Not all honey crystallizes. I am a beekeeper in southern Appalachia Southern Virginia. In our area, Sourwood is a tree that blooms in July. Sourwood honey tastes like buttery caramel and has a beautiful amber color. The aftertaste has a slight twang that has been likened to gingerbread. Sour honey smells like cinnamon and cloves and has a smooth and syrupy texture. Sourwood honey does not Crystallize, though it will darken over time.

huge point about not picking a champagne yeast. my first and only two batches of mead i used champagne yeast. it made my mead taste like Chardonnay. it was surreal when i tasted my first batch expecting honey character only to get a white wine flavor. i had good quality crystalized local honey that tasted deliciously floral as honey but lost all of its honey character in the fermentation process

I would say. If not making a competition show mead. The 3 most important things I have learned to make a better fermented product outside of what you've covered are as follows. 1- calculate and consider carefully. You can calculate the total fermentable sugars before ever starting. When using a fruit juice for a wine, a good rule of thumb is 10% sugars by fruit weight. I can't remember the sugars by juice volume. If using a packaged product, it will tell you the sugar content by volume. So calculating the casuals, it's 17g of sugar per 1% ABV per 1 Liter of total volume. And you can calculate your starting gravity by dividing the calculated ABV by approximately 131.5. So if I were making a 15% mead, 15÷131.5=0.114. My OG would be 1.114. When using honey, which is 17% water but not all sugars are fermentablet, IIRC, it comes out to calculating 21.4g per 1% ABV per 1L. So if I want to make 1 US gallon (approximately 3.78L) 12% traditional mead, I would calculate 21.4×12×3.78 which equals 970.7g... 970 would be beneficial, that 0.17g isn't going to make a huge difference, it would be around 0.1%ABV. 2- going along with choosing good water. Acid adjust water prior to mixing. I have not has a single infection since I started doing this. Is did have some anaerobic production of citric acid from a microidganism I'm some grape juice that is benign and used to make citric acid and Vitamin C. I ended up with a tart wine, but no mold. Not only will the yeast be happier and produce less off flavors in a more acidic environment: but also everyone is worries about "botulism"... clostridium botulinum is a soil born microorganisms, so it shouldn't be that common to begin with. However, it cannot grow below 3.75, and a pH of 3.7 will greatly limit the number of potential microorganisms that can go to town and get busy. This is in no way any means of substitute for sanitation. Just a way to get a better finished product by giving the yeast an environment that is good for them and not good for some of their competitors. Honey has a pH around 3.7-ish. But in a few different tests, adding around 3lbs of honey to water only brings the water down to around 6.7pH. Most water I've tested is Alkaline (approx 7.3pH) and even with the honey, barely enters the ideal range for the yeast. The yeasts ideal range is closer to 5.4-5.6. But it tolerates a more acidic environment much better than a mote alkaline environment. Not to mention... there's a LOT of microorganism that will thrive at that oH, but not as many that will fare well at 3.7pH. I wouldn't go lower than 3.5pH. The yeast will produce some acidity as they ferment, especiakly during the peak just before alcohol production drops off and the ferment start to clear. So if you start at 3.5, it could drop as low as 3.2, which is where you start to stress the yeast. The yeast tend to stall around 3.0 or lower and that's why Cranberry ferments take so long or stall (~2.8pH). Long story short, shoot for around 3.8-4.0 and you should be okay once the honey is in. 3- dump feed. Many people will not agree with this. Mostly because "how can you get an accurate OG reading?" Which I've explained. Planning and calculating the ferment before even starting. But I've tried step feeding vs mixing vs dump feed (pausing all the sugars in and letting them settle to the bottom). There was almost no predictable difference in smell or taste between the step feed and the dump feed. The dump feed took longer to ferment. But personal bias warning, I feel the dump feed was ever so slightly better and a lot less babysitting or having to mix and try to get an accurate reading after a sugar/honey addition. Set it and forget it. Like I said, it did take longer. Because "Kilju" is notoriously disgusting (not when carefully planned, calculated and with proper acid amendment up front and proper nutrition) I tried it on Kilju. Testing invert sugar syrup vs granulated sugar... found there to be no detectable difference in the 2. And then tested step feed vs dump feed, by making a gallon og water that was acid adjusted and had the nutrients all mixed up into it, and then splitting between 2 separate 64oz containers. Again, almost no perceived difference between the step feed and the dump feed, using the exact same amount of sugar. Even if it doesnt come out "better" that one can tell... isn't easier and KISS (Keep It Stupid Simple) better overall? If you've made it this far, the point in this video are on point and really improved my own brewing/fermenting. And the 3 tips I listed... 1-calculate and plan. Proper planning prevents poor performance. 2-acid adjust wated prior to fermenation. 3-dump feed for simplicity Will very likely help you improve your ferments and take some of the anxiety and uncertainty out of it. One other note... I have noticed that especially with honey, the yeast will leave more of the fructose and unfermentable sugars behind. I lije sweet. But where I was getting less residual sweetness. Then switched to dump feed, I found that the yeast fell between the bottom and middle of the yeasts range. So where before, I woukd have yeast going to 17 or 18% and completely dry on a 14-16% yeast. I was now getting between 13 and 15% and a little too sweet. So it does take a little practice. But the results will align more closely with what you expect from the yeast. Which I find to be a benefit. But to each their own.

ahhh i use good old bakers yeast. VERY traditional

I use Irish Breakfast black tea to add tannin. The flavor isn't as overpowering as wine tannin and goes well with strong honey flavor.

I made 4 traditional meads last month (Buckwheat, Mango, Orange Blossom, and Wildflower) and will be using these tips and the past 4 trads to make better versions in the future!

Biggest learning curve for trads for me was the role of alcohol. Also, with dry trads, carbonation is almost a must. They can be good still, but they so subtle and thin compared to other meads. Carbonation can drive the aromatics and the bubbles can add to the mouthfeel. Thanks for spearheading a discussion on trads and being beginner friendly in the presentation.

Omg. Radish mead. I think that I am in love.

Have you ever tried to make a Heather mead? I don’t have access to Heather honey, so I just use Heather flower tips and it’s phenomenal. I’ve even made it in 5 gallon batches before. I definitely recommend giving it a shot. Nothing beats the “mead of inspiration” 👍

Very informative video. You provide more than you know for people new to mead making, not just in your informative videos but your showcase videos as well. Keep up the awesome work.

This may sound like blasphemy but, mixing Papago orange blossom beer with your mug of mead tastes fantastic for carbonation

Regarding acid balance, I know that tartaric acid is popular for trads, but to my palate it tastes a bit like artificial grape, even when used sparingly. I personally prefer a mix of citric and tartaric. It doesn't jump out as any specific type of fruit/acid flavor, and can give a nice complex kick of acidity.

I love your humility! Thank you!😊

I would say that letting the mead age before drinking it would be in the top 3. There is a huge difference in quality between a mead just made and one that is say 1 or 2 years old. Also, give it time to clear before bottling.

Great video my friend! Tomorrow I'll be ordering all the supplies for my first mead. You're videos have been so educational.

Beekeeper here. Thank you for confirming that chrystallzed honey is still good honey!

If you can get your hands on Greek mountain honey that is from hazelnut pollination it really tastes nutty great stuff.

cooler temperature during fermentation is best, some companies use cooler jackets for a slow cool fermentation 👍

I use honey from my own apiary and it creates beautiful flavours.

How do you backsweeten with honey and bottle carbonate?

1:40 sorta cultural shock when you talk about corn syrup like something vastly cheaper than honey... Being among the world leaders by honey production is kinda lucky for mead makers))

Have a fireweed honey trad in ferment.... Will likely lightly french oak it but the honey was so good I really want that to shine. Will also likely backsweeten with some of the same. Use only whistler spring water even though our local tap is very good.

What would you consider high-quality water in terms of Ph, mineral content, etc?

I’m interested in trying out a mead made with royal jelly

Really Enjoyed Your Video , Thanks ! 🐯🤠

I’m a fan and a first time mead brewer and I was wondering if you ever tried a fellow brewer’s mead who has reached out to you. Most of my friends have tried my mead and liked it but they really never had mead before so they wouldn’t know how good it is or for that matter how bad. My question is how could I get someone with experience to sample my brew.

i always take your advice as really good as well as your friends just can't get better and thanks

Love your videos brethren ! Thanks for the insight. However ! Noticed your audio quality is causing this unpleasant hissing sound. As an audio engineer, if you would like my help to clarify the sound and make it that much more pleasant I'd be glad to. Quick advice to get rid of hissing open the audio file onto Audacity a free software, make sure you leave like 5 seconds of just the blank hiss sound, than you can go through the "noise removal" effect that is simple to do especially if you watch a tutorial

Great content as always! Thanks for your perspective! Any particular yeasts you find that have above par results in a traditional mead? (I use whatever honey my bees produce, but always unfiltered well water.) So the yeast is going to be my controllable variation. I been using mostly Red star products with GREAT results with Cote Des Blancs is regards to simple blueberry/berry melomels + some black tea that are clear enough to read text through in

I wish I knew someone who also does mead and wine. My mead I made at the beginning of this year is good but I feel like it's missing something but I'm not sure what it's missing

I have stopped thinking of the balance. Is a triangle between acid tannin and sweetness and more of a diamond or square in which the fourth point is ABV because alcohol content heavily influences the perception of balance of the other factors. Port style wine being a prime example of this four-way balancing act

I liked the graphic for the yeast profile, where do you get those for different yeasts?

I'm trying to look for a yeast that compliments buckwheat and maple syrup mead. I'm going to redo my mead in the future. I used lalvin ec1118. I want to use a different type of wine yeast. I have k1v116, 71b, rc212, also read star premier classique and cote des blanc. Also kveik voss. If anybody can think of what yeast Is beat please lmk in the comments.

You mentioned you backsweetened your carbonated mead with honey. What method did you use to bottle carbonate without using unfermentable sugars?

Good video. Pls do a xmas mead video sometime if you have time.

I'm thinking about trying Mangrove Jack's M05 Mead Yeast with y next brew. Has anyone used it and if so what are your thoughts about it?

Do you skip balancing with tannin and acid when carbonating a low ABV mead?

I have several packages of the EC1118 what combination of ingredients would go well in a mead that this yeast would work well.

No one wants to give numbers. How much acid? How much sweetness? How much tannin? I know your answer will probably be “it’s up to what you want it to taste”. I understand this but a starting point would help.

What type of wine glass does he use?

Yay traditionals! Great tips!

Do you have a good cherry mead recipe? I just watched a tasting video of yours and you seemed a little reluctant to call it fabulous. Have you came up with something different since that tasting? My biggest thing is knowing the best honeys to use. Thanks.

I'm making my first batch all natural my next will be all natural all the way from yeast and all

So if your making a “traditional” just water honey yeast nutes, what yeast do you want for more sweetness naturally honey flavor

Any suggestions on reputable online sources of honey?

For a traditional mead I begin with a SG of 1.100 and end with FG of 1.000. I then back sweeten with honey to taste and check my gravity. Most of the time my reading ends up being 1.030 to 1.040. Does that amount of sweetness seem excessive to you? Do you measure your gravity after back sweeting? If so, what range are you normally in?

Imma go against the grain here and say distilled water is okay, but I'm also a beer brewer who does water chemistry, and I've got brewer's salts on hand to build whatever water profile I'm going for.

Traditional by definition would be a mead that is fermented till no sugar left and then drank right after.

Tip #7: Bottle should be tipped to consume.

Do you know, why they called "traditional", if we know there's nothing traditional at all? The history recipes are always with something in it. hehe

Not sure chunky is a good way of describing back sweetened mouth feel. If someone offered me a drink they described as chunky, I would politely pass lol

I am here because bees were mentioned. Please tell me more.