Mead Free or Die

**gr8nhbrewer** · 05-01-2014, 12:38 PM

Mead Free or Die is now an international mead only competition for both amateurs and professional mead makers. Taking place on August 16 & 17th in Nashua New Hampshire. Both competitions are registered with the BJCP and we will be judged using the BJCP style guidelines.

Here's the 2011 winners, 2010 winners, and 2009 winners competition!

The home competition is structured to award medals for each of the BJCP Mead subcategories, and best of show, and a club of the year, a total of 29 awards. The professional competition is geared in a similar fashion, but will reward meadery of the year, to the meadery earning the most medals.

The proceeds from this competition are going to help fund the American Mead Makers Association efforts to improve the rules around the formulations, and labeling requirements.

This years competition will be held at the Radisson Hotel in Nashua NH, where we have secured a block of rooms at $98 per night.

Our first year we had entrants from 18 states with a total of 168 entries, meaning that our goal to join the growing list of other Mead Only competitions has been reached! Having given away thousands of dollars in prizes. We strive to provide you a place where your mead will be evaluated by judges who can provide you with valuable information on how to improve your mead making skills.

This competition will be organized by Moonlight Meadery and Sap House Meadery, both organizations are doing this to help the industry, and will not have entries in the running. New Hampshire has more meaderies per capita than any other state in the nation!

See more at: www.meadfreeordie.com

**Oskaar** · 05-01-2014, 08:10 PM

This is a great competition and all you home meadmakers out there with something good to enter should fire those off. Mike and Ash are great guys and you'll definitely get a a fair shake in this competition if you enter.

I planned on judging this year but my schedule didn't lend itself to being there. Please support this competition as the proceeds will be going to a great cause and to help the mead industry take root and flourish here in the USA!

Pete "Oskaar" Bakulic

**Marshmallow Blue** · 05-02-2014, 10:11 AM

I said this on twitter and I'll say it here too! I'm entering, gonna bring a few meads in.

**paraordnance** · 05-28-2014, 11:52 PM

I'm definitely entering my Mazer Cup 2014 winners and some more, since there is no restrictions on how many you enter.

**fatbloke** · 05-29-2014, 02:38 PM

Well I don't do competitions and it's a bloody long way........

But I'm happy to direct some brainwaves towards the comp on the day........

**GntlKnigt1** · 06-02-2014, 03:10 AM

Alas.... I concur with Fatbloke.... besides, I couldn't find a direct flight from Amsterdam to Nashua, NH. Grin.

**fcastle1** · 06-03-2014, 08:09 PM

So, what is the best way for one to mail a bottle of mead?

**WVMJack** · 06-03-2014, 08:21 PM

Why is the purpose of the rule about not using brew on premise equipment? We made a bochet at our local brew your own place in their huge kettle, no way we could do that much at home, as long as the brewers did everything themselves and no "professionals" touched the product I cant see why people using a brew on premise should be excluded from any comp

If you want to include as many people in mead making I think a rule that limits participation by people who might not have the room or equipment at home is kind of the opposite of your goals to get more people to make mead. WVMJ

**Esys** · 06-08-2014, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by fcastle1

So, what is the best way for one to mail a bottle of mead?

Very carefully.

Wrap the bottle in bubble wrap, place in a box twice the size of the bottle that's also lined with bubble wrap, and pad with newspaper or plastic grocer's bags. Make sure the bottle isn't touching the sides of the box. Before sealing it up, give the box a shake. If the bottle shifts, add more padding material. Top with another sheet of bubble wrap, and tape up.

Also ship UPS or FedEx. AFAIK, it's illegal to ship alcohol by US postal.

**fcastle1** · 06-11-2014, 07:47 AM

Originally Posted by Esys

Very carefully.

Wrap the bottle in bubble wrap, place in a box twice the size of the bottle that's also lined with bubble wrap, and pad with newspaper or plastic grocer's bags. Make sure the bottle isn't touching the sides of the box. Before sealing it up, give the box a shake. If the bottle shifts, add more padding material. Top with another sheet of bubble wrap, and tape up.

Also ship UPS or FedEx. AFAIK, it's illegal to ship alcohol by US postal.

Thanks Esys. What about temp? I know it gets kinda hot on the trucks.

**Esys** · 06-12-2014, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by fcastle1

Thanks Esys. What about temp? I know it gets kinda hot on the trucks.

I never heard of that being a problem; but for peace of mind, I suppose you could throw in a dry gel ice pack?

**fcastle1** · 06-13-2014, 09:21 AM

Originally Posted by Esys

I never heard of that being a problem; but for peace of mind, I suppose you could throw in a dry gel ice pack?

Fair enough. I don't think I will go to that extreme with the dry ice, so good to know it's not too much of an issue. Thanks!

**Esys** · 06-14-2014, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by fcastle1

Fair enough. I don't think I will go to that extreme with the dry ice, so good to know it's not too much of an issue. Thanks!

It's not so extreme; it's not dry ice, but a gel pack that doesn't "thaw" as it warms, so it doesn't get everything all wet.

**sdrilling** · 06-20-2014, 02:58 PM

WVM -- great point. Was there ever an answer to this question

??

-- Our local Brew On Premise location is sponsoring the new Missouri Mead Making group. The group will be able to use the equipment for free and purchase their supplies at a great discount. This is a great way to introduce people to the hobby and to share methods and techniques.

I don't think it is that much different from a local brew club who collectively owns equipment.

So -- does the rule also exclude those who use collectively owned club brew equipment?

**male** · 08-16-2014, 10:37 PM

I'm very happy.I entered 2 meads and I won gold in Open Category and silver in Other Melomel !!!!!!!!!!!!

**WVMJack** · 08-17-2014, 04:07 AM

No I never got an answer. We like to support our local brew your own place, they do so much to help anyone who comes in their door and I dont have some of the equipment that they have like their huge kettles. I think its only important whose hands did the work, the meadmaker making it should do all the work, why would it matter where, and since they want to promote meadmaking excluding anyone from participation defeats the purpose. WVMJ

Originally Posted by sdrilling

WVM -- great point. Was there ever an answer to this question

??

-- Our local Brew On Premise location is sponsoring the new Missouri Mead Making group. The group will be able to use the equipment for free and purchase their supplies at a great discount. This is a great way to introduce people to the hobby and to share methods and techniques.

I don't think it is that much different from a local brew club who collectively owns equipment.

So -- does the rule also exclude those who use collectively owned club brew equipment?