I just watched a meadmaking video on YouTube. It was a three part video showing exactly how to not make mead. The meadmaker rehydrated his yeast outside in January in the cold with snow on the ground before he started to combine the other ingredients (honey and water). About 4 minutes into the first part of the video, the meadmaker states "Did I tell you this is the first mead I've ever made?" It was embarrassing to see someone make a how to video when they really don't know how. His heart was in the right place but he really didn't know much on the subject. I thought to myself has this guy ever even visited Gotmead.com to try to learn how to make mead? He didn't even know how to spill honey right. I thought this video really gives meadmaking a bad name. If he would have only read Angus' Newbee Guide, he'd know more about yeast nutrition and mead making in general. He made two five gallon batches of show mead thinking it will result in 8-10% alcohol and didn't even adequately mix the honey into the water. There still was a honey layer at the bottom of both his carboys. He racked his mead for the first time after six months, it ended up at 1.014 when he wanted a dry mead and told the viewers about it while holding a glass of totally turbid mead and said although it ended up sweeter than he wanted, he didn't mind its lack of clarity. It was painful to watch.
It got me thinking what a better video could show and how it would compliment the educational resource that Gotmead really is. If people having mentor level knowledge/experience made a few videos on various aspects of making mead and some real wisdom is imparted by those who have the tremendous knowledge, I would think those videos would be a great new resource on Gotmead. If the videos can be hosted on the website, I think it would be a new learning resource that greatly compliments the Newbee Guide and the blogs and boards. Videos on beginning, intermediate and expert levels could be made. Take a subject like yeast nutrition, what's been learned over the last few years and imparted by the Gotmead folks has greatly improved the chances of making truly great mead in shorter periods of time. I would think that would make a very interesting and informative video subject in and of itself. When you look over the internet to see what current videos there are on meadmaking, there are a paltry few and the content is very sparse and the educational value is really low. With the combined knowledge on Gotmead, I bet some great videos can be made with the collaboration of a group of people on here. I think that would be a worthy project and even a semi-professional video could broadcast some great learning material. Other videos could include various events, interviews with mentors and experts, competitions and celebrations of mead. A little creative energy and collaboration could result in some really great education on the many interesting topics that are shaping the art/science of mead making today. Plus it could be great fun to see various Gotmead participants get together to make some great mead. I think such would be a worthy subject of discussion and I welcome your inputs.
Buzzer
It got me thinking what a better video could show and how it would compliment the educational resource that Gotmead really is. If people having mentor level knowledge/experience made a few videos on various aspects of making mead and some real wisdom is imparted by those who have the tremendous knowledge, I would think those videos would be a great new resource on Gotmead. If the videos can be hosted on the website, I think it would be a new learning resource that greatly compliments the Newbee Guide and the blogs and boards. Videos on beginning, intermediate and expert levels could be made. Take a subject like yeast nutrition, what's been learned over the last few years and imparted by the Gotmead folks has greatly improved the chances of making truly great mead in shorter periods of time. I would think that would make a very interesting and informative video subject in and of itself. When you look over the internet to see what current videos there are on meadmaking, there are a paltry few and the content is very sparse and the educational value is really low. With the combined knowledge on Gotmead, I bet some great videos can be made with the collaboration of a group of people on here. I think that would be a worthy project and even a semi-professional video could broadcast some great learning material. Other videos could include various events, interviews with mentors and experts, competitions and celebrations of mead. A little creative energy and collaboration could result in some really great education on the many interesting topics that are shaping the art/science of mead making today. Plus it could be great fun to see various Gotmead participants get together to make some great mead. I think such would be a worthy subject of discussion and I welcome your inputs.
Buzzer
