I'm amazed that a mead with just water, yeast and honey was able win not just one but multiple awards... I would've expected lots of complex flavours, different additions, etc.
@@THEGAME-ko3mg I make wine, im a professional winemaker but I make wine at home as well for friends and family and have had people chasing me down to get bottles of my Zinfandel. Which is a notoriously difficult wine to make right a lot can go wrong, its prone to high alcohol which can dominate it and throw the balance, it can get a stuck fermentation thats next to impossible to correct, it can be too jammy, to get a zinfandel thats smooth, full bodied and higher in alcohol without the alcohol being in your face and burning is next to impossible and a true art.
I gotta say that recipes are never the "secret". You can give anyone your recipe. In fact , there are meaderies that do just that, but the fact is that the secret is always the process. You pitched the yeast - how good was your rehydration protocol? You dissolved the honey in water - what was your water source? What was its mineral content? How much O2 did you provide the yeast? You fermented the must - what was the ambient temperature? You racked into a secondary - how much O2 accompanied that mead? How clean was the tubing? In this case the prize winner provided you with the same honey as he used in his prize winning meads... but how often are you able to use the same batch of honey...
Wow. So grateful to you both for sharing and then testing the two methods. Really interesting information and it is all starting to tickle my taste buds. Thankyou!
Congratulations Nathan! I'm working on a black locust mead now. I used Lutra yeast and fermaid o. Hopefully this one turns out good. I've never been able to make a great traditional mead.
Will have to try it best mead I’ve ever tried was award winning Holy Grail from Norse Nectar Meadery in Kalamazoo Michigan it’s incredible and currently sold out sad 😢
With regards to the effect you are seeing @3:25... what you are seeing is mostly caused by the differences in viscosity as you add water, and before your solution has thoroughly mixed. This is the result of differing refractive indices in close proximity to each other in your bottle. A similar phenomena can be observed when mixing gasses of different temperatures. Basically different materials bend light differently, and you see a swirling effect while they are mixing. Differences in temperature, viscosity, physical phase, and chemical structure can all contribute to differences in the refractive index of materials.
Do you have a rough timeline on how long each stage sits for, primary, when to switch to secondary when to cold crash when to add any stabilization or clarity and when to bottle drink
I would say 30 Days for Primary, At least 30 - 60 days to sit in secondary and then back sweeten if you want. Clarity could take awhile if you don't use things to help it clear!
If you make a few meads you'll notice that about 4/5 clear beautifully in 3 months. I rack after one month and then just let it sit for at least two months at which point I just bottle. Once in a while a mead will need a few more months, so let it sit as age will only help :) In ~25 brews I only had two that needed more than 6 months.
Congratulations Nathen! You all look like you could be brothers or something, Crazy! I thought dry was considered like less than 1.010, or is there really a range that determines sweetness for competition? Or is it all determined by taste?
That was interesting. I started my 4th mead today - a bochet with apple and cinnamon. But i suspect i used too much honey. I should aim for a dry mead next time.
Hi. I would really like to also try my hand at making this recipe and it seems like a good one to start out mead making with, however there is one thing i don't understand about it. When you say "top of with water" how much water are we talking about? every fermentation container is going to have a different size after all.
This was fantastic! 👏🏻 Did you ever check a SG on the bottle of Nathan’s original mead? Was it the 1.002 listed on the label? I wonder what the results might be if the same honey & process were used with the exception(s) of FermaidO a la TOSNA, a yeast w/ lower alcohol tolerance so final SG ends around 1.005, and (if it does go completely dry) backsweetening so that it arrives at 1.002-1.005?
From what you've experienced, how much of competitions do you think is the actual product vs personality? I'm kinda autistic and can't bring myself to fake friendliness toward people I don't genuinely like (except while working but in my head I just tell myself I'm being paid to act a role) but that also means I can't bring myself to do anything to impress a judge except provide my entry. Is it not even worth it for someone like me to compete?
I'm amazed that a mead with just water, yeast and honey was able win not just one but multiple awards... I would've expected lots of complex flavours, different additions, etc.
This is true art . Sometimes the best mead is the one with subtle complex flavors that only come from the yeast / honey/aging
@@THEGAME-ko3mg I make wine, im a professional winemaker but I make wine at home as well for friends and family and have had people chasing me down to get bottles of my Zinfandel. Which is a notoriously difficult wine to make right a lot can go wrong, its prone to high alcohol which can dominate it and throw the balance, it can get a stuck fermentation thats next to impossible to correct, it can be too jammy, to get a zinfandel thats smooth, full bodied and higher in alcohol without the alcohol being in your face and burning is next to impossible and a true art.
I gotta say that recipes are never the "secret". You can give anyone your recipe. In fact , there are meaderies that do just that, but the fact is that the secret is always the process. You pitched the yeast - how good was your rehydration protocol? You dissolved the honey in water - what was your water source? What was its mineral content? How much O2 did you provide the yeast? You fermented the must - what was the ambient temperature? You racked into a secondary - how much O2 accompanied that mead? How clean was the tubing? In this case the prize winner provided you with the same honey as he used in his prize winning meads... but how often are you able to use the same batch of honey...
Impressive. Wish you was my neighbor.
Most of these "recipes" are just ingredient lists. A recipe is the ingredients and the process.
All that information should be in the recipe. A recipe is not just what inside it. Thats ingredients. Recipe explains the entire process
Wow. So grateful to you both for sharing and then testing the two methods. Really interesting information and it is all starting to tickle my taste buds. Thankyou!
Congratulations Nathan! I'm working on a black locust mead now. I used Lutra yeast and fermaid o. Hopefully this one turns out good. I've never been able to make a great traditional mead.
Let me know how it turns out!
I love how this hobby leads us to phrases like, "I'll grab my acid, you grab yours" lol
Hahaha! I love it!!
I’ve added water in secondary on several meads. Sometimes a mead is just a little too robust, and adding a little water can help it balance.
I'm thinking of doing this to my first mead. It's in secondary, but imo it's too sweet and too alcoholly simultaneously.
Thanks for the great video. What was your fermentation temperature?
I’ve never topped up a finished ferment with water. Interesting. I need to give this a try.
Will have to try it best mead I’ve ever tried was award winning Holy Grail from Norse Nectar Meadery in Kalamazoo Michigan it’s incredible and currently sold out sad 😢
Wonderful.
I'd like to try a bottle of his black locus mead
I'm a beekeeper on the side. And this is pretty damn interesting.
I can’t imagine accidentally running into my dopple ganger like that LOL. I’ve always wanted to meet one though it seems so cool! Haha
With regards to the effect you are seeing @3:25... what you are seeing is mostly caused by the differences in viscosity as you add water, and before your solution has thoroughly mixed. This is the result of differing refractive indices in close proximity to each other in your bottle. A similar phenomena can be observed when mixing gasses of different temperatures.
Basically different materials bend light differently, and you see a swirling effect while they are mixing. Differences in temperature, viscosity, physical phase, and chemical structure can all contribute to differences in the refractive index of materials.
Fantastic 👍👍👍
Thank you!
Wow! They look like each other! Also love the Saints glass. Is he a NOLA boy?
Do you have a rough timeline on how long each stage sits for, primary, when to switch to secondary when to cold crash when to add any stabilization or clarity and when to bottle drink
I would say 30 Days for Primary, At least 30 - 60 days to sit in secondary and then back sweeten if you want. Clarity could take awhile if you don't use things to help it clear!
If you make a few meads you'll notice that about 4/5 clear beautifully in 3 months. I rack after one month and then just let it sit for at least two months at which point I just bottle. Once in a while a mead will need a few more months, so let it sit as age will only help :) In ~25 brews I only had two that needed more than 6 months.
Does Nathan have a youtube channel? If so what is it? thanks
You have the contact information for where to buy the black locus honey?
I don't! But I bet I can get it from Nathan.
Congratulations Nathen!
You all look like you could be brothers or something, Crazy!
I thought dry was considered like less than 1.010, or is there really a range that determines sweetness for competition? Or is it all determined by taste?
According to the BJCP Mead programs - a dry mead is between 1.000 and 1.010! Most people just determine it by perceived sweetness though!
@@ManMadeMead thanks. That is what I thought I remembered.
I'm sorta thinking the same thing but slightly different. I'm wondering how a 1020 (11:44) mead wins 1st (0:34) the traditional dry category...
Totally can be each other’s Kagemusha.
Great content man! A complete noob on the mead world, but don't wine clarifying agents like chitosan and kieselsol work for mead?
They do work for mead! I use them a lot!
may I ask What yeast was used in making this? and what was the final ABV ?
I'm new to utube. Where can I find the links? What does the tab look like
Awesome video. Where can I get gallons of Black Locust honey?
Unfortunately, I don't have the contact for the honey I bought. I'm sure you can find it online!
Is their a good place to get honey?
I love listening to meadmakers talking. No real competition. Everyone's just friends and learning.
I don’t want to be a champion, I just want something that tastes good and does the job
How do you send your mead to friends? From what I'm told, you can't just box and mail it.
ruclips.net/video/qpGJjJXdMvQ/видео.html&pp=ygURc2hpcHBpbmcgaG9tZWJyZXc%3D
Why dilute with water ? I’m still trying to learn this technique
He wanted to fill up empty headspace! I wouldn't recommend doing this normally!
Do you have a link to the honey?
I don’t unfortunately!
Hey man have you ever used Mezquite honey? And does it make a white mead?
I've used mesquite a couple times and it's amazing! I'm not sure what you mean by white mead!
Was it a louching thing?
I’ve heard nothing but great things about this recipe. I’ve been wondering for a while when this video would come out.
what is difference from WLP 715 and ec-1118 beside liquid and dry ?
I believe they are almost identical - but one is liquid and one is dry. I'm not 100% on that though!
I’m looking to send some of my homemade meads and wines to a friend in another state what’s the best carrier to use?
Whatever you can use! I'd stay away from Fedex - I've had bad luck with them
That was interesting. I started my 4th mead today - a bochet with apple and cinnamon. But i suspect i used too much honey. I should aim for a dry mead next time.
Please let us know how long you let your version sit for unlike batons who sat for 2 and half years.
Not batons Nathan's auto correct thing again
Hi.
I would really like to also try my hand at making this recipe and it seems like a good one to start out mead making with, however there is one thing i don't understand about it.
When you say "top of with water" how much water are we talking about? every fermentation container is going to have a different size after all.
Well, I’d just top off to the rough gallon mark. So If you’re shooting for 3 gallons and you end at 2.8, just top it off to 3 to fill up the carboy!
Random question.
What was the ph level of the water or was there any natural minerals in it to change the flavor?
I'm not sure what the pH was but I didn't add anything to change it!
In the original recipe was it aged for the most part in secondary or after bottling?
I believe his was bottle aged!
Ya might ask where your dad's where at that time.
So surprising that he didn't do much with the mead and doesn't even know how to... Looks like the quality honey carried the whole thing!
This was fantastic! 👏🏻 Did you ever check a SG on the bottle of Nathan’s original mead? Was it the 1.002 listed on the label?
I wonder what the results might be if the same honey & process were used with the exception(s) of FermaidO a la TOSNA, a yeast w/ lower alcohol tolerance so final SG ends around 1.005, and (if it does go completely dry) backsweetening so that it arrives at 1.002-1.005?
I never did do a gravity check on the OG! Not sure how those variables would effect it!
@@ManMadeMead
What was the ABV of his mead?
"You're not gonna fool a judge with the Pure n Simple Walmart honey" Fine OK, call me out I guess
I’ve definitely used that honey with non traditional meads and done well! It just doesn’t work well for traditional meads
As a new mead maker, this blows my mind - you don't have to add fermaid-O at all to brew
Doppelganger Is the word to describe this particular weirdness.
Doppeltgänger
Now
Doppelgänger
Lol your teacher is showing! You cold crashed both to silence the trolls. There's always one student who wants to be a little shitter.
I had to squash the bug quickly!
From what you've experienced, how much of competitions do you think is the actual product vs personality? I'm kinda autistic and can't bring myself to fake friendliness toward people I don't genuinely like (except while working but in my head I just tell myself I'm being paid to act a role) but that also means I can't bring myself to do anything to impress a judge except provide my entry. Is it not even worth it for someone like me to compete?
Personality doesn’t matter at all in comps. Only what your mead tastes like!
It’s totally possible, just get a reading on his water ph and do the same to your water
I don’t think it was said. Where was the honey from?
I believe somewhere around Zanesville, Ohio!
a*
I guess trolls must be useful if it means you're providing better data because of them.
Weird…is that your brother?
And you can’t mail alcohol…be really careful with that.
Nope he's not!
I really just wanted to know the award winning process not your take on it
You got both!