Im lost

[Sorrows Bane]

this website has changed a lot since i last looked on it years ago. there's a message that says there is a chat, but i cant find it.

I keep finding all kinds of small snippets of how to get started but no beginners guide for absolute first timers. im sorry if this is a repeat question, but i cant find it anywhere even using the search feature.

I know i need honey, water, and yeast. I've seen all kinds of opinions on what kind of yeast, how much honey, use spring water or filtered water, stuff about gravity and all kinds of other terms and abbreviations i have no idea what they mean because a lot of people seem to come here with some experience brewing something be it beer or wine or something.

what im looking for is the bare basic what i need to start making mead, equipment wise with instructions.

I want a very sweet mead, and from what i've gathered so far, 3.5lbs of honey per gallon with a yeast thats 14% tolerance, something like D-47 tolerance is 14%. im assuming the ABV means alcohol by volume, but again, abbreviations with no explanation for newbees like me.

again, if this is somewhere else, im sorry, i cant find it. shoot me a link and ill go read it all

 

[darigoni]

Unfortunately, the website was hacked, about a month ago, and it appears that Vicki has not managed to get the Newbee Guide back up. It would be a great place to start. There is also a series of podcasts, but I really don’t think you want to start there.

Personally, I would start here:

It’s a good solid mead, easy to make. And you will start learning the process.

That being said, keep reading and watch as many videos as you possibly can. Eventually, it will all start to make sense and you will be able to figure out who knows what they really talking about and who does not.

Steve also wrote a beginner guide, available on Amazon, most of which can be seen in a series of videos he made:

Mead Methodologies

A nine week "course" on making mead. Also available in book form now! http://canadiansasquatchbrewery.com/store/

youtube.com

Here’s a basic guide: https://www.meadmakr.com/meadmakr-guide/

 

[darigoni]

Don’t you just love it, when a newbee posts a question, then you take the time to answer it, but then they are never heard from again……

 

[Squatchy]

Don’t you just love it, when a newbee posts a question, then you take the time to answer it, but then they are never heard from again……

Happens all the time friend. We live in a world with 15 second attention gaps. Hope you're ok. Are you doing well?

 

[darigoni]

We are doing good Ryan! A little tired of the cold weather (Southern New Hampshire), but Feb is here and March is around the corner.

Getting old We both turn 70 this year. Yikes!

How are you doing?

 

[rb2112br]

Getting old We both turn 70 this year. Yikes!

I don't know why, but I always assumed you were mid 40s-mid 50s.

 

[darigoni]

I don't know why, but I always assumed you were mid 40s-mid 50s.

Funny how we can create an image, in our minds, of someone we never met

I didn’t start making mead until I was around 59, which is when I “retired”. The first couple of years were great; learned a lot and made a lot of mead. But, then I developed some gastrointestinal issues and they started saying that NO amount of alcohol is good for you, so I gave it up. I still check in on the forums, but they are no where near what they were 10 years ago. I’m not sure why Vicki keeps the website going.

 

[rb2112br]

Funny how we can create an image, in our minds, of someone we never met

I didn’t start making mead until I was around 59, which is when I “retired”. The first couple of years were great; learned a lot and made a lot of mead. But, then I developed some gastrointestinal issues and they started saying that NO amount of alcohol is good for you, so I gave it up. I still check in on the forums, but they are no where near what they were 10 years ago. I’m not sure why Vicki keeps the website going.

We both started making mead at about the same time. You're just a few years ahead of me in age though. Is it just because of the gastrointestinal issues that they say no amount of alcohol is good? I always thought that alcohol, in moderation, was good for you.

 

[darigoni]

We both started making mead at about the same time. You're just a few years ahead of me in age though. Is it just because of the gastrointestinal issues that they say no amount of alcohol is good? I always thought that alcohol, in moderation, was good for you.

No, it’s not just gastro issues that are the reason they no longer say small amounts of alcohol are healthy. That was a fallacy pushed onto us by the wine and alcohol industry. It can break down the epithelial lining of your GI tract and is also associated with several cancers, liver and kidney disease.

That being said, I don’t think my issues were alcohol related, but brought on by a period of extreme stress. It just so happened to coincide with my mead, beer and wine making period. Also, I don’t think it’s a hobby one should get into when they are entering their 60’s. Your 30’s and 40’s are a period when your body is more forgiving…..

Alcohol use: Weighing risks and benefits

Drinking alcohol in any amount is a health risk that increases with each drink you have. The risk peaks with heavy drinking, including binge drinking, which carries serious health risks.

www.mayoclinic.org