanks BC.
Brew on Brother brew on..
There’s no harm in any brewing technique as long as it’s rooted in good practice and understanding the pros and cons! We have a lot of natural adjacent recipes on the channel here. Just about using the tools when it’s the right time!
I only recently started using Wine Tannins and acids in my wines, meads. Why, Jack Kellers book. Also started using Sorbate and sulfites because of that book.
But the remark about sulfites and sorbates in low dosages being ok, overlooks the fact that you are getting it in so many other sources why get it in one more source that you make yourself? Like you said fast food has it everywhere, many bottled juices have it etc.. What if that glass of home made wine puts you over the maximum recommended daily allowance.
That’s definitely possible. But again everything else is way higher. I think the smart choice for my body would be to eat one less Big Mac a day than drink one less glass of wine. Happy brewing!
Myth: Starsan can last for months
The CO2 blanket is one of those things that irks me a bit. While it’s fermenting and possibly the early part of off gassing you get some protection, but I think a lot of folks have internalized it as an oil and water situation, but CO2 is readily miscible in the atmosphere. Unless there’s a huge temperature differential, it’s safer to assume it’s mixing with the air. Possibly the easiest way to see if the air above the liquid is anoxic is seeing it extinguish a lit match. Even with a good seal, after a month or so that match often stays lit
And every time that airlock is removed to do something, that air is naturally mixing with the outside air. Quickly.
Well done! clear, concise, based in fact and not feeling, I've heard each one of these several hundred times now. Thank you for cleaning up the incorrect soundbites that get passed around our homebrewing circles 🤝
Thank you friend!
Some people in online forums are adamant that mead isn't any good until it ages for at least one year. I know aging a few months helps improve taste but waiting one year to drink any mead seems extreme. I'm just about 1 year into mead making and I have meads about to be a year old, so I'll find out soon enough with my own brews. I wonder if different styles of mead need different times to age. I wouldn't expect that a hydromel needs a year to age.
Another unusual step I've seen in some posted recipes is to boil honey in water before pitching yeast. I've never done this. Is there any reason to do this?
That boiling (and sometimes skimming) step is outdated practice. And can actually boil off flavor compounds!
I attended a mead conference in Poland last month and heard from several brewers (home and pro) that with correct nutrition scheduling, you can make great mead in much less time than a year. Check out Carvin's traditional mead recipe, it's easily searchable. I've made it and it was actually delicious while fermenting! I'm going to rack it and bottle after 3 months and I expect it to be just fine. Although I will save a bottle or 2 for about a year as well.
@@timyoung6535 Thanks for sharing
Great video! Thanks for dispelling these myths about natural brewing. IMHO it just hinges on what tools you have available to you where you live, and your own personal choices. To me, aside from basic good practices there is no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ way to brew. There is no reason to paint yourself into a corner or to vilify other brewers for either using, or choosing not to use certain methods. I believe in investigating possibilities, weighing the pros and cons, and taking an educated decision based on research and personal experience. No brew ‘needs’ to be simple… or complicated. Sole brews I make are entirely ‘natural’ and some brews have added powdered tannins for example. I prefer to steer away from sulphites and a lot of other preservatives because even when they are present in foods or drinks without me knowing it before consuming them I end up feeling utterly crappy. But that’s me and how my body react. It doesn’t mean they’re bad per se. Peanuts aren’t bad either but some people had better steer clear of them. Dogs or cats aren’t evil but there are people who feel awful (or worse) after having been in contact with them. There are people who opt not to consume certain products or ingredients because these don’t align with their vision of how they wish to lead their lives. That’s all perfectly fine. It doesn’t mean others are evil because they do not make the same choices and it certainly doesn’t mean they should send untruths into the world about the things they choose not to expose themselves to.
Long story short: thanks for asking people to keep an open mind… and to use basic common sense. People shouldn’t fall into the trap of believing powders, additives, gadgets and doo-dads are the ultimate road to perfect home brews, but neither should they believe they’re evil and nobody should use them.
We need more videos like this. How about one on methanol? Over where I live, it’s definitely a thing.
I like the taste and feel of raisins in my brews. May not be a nutrient source or a good one, but mixed with fermaid O it definitely makes the brews fire up and go strong and clean.
Been having really good results using QA23 for fruit hydromels. 5 gal batch: 15lbs of Raspberry with 3 gal apple cider, spike with 1.5 cups honey for bottle condition.
Yo, with QA23‘s tropical esters this sounds freaking bomb
Love the video! Thanks BC.
I'm relabeling my EC 1118 to swiss army hammer in its storage bottle.
Well done on dispelling myths and half truths. Reminder that things are not always on the label is extremely important (in my country for example something just needs to be 70% organic to be called organic, and then they often don't mention the preservatives).
Whoa! That’s wild. 70%!
The "flavor" thing always cracks me up, especially in advertising. "It has MORE FLAVOR! And it's NATURAL flavor!"
Welllll... I imagine dog poop has a lot of flavor, and that's natural too. Doesn't mean I want it in my food or beverage.
Fantastic video. All of its content was important to point out. I liked that you included aging in it. Even the wines made for long bottle aging, still have a peak after which they slowly start to deteriorate. Might be up to 10 years in some wines, yet after that period they're not anymore in their best. Overall a very important video for homebrewers.
Thank you friend! It’s always a bummer to find out that a homebrew has crossed past the peak. But I guess it’s still good information to know for the next time you brew it!
@@DointheMost That reminds me of people with so much money that they buy an ancient bottle of wine for hundreds if thousands of dollars, just so they can claim owning one. I consider that nuts. Why throw away money on an ancient bottle of vinegar,?
@@johnshaw6702 IMO it’s probably money laundering!
@@johnshaw6702 People like that are why sometimes regular folks start pondering how to build guillotines.
Great video! Thank you for all the knowledge you have passed on.
I finally had to purchase some nutrient because I was making a molasses rum, and I kind of knew it wouldn’t work without nutrient because it was basically just burnt sugar and like nothing else at least with fruit the other compounds that the yeast needs is at least in there on some level. Maybe not in great quantities or that accessible. But with the molasses, I kinda knew it was gonna turn out pretty shit without nutrient. And yeah, within like two days it’s already gone basically dead. It’s still bubbling, but way slower so I’m ganna add some nutrients
Home brewing is cheaper then buying cider, but not by much if you only do small batches. I can get 100g of bread yeast for £1.00 (get the little 7g packets it is cheaper but not as cheap as buying in bulk if you brew a lot) 1kg of sugar is £0.65 and 4L of apple juice for £3.00
A cheap super market cider is about £2.50 but it will have a very low ABV.
Thank you for dispelling so many of the myths in this video. Excellent information! I learned something new when you were talking about gelatin and isinglass.
Gelatin has definitely been a clutch ingredient for me in a handful of brews over the years. I haven’t used it often, but when I have, it has come in handy.
The said over and over again so it must be true part sounds a lot like nutrition recommendations 😂 Good stuff!
I love that you made this video. ❤
Thank you! I’ve spent about a year jotting down notes here and there and it felt like it was finally the right time.
Look at you Mr. Corporation!
Just use the powder because it's better.
"It just is". =/
Man, the beer homebrewing has soooooo many myths too. And they tend to get very angry when challenged on these issues!
Well now I wanna deep dive into that side 😂
If you like crazy myths and angry people, go hang out in a knifemaking forum or FB group for a while. There are still a lot of people out there who truly believe they can make a piece of steel more dense by heating it up and banging on it with their spindly little human arms and a hammer, for instance. They call it "edge packing." Also MANY who swear that things like Grandpa's rusty old file or broken leaf springs from a '38 Packard are the bestest steel ever made. It goes on and on.
It's a very strange field absolutely rife with half-understood myths, old wive's tales and pure unadulterated bullshit. The flood of nonsense was sort of calming down for a while, but then the cameras started rolling. TV has not helped things any.
You can just pasteurize instead of sulfites
My take away is things being shrouded in “myth, tradition and legend” sounds spooky and cool but the only spooky thing is how thin your mead will end up!
This is a fantastic use of the David emoji
@@DointheMost I just hope to make David proud!
Tradition is just intense peer pressure from dead people.
Love it! Keep busting myths BC we need it
Thanks man!
Good stuff man. Great rundown on these :-)
Thanks!
One question for you: am I correct that you stated that acid blends are natural? How are acid blends made? Aren't they made synthetically? Thank you!
Ec1118 is a great and easy to use and is very fast fermenting but as taste is concerned it's not very good. It's a quintessential yeast for distilling fruit however but that's not winemaking 😂
Great video as always brother!
Thanks friend!
Myth #0 using gallon instead of liters for measures
This video was like a breath of fresh air. Systematic, impersonal, factual, and well thought-out. Bravo!
Next Kickstarter idea: Doin the Most Mead Recipe Book.
But nothing natural ever hurt anyone!
😂
I do everything but sulfates because I am allergic, hospitalized allergic. So I stabilize by pasteurizing. I love how you explain everything.
Tell me the last time you bought only a single gram of any ingredient as opposed to the much more common bulk ingredients.....that's a stupid example at the very base of it all. The idea and education that is a product you have on hand is used but may impart x favorite or profiles to is not just misleading but instead informing the audience of what is to be expected. Sorry dtm but a bunch of what you've had to say in this video is completely unnecessary and if you only spent a fraction of time looking at it for the others sides perspective instead of bashing the " natural brewing" side of things you would be helping to bridge the gap between the 2 and not further the divide.
Awesome vid my guy!
I would like to see a blind taste test on the fining agents part of this video. I have tried it myself and tried it from a test done at the homebrew store and in my experience it does have an impact. Not a major impact but it is still an impact. That said, I still use dual clear in 95% of everything I make because I want as few lees in the bottle as possible.
Save money lol. I guess I could hypothetically save money if I just brewed a 5 gallon extract kit once supply dwindled. But what's the fun in that?
Bingo! Haha. I’ll save money by making a traditional mead! JK, I wanna make that traditional mead with the most expensive best quality honey I can find. Jokes on me!
Excellent video. Off topic but have you ever made a fortified wine? My first blackberry mead wine is very dry. I tried spiking some with brandy and its pretty good. Wondering if it would help preserve it too if we have a bottle open for a while
Do you have the paper on tidal forces affecting brews? I'm incredibly curious about that
Kveik has been my sledge hammer lately, ive used mostly Voss but have some lutra I need to try out, also evey one should try using the propper seltzer nutrient for mead its done wonders for me and it easy as hell to use
You know I love a good kveik brew!
Awesome video! I need to start playing with acids and tannins. I think I'm just nervous about messing it up lol! I just gotta do it!
You’ll be a pro in no time, friend!
It's true! You're growing faaaaaaaaast!
Dooo it
@@DointheMost Haha, thank you!!!!!
you talk about oxydation with pouring, but don't really talk about oxydation from racking. How many racks is too many in terms of oxidation? Is it really required to put co2 in a carboy if i am racking to it?
Can you do a video on using fining agents to remove flavor? I'm mostly a use what I can get from the grocery store person and I've a couple of brews get sour.
Awesome. Couldn’t agree more!
LOL #8 with the color progression was hilarious 😂 switched to kegging to fight oxidation and still found it necessary to add 10 ppm SO2 safety net, it's insidious
I'm sure I missed this but what's the relation with Polaroid?
I totally agree about home brewing not being cheaper than just buying alcohol. I used to just do kits and I still think that saved a fair amount vs what I would have spent at the liquor store but I’ve been doing meads and other ‘from scratch’ home brew recipes for less than a year now and I’ve spent more on home brew equipment/ingredients/etc since then than I have on alcohol since I was old enough to drink.
It’s a hobby that can really snowball! Haha. My brew room is exhibit A!
Idk, for some of these 6 packs of craft beer nowadays at 11-16 dollars I think I'm saving money. Plus I can make beers that aren't "trendy", pretty hard pressed to find more that two good English styled brown ales at the store.
With 52.00 single 750ml bottle of mead , I'm saving thousands making my own.
Yeah this was a good episode.
I said it before, mac-n-cheese for brains.
Mac & cheese is delicious, though. Braaaaains
Well if you want to save money you should know a homebrewer. ;-) But it's true, you will never save any money doing homebrewing. Good work on the mythbusting.
Someone recently just tried to claim that 1.6 lbs of honey per Gallon will cause yeast to Stress out lol XD or in other words having too little Honey will stress out the yeast XD
#11 You can't brew mead in a metal container.
I haven’t heard this one! What an odd claim to make, hah.
I haven't heard this one in a while, but I remember being told not to use a metal spoon because it would kill the year, lol
@@andrewburchill5212 This is common in the kombucha crowd. How silly 🙃
I'm sure all the pro brewers are now frantic to get rid of all their stainless kit!
Hobbies are never cheaper even if they start that way haha
shared and pinned
Thanks friend!
Wow, you can't down a bottle of wodka? Time to look for my advice elsewhere..
naturopaths...
the bane of modern existence.
Always follow the science!
science is based on natural everything lmao
where do you think medicines come from? Herbs duh
Ethan, while half true, there’s so much more that goes into the development of modern medicines. But yes, there are some historical healing methods based on nature.
@@DointheMost like what. most all modern medicine is literally just isolated from plants, but without the entourage effect of the actual plant
and follow the science is propaganda.
@@ETHANR26 it’s not up to me to prove you wrong, it’s up to you to prove yourself right. That’s how science works.
Hobbies are never cheaper even if they start that way haha