The Mead House

Episode 224 Aug 11, 2022

This week we talk to John Jacob, 2nd place winner of the Iron Bee 2021. Visit John at https://oldsolbees.com/ Please continue to support the show… Thanks for keeping the Mead House podcast free with your continued support, we appreciate all our listeners. Get a set of keys to the mead

Episode 223 Jul 31, 2022

This week we speak with Michael Labonte, third place winner of the Iron Bee 2021. You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and be sure

The Mead House – Episode 222 Jul 24, 2022

In this episode, Jeff chats with listener Carlos Herrera. See Carlos’ YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnGsv4bfDKg_LjBJpe74E6Q Jeff and Carlos referenced a series called “Better Judge a Mead” by Chop and Brew, the playlist is available here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZK8QLGRuS_XeOqCjYWfMZEWm526l9mDx You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify,

The Mead House – Episode 221 Jun 28, 2022

In this episode, Jeff speaks to the winner of the Mead House’s Iron Bee 2021, Kyle Ducharme. You can now listen to The Mead House Podcast on iTunes, Stitcher Radio, Spotify, iHeart Radio, YouTube, and now on Amazon Music. Check the front page of the website for more locations and

Episode 220 Jun 18, 2022

It’s been a long wait, but Jeff is back to talk the future of the Mead House, or at least his first several future projects. Included in this episode is the first in a series of mead recipes for you to play with and enjoy at your leisure! Sangria Mead

Episode 219 Dec 15, 2021

This episode we wrap up what has been an almost 5-year commitment to provide inspiration and motivation to our listeners in the meadmaking/brewing community. I have decided to retire from the podcast to attend to some health issues that I need to focus on.

Episode 218 Dec 08, 2021

The results are in! The Iron Bee 2021 is over, and we have some incredible submissions to talk about. But first, a big thank you to Matt Weide, a long time friend of the Mead House, also a BJCP certified mead judge, for assisting in the judging off all the meads that were submitted.

Episode 217 Dec 01, 2021

How do I estimate the amount of nutrients needs in a braggot? A bit confused on how to use Voss Kveik for braggot and mead. Any advice? I’m thinking of making a hoppy braggot as my next batch. These are just a few of the topics we discuss in this episode as we devote the whole show to braggots!

Episode 216 Nov 24, 2021

Our guest this episode comes from a family who has been making mead for 5 generations. Now mind you, that dates back to around 1870. Her family has been making mead for over 40 years continuously, and she's been here before back on episode 213. We’ll welcome Rachel Lipman of Loew Vinyards in Maryland back to the house in a bit and talk nothing but mead.

Episode 215 Nov 17, 2021

We started as a small 3 man operation, my father, myself, and my middle brother because we loved the taste of Lehua honey. We were purchasing it locally at exorbitant rates and decided we should start our own hives when we bought our Farm. It took us a year to clear our farm, another 2 years to plant fruit bearing nectar available trees, and when we started we did bee removals to get our first hives. I started commercial beekeeping when I was 18, just out of high school, for a local producer. Spent 2 years with them learning equipment, harvest techniques, bee treatments and honey processing. I'm proudest of my father and myself for analyzing, deconstructing and innovating techniques to keep our bees ethically, organically, and as clean a standard as required by law and then some. Our ethic has always been geared towards food production- if I don't eat it, I'm not going to share or sell it.

Episode 214 Oct 20, 2021

This episode is another Social Club episode! We promised a while back that we would devote two shows to the Social Club during our 6 week session, and this is number 2! How to incorporate lavender chamomile tea, Looking for a rhodomel recipe, Are Bochets better made with lighter/delicate honey, or a darker/bold variety and much more! We'll be back in 2 weeks for another 6 week session and episode 215.

Episode 213 Oct 13, 2021

"I started to learn how to make mead with my grandfather in 2017. That day I got to learn how to stir honey and learn our family recipe, which we hold incredibly close to us. Mead is of huge significance to my family. Although we have been making meads for over 150 years, the recipes we use here in Maryland are only about 40 years old.

Episode 212 Oct 06, 2021

Several months ago we told you we would dedicate 2 shows per 6 week session to the Social Club. This has been the most popular segment of our shows for some time. So for this episode, get your pen and paper out and get ready to take notes! The Social Club plus an update on the Iron Bee 21.

Episode 211 Sep 29, 2021

In her own words, "I wanted to try my hand at Meade making, but wanted a class, you know, someone to show me how so that I didn't make a mistake. Finally last winter I decided enough playing chicken and made my first batch, a 1 gal Traditional, and the next week I started a 5 Gal trad that I split in secondary to blueberry, blood orange, lemon ginger and strawberry, with 1 gal trad, and I haven't looked back." Software engineer and home mead maker Laura Scott joins us this episode.

Episode 210 Sep 22, 2021

"Big fan and listener of the show. I have listened to every episode after diving into this hobby two years ago. My parents have an acre hop yard that got me involved in the beer industry and now I'm a quality analyst at a brewery in Vermont. I wanted to jump on the show with you all to discuss my 30 gallon barrel project and my successes and failures in mead making." Listener Kyle Ducharme joins us for the entire show! Jeff has visions of bonfires retu8rning home to pick up a coat he forgot, then we wrap the show with the Social Club as always!

Episode 209 Sep 15, 2021

Ryan missed the show, he's off doing something, well, listen to the beginning of the show. Jeff starts a keezer build, he and JD discuss some of the in's and out's of keezers. Jeff also has an update on the Iron Bee 2021, and we wrap the show with the Social Club!

Episode 208 Aug 25, 2021

Nick Burgoyne is a native of Atlanta, GA and is currently a Sales Specialist for Aseptic Fruit Purées. Having fifteen years in the brewing industry, his goal is to facilitate support for customers and help them to discover exciting new flavor profiles for their brewing and distilling projects. Throughout his time in production as a brewer at an international brewing facility he led a department, spearheaded numerous projects, and developed several top-selling brands that went on to win accolades at The Great American Beer Festival and other notable competitions across the country.

Episode 207 Aug 11, 2021

In this episode, JD buys a new fermenter after considerable contemplation, scaling down to one vessel that will do it all. Ryan and Jeff have some 411 on the Iron Bee, it's open now for registration, and wile you're at it, sign up and become a Keyholder on Patreon.

Episode 206 Aug 05, 2021

We're now going to devote a full show once every 6 week schedule to the Social Club. This is where we answer a host of questions from mead makers and brewers with no formal expertise other than what we have experienced in our own brewhouse! Join in the fun, submit your questions to info@themeadhouse.com. or visit our Facebook or Twitter, both @TheMeadHouse and post your questions there.

Episode 205 Jul 28, 2021

In this episode, we meet Eric Depradine of Zydeco Meadery. He is a 2006 and 2008 graduate of UL-Lafayette in history and chemistry and has worked various municipal governments in Louisiana and Missouri regulating federal and local wastewater laws. Eric is also a 2021 graduate of Highland Community College's enology certificate program and the owner of Zydeco Meadery, one of four minority owned alcohol manufacturers in Kansas.

Episode 204 Jul 22, 2021

Back in the saddle again for a full 6 week schedule, JD outlines his amazing trip covering some 7,800 miles with a visit to Sap House Meadery and a chance to meet with Ash Fischbein and Evan Henderson. Some of the images he talked about on the episode can be found here. Jeff recently completed his move and wound up with a freezer full of "cleanout mead" material, Ryan helps him sort it all out, and we wrap with a rather lengthy Social Club entry that, well, you just got to listen to!

Episode 203 Jul 04, 2021

Ryan and Jeff take the helm for a full episode of the Social Club! This is where we try to answer questions from brewers and meadmakers with no formal expertise other than our own experience in our brewroom. JD is still wandering the country, we hear he'll hit 25 states before he decides to come home!

Episode 202 Jul 03, 2021

Well, it's been a minute or two, so we're playing catch-up. JD and his wife took off for a 30 day cross-country trip that started on June 1st. One of his stops was at Sap House Meadery in Ossipee, New Hampshire. There he spoke with Ash, Evan and Matt, the team that makes it happen with an outstanding staff of people. The interview in this episode is condensed, to hear the full interview, please go to our Patreon page and log in. You must be a member to listen to the almost hour long interview. Jeff and Ryan were left at the studio to put together segment 2 and 3, wrapping with the Social Club.

Episode 201 Jun 11, 2021

Charles Lipnicki is a Canadian Mead maker, farmer, and bee keeper. He and his wife Laura own and operate the “Island Honey Wine Company” in Canada’s smallest province Prince Edward Island. In past lives Charles has been a pastry chef, entrepreneur and salesman. His long time hobbies included being an avid home brewer wine and mead maker. Charles and Laura always longed for a simpler lifestyle and had a desire to create a life for themselves on a small farm. After learning about a “new to North America “ fruit called the Haskap berry they knew the farm would have to include this incredible gem as an anchor crop.

Episode 200 Jun 03, 2021

While JD is on the road somewhere between here and there, Ryan and Jeff are left alone in the studio to produce episode 200! Jessicka of Mountain Rose Herbs returns to The Mead House. MRH will again be sponsoring the secret ingredient category of the Iron Bee (announcement on dates soon!). She'll talk about what she's seen at MRH during the pandemic and offer some thought on the secret ingredient...without giving too much away.

Episode 199 May 27, 2021

Welcome listeners! We always have fun with our Social Club segment, so this episode is dedicated to all our valued listeners. We'll spend the entire episode answering questions from meadmakers and brewers with no formal expertise other than what the three of us have experienced in our own mead house.

Episode 198 May 05, 2021

Michael Jordan is the owner of A BEE Friendly Company, Inc. His growing interest in self-preservation and the love of the earth has made him more than a beekeeper. One of the few called “Bee Activist”, his teaching on beekeeping has been heard all over the world. He has worked with Worlds of Wonder Discovery Channel, Bee’s Without Boarders, The Pearl Foundation, Boys & Girls Scouts, various 4-H groups, The Rotary Club, and many youth programs ...teaching the lost art of beekeeping.

Episode 197 Apr 30, 2021

Previously joined us with his co-brewer John last May to talk about a mango braggot they'd put together. Toward the end of the episode he mentioned a sourdough starter we'll have to ask about and says he's recently filled up 170 bottles of mead, so it sounds like he's been busy in the last year. Here to tell us what he's been up to during his pandemic period is returning home meadmaker Ravi Hausner.

Episode 196 Apr 22, 2021

Our guest this episode is one of the most incredible home mead makers I think this show has ever met. This will be his 3rd appearance at the House, and back on episode 129, his first appearance, we billed him as "He’s a Minnesota-native, has six International Mazer Cup wins, a Minnesota State Fair Best of Show and two first round placements in this year’s National Homebrew Competition. And, he’s only been making mead for a year and a half."

Episode 195 Apr 14, 2021

Continuing our "Homebrewing in the Pandemic" series. Master home meadmaker, Nathan Steigman returns to The Mead House. Nathan pursues his craft with dedication and a willingness to fail only to go back through the notes and do it again differently. A Statesman in the art of crafting some of the best tasting homemade mead. Also, Have you got your MacGyver on? Jeff touches on some DIY projects that would have mad MacGyver proud with Ryan and JD sharing as well. Finally, we wrap the episode with a few Social Club questions.

Episode 194 Apr 07, 2021

Chip Walton is the producer and host of Chop & Brew, a web show about homebrewing, craft beer, and cooking. His day job is that of digital content producer at Northern Brewer Homebrew Supply for the second time in ten years. During his first tour of duty at Northern Brewer, he co-created and produced the popular Brewing TV webshow.

Episode 193 Mar 31, 2021

Medal winning home brewer Matt Weide joins us this episode. A regular here at the house, Matt brings us up to date on his projects and how the pandemic has affected his home brewing. We also get into a nutrient discussion about step feeding, when is it used, and do we stick to a step feeding regimen.

Episode 192 Mar 10, 2021

Wrapping up our 6 week run with discussions and interviews on honeybeer, this episode we hook up with a long time friend and supporter of the show, Ash Fishbein, owner of Sap House Meadery and Hobb's Brewing Company in New Hampshire. Hobb's has been brewing a honeybeer called Wannabee and we'll talk to Ash about what his influence was foro this honeybeer as well as how they incorporate it into the wort for the best character. Also, we can't let him get away without a few updates from Sap House Meadery, so get your paper and pen out, prepare to take notes, Ash will drop nuggets, lots of them! We'll be on 2 weeks hiatus, so don't miss the next podcast on March 30th! See you then!

Episode 191 Mar 03, 2021

This episode we talk to Jon Kielty, Head Brewer for BIG aLICe Brewing Company in Queens, New York, Starting off brewing one-off brews, they quickly found their niche with awesome flavors and a brewing philosophy that includes using local products from sustainable sources.

Episode 190 Feb 24, 2021

One off batches - this is the holdover from last week. We often hear about making sure you can repeat batches and to get good at brewing you need to be able to make consistent replicateable batches. How do you approach batches when they are going to be one-off, either because of special ingredients or just desire to always make something different.

Episode 189 Feb 17, 2021

Shawn Adams began his brewing journey 20 years ago. What started as a thirst for simply trying new craft beer has turned into creating quality craft beer of his own. He has committed himself to becoming a master brewer and thrives on the creative process involved in brewing great beer. He is a Certified Beer Judge, a member of the Master Brewers of the American's and has traveled across the country to participate in competitions.

Episode 188 Feb 12, 2021

Ryan Richards is the Co-Founder and Production/Distribution Manager at Roy-Pitz Brewing Company, Chambersburg PA. Ryan studied Business Management at West Chester University near Philadelphia, PA earning a bachelor's degree. During the time at school Ryan and Co-Founder Jesse Rotz honed and tweaked a business plan to start a craft brewery in their hometown of Chambersburg Pa.

Episode 187 Feb 03, 2021

All the way from an 18 acre farm in the frigid East coast of Maine, Mike Fava, and award-winning accomplished brewer from Oxbow Brewing stops by the house to talk honey beers and barrel fermenting sours. Now, if you’re into braggots like we are, listen to Mike as he describes

Episode 186 Jan 13, 2021

In this episode, Jeff reviews the Quick Mead recipes in The Elder Scrolls cookbook from a popular game, The Elder Scrolls, an old world fantasy style series of action role-playing video games primarily developed by Bethesda Game Studios and published by Bethesda Softworks. Then, we double up on Social Club questions as we wrap up show number 6 of our schedule. We'll be on hiatus for our regular 2 weeks off, then back in the studio on February 2nd.

Episode 185 Jan 07, 2021

In this episode, ever consider an all fruit mead? We mean, ALL fruit? Whole fruits, honey and yeast? We'll give it a go in segment one, along with any fruits you wouldn't use? And then, as promised a couple weeks ago, (yeah, we missed the mark last week), a Social Club double header. Lots of questions from our listeners including, why mead? Why do you guys make mead? Why do you like it more than beer, wine, cider, etc.?

Episode 184 Dec 31, 2020

Aaron started as a volunteer at Saint Arnold pouring beer in the beer hall during Saturday tours. Soon became a tour guide, and would constantly pester the brewers and Brock about opportunities to become a brewer.

Episode 183 Dec 23, 2020

We're on a roll! Ryan's due diligence as our chief booking agent has scored again! This time it's a pair of award winning braggot makers/beer brewers, Luke Goucher and Carson Souza from Obscurity Brewing & Craft Mead in Elburn, Illinois. In operation since 2019 producing braggots and traditional beer as a gypsy brewer wherever they could find empty brewing vessels, they have recently secured an operating site where they are featuring beer, braggots and barbecue!

Episode 182 Dec 16, 2020

So, last episode it was a pharmacist that got it started, this week it's an IT specialist who after 20 years, gave up his desk job for a hydrometer. Meet Kevin Martin, head fermenter for Good Road Ciderworks in Charlotte, North Carolina. An award-winning brewer, meadmaker and cider maker, he also specializes in braggots, a category of mead we try to bring to the front burner here at the House.

Episode 181 Dec 09, 2020

"DIY has never gone out of fashion, but in the last few years we've seen a real revival in this area. What started in 1972 as a pharmacy and drugstore has grown over a few decades into Europe's most highly specialized wholesaler for products for making your own wine, beer, liqueurs or dairy products." Meet Bart Balis in this episode. He is the son and CEO of the founder of Brewferm, Frans Balis, and he is here to talk to us about an amazing product that could change the way we make braggots.

Episode 180 Nov 19, 2020

Back by popular demand, the one and only Raphael Lyon from Enlightenment Wines Meadery . He's an avid historical mead study, likes to forage for natural and local ingredients, digs wild fermentations, believes in farm to table sustainability, and makes great meads! An entertaining segment you'll be sure to enjoy!

Episode 179 Nov 11, 2020

In this episode, we devote the entire show to Social Interactions. Actually, we have renamed it, from now on we'll call it the Social Club! Big shoutout to William Douglas Norris, he's an avid listener, found us recently, and has started with show number one! Thanks William! We'll tackle questions form listeners like, "How do I store yeast in a hot & humid environment?" and " What's the best way to juice a crabapple?", also "Are certain honey varietals prone to haze?" and many more. Enjoy the show!

Episode 178 Nov 05, 2020

Putting on a competition in a pandemic isn't easy, but Valkries Horn organizers Kevin Meintsma and Al Boyce found a way. A large effort went into organizing and planning this premier mead competition, and after much work Valkries Horn took place in 2020. This was the first major competition to take place during covid. We'll talk about how they did it!

Episode 177 Oct 28, 2020

In this episode, Justin Schoendorf, owner of Monks Meadery in Atlanta Georgia stops by for a second visit, first appearing on episode 167 last July, Justin reports that they have secured several impressive medal to add to the shelf, and a brand new mead, Dragons Con a liumited edition Session Mead made with Passion Fruit, Hibiscus, and Dragon Fruit. Get it while supplies last! In the second segment, Jeff leads a discussion about tweaking the "house favorites" and we wrap with our Facebook & Reddit friends!

Episode 176 Oct 21, 2020

Home meadmaker Greg McNulty stops by the house to share some insight. Getting started 3 years ago with a pin cherry mead, as he put it, "the rest is history." "I am now in the R&D phase of starting a small Meadery in Buffalo, Ny, focusing on crushable sessions. Along the way, I found your show, and decided to give the famous Ryan Braggot a try since now I have the proper equipment!"

Episode 175 Oct 15, 2020

We're back after an extended hiatus, and in this episode we find out that over the break, Ryan scores at the Mazer Cup! Jeff re-visits Graf with a new recipe he found at Brulosophy. JD talks about way back when Mississippi Chris was on the show how they both started a Graf using a recipe found at HomeBrewTalk.com. In segment 2, we hook up with Will Otte, a homebrewer with a bit of useful science behind using bentonite as a clearing agent. Get your pen & paper out guys, you'll want to take notes on this one! We wrap the show with Will and a few Facebook friends.

Episode 174 Sep 24, 2020

In this episode, make sure you have a pencil & paper with you, you'll want to take notes! Home meadmaker Tom Repas is back in the house to share some insight on making a mead to go with your meals. Rather than trying to pick a mead off the shelf, why not make a mead yourself. Check out his Facebook page for some inspiration, he's quite a cook, gardener and beekeeper! The we wrap the show with our Facebook/Reddit friends!

Episode 173 Sep 10, 2020

Evan Henderson is in the house this episode. Beginning a career as a civil engineer, he spent 10 years behind a computer monitor before he decided he needed to move on. He was hired on at Sap House Meadery and quickly mastered the mead making production there, evident by many of their meads.

Episode 172 Sep 02, 2020

Adam Thoms, our second place medalist in the Iron Bee 2020 secret ingredient category, is a home mead maker who started off home brewing beer a few years ago and really found my ideal hobby/addiction after pitching the yeast on my first batch of mead in January 2019. What he did with Rose Hips and Cacao Nibs was amazing for his very first competition entry ever! He lives by the idea that there are many ways to make mead, and he's not afraid to fail forward and experiment! 3 We move into a category seldom dicussed here in the house, and we promise, we will be exploring this further for sure, Pyments, mead made with grape juice and honey. As usual, we wrap the show with a few Facebook/Reddit friends.

Episode 171 Aug 26, 2020

There was a time when gluten-free beers tasted like, well, the leftovers at the bottom of a slop bucket used to feed hogs with. Well, maybe not that bad, but they were sort of disgusting. Then along came Grouse Malt House, that changed everything. Gluten-free malts with the same awesome flavors of regular grain malt from brown sugars and caramels to coffee and cocoa, now those with intolerance have a valuable source to produce gluten-free beers & braggots.

Episode 170 Aug 20, 2020

We're back! With this episode, we toss the mic around the table and talk about what we did or didn't accomplish during our 2 week hiatus. Jeff has some 411 on another method of carbing up mead, and we wrap the show with a laundry list of questions from our Facebook/Reddit friends!

Episode 169 Jul 29, 2020

A free for all! This episode, we go all over the map just talking mead, plus Mead Day is coming in a couple days, how are you spending yours? We'll give you an idea of how we're spending ours. Then, we do an extended Facebook Friends. Just a reminder, this is show 6 on our 6 & 2 calendar, so we'll see you in two weeks when we come back for episode 170!

Episode 168 Jul 22, 2020

This is another nugget show. There is much to say about Nathan Steigman, however, it would take several pages to explain it all. Nathan lives in the heart of mead country, Minnesota. He's a tinkerer, an experimenter, and a qualified master home mead maker. His meads, some with very unusual ingredients, are much sought after around his hometown and beyond, and if you've been lucky enough to have one, you would remember it for a long time.

Episode 167 Jul 15, 2020

Like many recent grads, Martin Key and Justin Schoendorf found themselves relatively poor and possessing an insatiable appetite for craft beer. As Martin and Justin learned to make new and interesting beers, they tinkered with various styles and recipes creating things that were not yet available in the market. Eventually, they stumbled upon an alcoholic drink made with fermented honey.

Episode 166 Jul 08, 2020

With an avid interest in archaeological and historical research he has been making mead using traditional pre-modern techniques, wild yeast and local, often foraged ingredients since 2000. With a license in 2010 he founded the first commercial meadery in New York State, and opened the first meadery in New York City. These meads have been embraced by the natural wine community and are served at some of the finest restaurants and bars in NYC. This episode we talk with Raphael Lyon of Enlightenment Wines Meadery.

Episode 165 Jul 01, 2020

Aloha! In this episode, Stephanie Krieger from Nani Moon Meadery in Hawaii stops by the house to talk about the only meadery in the Hawaiian Islands, and a few of her amazing meads like Buzz Squared, crafted from Kona Coffee and organic local honey. With access to Hawaiian vanilla straight from the Orchid which grows wild there and some of the most unique and sought after honey's in the world like Macadamia Nut and Ohia Lehua blossom honey, she has an amazing list of meads.

Episode 164 Jun 25, 2020

There is only one man who can claim the title, Chairman of Mead. David Myers of Redstone Meadery is one of those men. His flagship Black Raspberry Nectar put Redstone Meadery on the map, and pretty much set the standard. He joins us this episode for some fun and entertaining thoughts on mead making. Redstone Meadery is also one of many proud sponsors of the 2020 Iron Bee Competition.

Episode 163 Jun 04, 2020

All the way from the UK in 2011 to Sleepy Eye, Minnesota where he makes his home, he started out as an accountant, when he got here, he became a beekeeper! In this episode we talk with Jonathan Gardner of Gardner Bees, about melter honey, something new to the meadmaking world. If you're looking for honey that has a head start on caramelizing for a bochet or a dark grain braggot, maybe this is your honey!

Episode 162 May 27, 2020

Another Facebook Friends episode! From continuous fermentation, bourbon bochet and elderflower mead to adding a smokey flavor, using centennial hops and no, really? Coffee meads again?! It's all here in this episode!

Episode 161 May 21, 2020

Twice American Homebrewers Association Meadmaker of The Year, Steve Fletty returns to update us on what he's been brewing lately. Last here on episode 67, Steve has been trying to perfect a dry traditional mead with some brewing techniques he hopes will prove hopeful. In segment two, we turn our broadcast spotlight to one of our own, Jeff Shouse, and his early days as a student in Slovenia. You'll get a kick out of this one! And finally, Facebook Friends, this is where we try to answer questions with no formal expertise other than what we've experienced in our own brew rooms!

Episode 160 May 13, 2020

John Jacob started Old Sol Enterprises LLC in 1997 with the goals of creating and sharing sustainable farming practices with an emphasis on beekeeping and pollinators. John’s educational background includes a BS in biology with minors in Economics and Chemistry from Southern Oregon University. Old Sol has pioneered a bee breeding program to develop disease tolerant bees and innovative farming practices such as agrivoltaics for pollinator habitat and commercial beekeeping.

Episode 159 May 06, 2020

In this episode, we talk to a pair of home brewers, Ravi & John who became brewing buddies. Ravi started his fermenting hobby on a backpack trip making prison hooch using Tang and bread yeast! He also put together an amazing creamsicle mead, and is experimenting using sourdough starter! John had seriously downsize from a house with a garage to brewing in an apartment. That didn't slow him down, he has a rosemary mead aging on some oak that sounds delicious, and has plans for a hopped IPA style mead as well.

Episode 158 Apr 29, 2020

In this episode, we talk with returning guest, Bryan Heit of Sui Generis Brewing about DIY’ing your own candi syrup. At usually between $9 – $10 per pound, sugar is sometimes priced at $.75 cents per pound, With a few additional easy to get ingredients, Bryan explains how it can

Episode 157 Apr 23, 2020

Get out your pen and paper and prepare to take notes! Ash Fishbein from Sap House Meadery is here with us, and if you listen carefully, he'll reveal a few secrets to some successful mead! Sap House has one of the most amazing barrel programs and Ash has some info for those of us looking to barrel age, and he also lets out a secret if you read between the lines regarding coffee meads.

Episode 156 Apr 16, 2020

This week, we spend the whole episode dealing with our Facebook Friends, including Reddit and other forums. This is where the crew answers questions with no formal expertise other than what we've experienced in our own brew house.

Episode 155 Apr 08, 2020

In this episode we welcome back a world class meadmaker, medalist Nathan Steigman. Last time he visited the House was back on episode 128. Nathan is not afraid to push the boundaries of mead making often working with unusual flavors such as the dragon fruit. We catch up on his latest projects current offerings.

Episode 154 Apr 01, 2020

We found this week's guest on Facebook after he posted a question about if his mead that was made with steeping grains would classify as a braggot. After doing a Facebook Friends segment on his post, we knew we needed to talk to this guy. John McMillan joins us this week to talk about his amazingly good stout style braggot and more.

Episode 153 Mar 27, 2020

If you're like me, tired of climbing the walls 3 or 4 times (wife is complaining of the footprints all over the ceiling) because of the Covid-19 Coronavirus thing, they hey...you came to the right place! This episode we welcome back Josh Mahoney, an amazing mead making medalist and talk to him about his Scorpion mead.

Episode 152 Mar 18, 2020

Tonight we discuss malts and grains. The braggot, made up of honey and malt is a little used category in the BJCP catalog of beverage descriptions. “A harmonious blend of mead and beer, with the distinctive characteristics of both. A wide range of results are possible, depending on the base

Episode 151 Mar 11, 2020

Working closely with all the sales staff in North America for Yakima Chief Hops, he organizes and plans Yakima Chief’s Hop Selection program during harvest. He is a passionate homebrewer as well in his free time, making mead and beer for six years. He truly enjoys making any beer with excessive amounts of hops in it, Saison and of course, any kind of Mead! Returning guest Bryan Pierce joins us in this episode. Ryan and Jeff have an update for the Iron Bee, and we also discuss briefly, balance, ways to achieve it. We wrap the show with a couple Facebook Friends, including an email from listener Ohad in Israel !

Episode 150 Mar 04, 2020

Jessicka Nebesni works on the Mountain Rose Herbs Marketing Team. Having practiced Macrobiotic food preparations in California, beekeeping in Oregon and making herbal crafts for local farmers markets in New Jersey, she has a wide variety of experiences and knowledge to share. This episode we discuss powdered vs. whole herbs and spices as adjuncts to mead, including a number of teas.

Episode 149 Feb 12, 2020

In the first three AMMA Mead Maker of the year competitions – Mashout, Domras, Midwinter – he has hit the podium 18 times. He had 10 wins, alone at the Minnesota Mashout – 9 medals and one Honorable Mention. He last appeared with us in episode 129, Adam Bystrom stops

Episode 148 Feb 06, 2020

A next generation oaking system is the main topic in this episode. Not just an oaking system, but an innovative tool using dovetail joints allowing you to add more or add different toasting levels at the same time. Michael Azar of Next Level Oak joins us this episode.

Episode 147 Jan 22, 2020

There’s a tool that every brewer must have in their toolbox. If you have nothing else, this one simple piece of equipment will tell you much about how well your fermentation is doing. Brady Marzella from Brady Instruments stops by the house to talk about hydrometers. Session meads are becoming more popular, Ryan leads a discussion into brewing them. Finally, we wrap the show with our Facebook Friends.

Episode 146 Jan 16, 2020

He’s been a home brewer for the last 20 years, a meadmaker for 13, and owner of Laurel Highlands Meadery in Greensburg, PA. Returning guest Matt Felenski joins us this episode to update us on what he’s been up to, and talk a little about streamlining the process. Former co-host

Episode 145 Jan 08, 2020

Welcome back! After an extensive hiatus, the crew comes back with some New Years resolutions and revelations! Ryan is moving Mead House North to a new location and during the inventory and packing process discovered he had 8 full carboy’s to move! While spending an entire day bottling, he came

Episode 144 Nov 27, 2019

He began making mead 2 years ago, with immediate success, winning 2nd place for fruit mead at the 2018 AHA Nationals. He's won several Best of Shows for Beer, Cider and Mead during the past 9 years. I also make Vinifera wines from California and Washington state grapes. I find this hobby to be an ideal blend of creativity, science and process for my interests. In addition, I have the dubious “honor” of being one of the organizers for Valkyries Horn Mead Competition Kevin Meintsma is our guest this episode.

Episode 143 Nov 20, 2019

Home meadmaker Paul Johnson joins us at the house this episode. While sipping on a Rhubarb mead, he shares his thoughts and sticks around for the whole show! Jeff is wearing his lab coat again, he's been experimenting with pasteurization, and we lightly touch on alternative fermentations. Paul helps us out on a couple Facebook Friends, and locks the gate on our way out after wrapping the show.

Episode 142 Nov 13, 2019

Outside there lies a great opportunity to go back a few thousand years and follow the footsteps of the great hunter-gatherers that came before us and gather up ingredients to make a mead. Well, maybe not everything, but certainly the one component you need to kick it off…yeast. Our guest

Episode 141 Oct 23, 2019

Brian Hart is our guest this episode, his smoked tea mead showed up and Valkyries Horn this year, and we want to know more! Along with his smoked tea, he's also done a carrot mead, and has a peach habanero mead carbinating right now. Fitting right into JD's world, he also enjoys good Bourbons, Scotches and whiskies.

Episode 140 Oct 16, 2019

Do you know what a Jackfruit is? Does anyone? Better yet, has anyone ever made a mead from a Jackfruit? Well, we found a guy who does. Meet Joe Leigh. A software architect by trade got hooked on mead while attending a beer share event, the mead? Ken Schramm's Black Agnes. he started collecting and trading up, looking for the best meads, and in 2017, started adding yeast to water and honey.

Episode 139 Oct 10, 2019

More from Valkyries Horn with rules and things others say you must do...or do you? Plus, mead fails, we've all had them, for some it's been a determining factor, we'll give you our two cents on it. Then, a trip around the table for "What's in the hopper," with projects from the crew. JD, Jeff and Ryan came back with some inspirations from Valkyries Horn, we'll talk about a few of them as well.

Episode 138 Oct 02, 2019

Valkyries Horn has come and gone, but we're not done with it yet! In this episode, we discuss the event, the after parties and the most amazing meads ever brewed by home mead makers. The first annual Valkyries Horn was a great success, over 300 entries, 2 days of judging and some ingenious and inspirational recipes washed over the taste buds of those who were lucky enough to try some.

Episode 137 Sep 19, 2019

At 14 years old, listener William Dial was able to join a Living History group out of the University of Maryland called Markland. They would reenact the culture and battles of the Viking, Saxon and Norman period. During this time, he would learn about the culture and the people of the time and this gave him resources to explore even more. It was just a matter of time before William would learn about Mead.

Episode 136 Aug 28, 2019

Knowing the difference between cleaning and sanitizing is one of the basic fundamentals of brewing. Preventing off flavors from forming, keeping unwanted bacteria out, and making sure your equipment is properly cleaned and cared for is essential to keep consistency in your brew house. Jonathan Ettlie from Craft Meister National Chemical joins us this episode in an in depth conversation about cleaning and sanitizing. If you have questions, Jonathan says to email him at Craft Meister.

Episode 135 Aug 21, 2019

Mead House Keyholder and home meadmaker Michael Trainer visits the House. On December 29, 2017 this biker and fan of all things fermented pitched yeast on his first home brew ever and his love of mead making was born. In a few days he had started 4 more batches and by the end of 2018 had made 20 different meads totaling about 75 gallons and is on track to almost double that in 2019 if he can manage to stay off his motorcycle for more than a week.

Episode 134 Aug 14, 2019

Chocolate pistachio, lemon bar, oreo cookie, toasted coconut cream, or a tropical blend for a hopped mead, what if you could get those flavors from just a couple drops of extract, or an Artisan Natural Flavor for your brew? We're talking natural real fruit and nut flavors, not imitation extracts. Debra Coletti from Amoretti returns to the Mead House for a discussion on flavoring your brew. We also have a special deal for keyholders from Amoretti, listen for the details by Jeff & Ryan in the show!

Episode 133 Aug 07, 2019

He started his career out as an engineer, With degrees in Architectural and Civil Engineering on his resume, for ten years he worked in the land development and highway design industries. So how does a civil engineer go from blueprints of bridges to dumping 5 gallon buckets of honey into large vats of water for a living? Evan Henderson from Sap House Meadery joins us in this episode.

Episode 132 Jul 31, 2019

In this episode, we talk about the effects of oaking at different times during and after fermentation based on a study by Becca at The Academic Wino. A teaser to part two of JD’s interview with Ash Fishbein from Sap House Meadery where he talks fundamentals, like knowing the difference

Episode 131 Jul 24, 2019

Former co-host Aaron Martin joins the crew at the house. Since Aaron left the show to move to South Carolina, he’s been busy with a HUGE garden, says his wife is the gardener with the green thumb, he just takes the place of the tractor, the plow and the tiller.

Episode 130 Jul 03, 2019

Iron Bee first place winner Bert Mayer joins us in this episode. He has been making mead since he turned 21, and when all his friends bought set ups to make beer, his small apartment pushed him in a different direction. A mild hobby at first, he spent more of his time in the underground world of facial hair competitions.

Episode 129 Jun 26, 2019

He’s a Minnesota-native, has six International Mazer Cup wins, a Minnesota State Fair Best of Show and two first round placements in this year's National Homebrew Competition. And, he's only been making mead for a year and a half. Adam Bystrom joins us at the bar tonight. From the survey files: "I really can't cook. I love hearing about different flavors or ideas of flavors or blending flavors. Coffee and chocolate, how to make mead with it. I need to try the cocoa nibs I got from the Iron Bee before I ask my friend for some pure cocoa." A couple of flavors not unfamiliar to the crew, we'll spend some time on each. Ryan startles the crew with the thought of a White Stout style braggot.

Episode 128 Jun 19, 2019

When asked what kinds of meads he likes to make, he answered this way, "What would I like to drink?" Award winning mead maker, Nathan Steigman drops in, he also put together the winning MVP Challenge mead at the 2019 Iron Bee. We'll get Nathan's perspective on mead making, and and ask him the source of his inspiration.

Episode 127 Jun 12, 2019

Iron Bee Silver Medalist, Brett Guthrie, stops by the house to talk about his winning entry and thoughts on mead making. He likes doing session meads, and uses his environment of sandy beaches and sunny days as his inspiration. And from the Mead House survey, we discuss kegging your homebrew. Finally, we wrap the show with a few Facebook Friends, and answer a couple questions.

Episode 126 Jun 05, 2019

Matt Weide stops by the house, we get his thoughts on the Fenugreek secret ingredient and the MVP challenge. Taking it around the table, we find out what's on the short list for new projects, JD contemplating another port mead and a Ryanbraggot with citra hops, Jeff has a ton of strawberries, he's considering using Omega's Voss Kveik yeast, and Ryan talks about a grapefruit braggot he has in mind.

Episode 125 May 30, 2019

Home meadmaker and medalist, Josh Mahoney joins us on the show for some final thoughts and a wrap-up of the first Mead House Iron Bee competition that took place last weekend in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Iron Bee challenge was a secret ingredient, fenugreek, which has properties similar to maple. Some amazing results were achieved, even some that didn't place in the top 3.

Episode 124 May 08, 2019

Need yeast? Just take a mason jar out to your beehive and collect a few bees and put them in your beer wort of mead must! Bryan Heit, creator of Sui Generis Brewing blog joins us this episode to talk about wild yeast among other things! Jeff is in a conundrum, his keg collection might be getting out of control according to his wife, and finally, we tackle a few Reddit friends to wrap the show. Hey, hope to see you at the Iron Bee!

Episode 123 May 01, 2019

Mazer Cup medalist Pavel Anisimov visits the Mead House to share some thoughts on his mead making, a last minute schedule change for segment 2 leads JD and Jeff into a discussion on using used bourbon barrels and barrels in general and we wrap the show with a couple Facebook Friends.

Episode 122 Apr 24, 2019

Gina dalla Gasperino from Meridian Cacao Company joins us at the bar to discuss cocoa and the cacao bean. Please visit their website and check out the Education link.

Episode 121 Apr 17, 2019

Bryan Pierce from Yakima Chief Hops joins us for an interesting and inspiring discussion on integrating hops into meads. Summertime is right around the corner, what's going to be on tap at your house when you fire up the BBQ? We discuss a few summertime flavors and ideas to get you started, and finally we wrap with a couple questions from our Facebook Friends.

Episode 120 Apr 10, 2019

Iron Bee supporter, Josh Eckton owner of a new start-up, White Bear Meadery in White Bear Lake Minnesota joins us this episode, and then with summertime just around the corner, Ryan and Jeff talk Rose...no, not the wine, but inspirations taken from it. How to get that gorgeous rose color into your mead.

Episode 119 Apr 03, 2019

It’s been said that Irish whiskey was the first spirit ever distilled. They’re talking about something that might have occurred around 1 AD. However, it really doesn’t matter if you’ve tried 2 Gingers Irish Whiskey today. Founder and Iron Bee supporter Kieran Folliard stops by the house, and what ensues is

Episode 118 Mar 28, 2019

Before you chop down that spruce tree out back so you can use it in your next brew, you might want to listen to our guest this episode, Randy Schnose from Spruce On Tap. Randy gives us the what for's and why not's of using spruce tips in our brews, JD has a hair-brained idea for one of his port mead projects, yes...it includes bourbon, we go around the table and find out what's cookin', and a few Facebook friends get some answers.

Episode 117 Mar 06, 2019

"A guy shows up in Grass Valley, has a friend he's only known for 6 months, knows nothing about home brewing, and winds up going in with his friend to buy a home brew shop...then comes up with an idea for a product every home brewer needs." Only in America! Anthony Schoensee from BrewSSSential talks about his adventure leading to the development of a stainless steel auto siphon.

Episode 116 Feb 27, 2019

Can you imagine replacing 20-30 pounds of fruit in a melomel with one drop of extract? We welcome Debra Coletti from Amoretti to the show in this episode. JD talks about his first success with a braggot using Ryan's methodology,

Episode 115 Feb 22, 2019

In this episode, home meadmaker Jacob Thill stops buy the house to talk about his experimental Polish meads. Jacob is also a mechanical engineer, and he describes some of the equipment he designed in his homebrew setup. Ryan leads a discussion in dealing with outdated and obsolete information found all over the internet, and of course, we use our own experiences to answer a few questions from our Facebook Friends.

Episode 114 Feb 12, 2019

Ryan: “How much fruit would you put in a 5 gallon batch?” Curt Stock: “Oh, 30 to 40 pounds…” Wait, what?! Ryan and Jeff host mead guru Curt Stock and dive head first into one of Curt’s favorite things, big Mel’s. Jeff sends out a sample box, he and Ryan

Episode 113 Feb 06, 2019

Kiley Gwynn returns to the Mead House and the group talks about herbs & spices, the MVP contest at Iron Bee, and JD asks her for a top 5 list of herbs and spices to use in a mead, you might be surprised by a couple of them.

Episode 112 Jan 30, 2019

We're back! In this episode, Gary Glass, Director of American Homebrewer's Association is our guest this week, he talks about the advantages of joining AHA, the largest beer competition, HomeBrewCon and more! Ryan gives an update on Iron Bee, if you're looking to volunteer, please register at the competition site and let us know. Meaderies are closing and we discuss ways consumers and mead makers can spread the word about mead such as asking to see the mead list at your favorite fine dining restaurant, and Facebook Friends, this is where we tackle some random questions people have posted in various mead groups.

Episode 111 Jan 09, 2019

In this episode, Mead House is thankful for the many guests who have appeared on our podcast, and we’ve taken a little inspiration from a few of our discussions. We hope you do too! Also, Ryan has a significant update to the Iron Bee, we’ve picked up many sponsors and

Episode 110 Jan 03, 2019

In this episode, Justin Amaral, owner of Mainiacal Yeast Labs joins us for a discussion on alternative and wild fermentation. Ryan has the 411 on a great braggot recipe that is easy to make and comes with a few variables, Jeff tweaks our sweet tooth with talk about a chocolate

Episode 109 Dec 27, 2018

“Transforming fruit through salt curing, smoking, lacto fermentation, acid and heat denaturing, drying, and spontaneously fermenting prior to adding them to beers has been a real game changer for me. “ – Jeff Airman from Paradox Beer Company in Divide, Colorado pays a visit to the Mead House. From wild

Episode 108 Dec 19, 2018

In this episode, Mead House keyholder club member, Kevin McCann joins us at the bar. Kevin is an avid Mead House podcast listener, and gives us a little insight on his mead making and brewing. Kevin has also found a unique way to re-purpose spent grains from brewing in the

Episode 107 Dec 12, 2018

In this episode, Certified Spirits Specialist, Chris Trevino, joins the guys in a discussion about aromas and tastes, training your nose to recognize and pick out certain aromas. Chris also has a YouTube channel, LiquorHound with over 4 million viewers. JD sets out to make a test batch with a

Episode 106 Dec 05, 2018

In this episode, we welcome back for a third visit, Ash Fischbein , owner of Sap House Meadery. Ash gives us some inspiration with his barrel projects and says while there are just several bottles left, the mirepoix mead is still very much alive! Christmas is coming, we run down a few items that would make great gifts for the home brewer/mead maker.

Episode 105 Nov 14, 2018

In this episode, Jim Ladd, owner of Cascade Beer Candi Syrup Company stops in for as visit. A unique method of adding flavors to beers, meads and cider/cysers, Jim explains how one flavor, Maple Bacon Candi Syrup is great for stouts and porters. Jim talks about how oven toasted coconut flavors seem to fade away over time, yet using a candi syrup helps hang on to the flavor over time.

Episode 104 Nov 07, 2018

In this episode, Matt Falenski, owner of Laurel Highlands Meadery in Pennsylvania stops by for a chat on home mead making and offers some tips. Jeff wonders about sanitizing and dry-hopping ingredients in session meads because of the low alcohol, and we tackle a few posts from our Facebook friends.

Episode 103 Oct 31, 2018

Home meadmaker and martial arts instructor Jonny Sinwali stops by the Mead House to talk about his braggot experiment he worked on. With honey prices increasing, the crew talks about a way to stretch your honey out with session meads, and we round out the show with some Facebook friends.

Episode 102 Oct 24, 2018

Chrissie Zearpoor stops by the Mead House and by request, pairs meads with foods offered by JD, Jeff and Ryan. Chrissie also talks about the strategy of pairing meads, and why it is so difficult to pair beer and wine, yet so easy to pair meads.

Episode 101 Oct 17, 2018

In this episode, Jereme Zimmerman joins us for a chat about his two books, Make Mead Like a Viking, and Brew Beer Like a Yeti. Wild yeast, archaeology, and brewing alcoholic beverages from ancient times.

Episode 100 Oct 11, 2018

This episode celebrates our 100th show in this special 2 hour episode with a little fun and a look back over several years worth of shows. Thank you to all our former co-hosts and a special thank you to all our past guests who have come through the doors here at Mead House. We look forward to another 100 episodes packed with interviews with industry professionals, medal winning meadmakers, and home meadmakes alike. We do have a very special announcement near the end of the show, so you'll want to listen for it!

Episode 99 Sep 18, 2018

Perpetual starters and holiday inspirations starts off this episode. JD leads a discussion about keeping and feeding a starter for future batches, then moves to holiday spices, adjuncts and ideas for inspirational brews. Jeff finds himself in a conundrum with a root beer stout idea. We acknowledge several Facebook fans, and tackle some questions posted in various Facebook mead groups.

Episode 98 Sep 12, 2018

Micro mead making is the topic of our interview with John Duncan, and experienced mead maker doing meads in quart sized mason jars. Michigan Mead Cup is right around the corner, Gail Milburn tells us all about it, and JD sits down with Tom Repas

Episode 97 Sep 05, 2018

"Flavors you get from oak are dependent on temperatures you toast"...Len Napalitano from The Barrel Mill is our guest this episode. Oak spirals are slowly taking the place of oak barrels, and can often be used in older barrels to help the process along, Len tells us why that is and some techniques for oaking your mead.

Episode 96 Aug 29, 2018

Ryan goes on the road with the Mead House mic and visits with Nate Tietge, owner of Dead Bee Meadery. In the mean time, JD and Jeff have plans for a bourbon barrel, and Ryan decides he wants to look at a solera project with a fresh oak barrel. A few shout outs to some facebook friends, and the show wraps with our next guest list for episode 97, The Barrel Mill.

Episode 95 Aug 22, 2018

In this episode, John Aitchison visits the Mead House. John has been the past president, vice-president and Grand Hydrometer of the nation's oldest homebrew club, Maltose Falcons in Woodland Hills, California. A master mead maker, he's brewed everything from guajilla blossom honey from West Texas to lahua blossom honey from Hawaii.

Episode 94 Aug 17, 2018

In this episode, we discuss the one thing that may make the difference between a flat, flabby ho-hum watery mead, and a well balanced mouth-watering mead...tannin. Probably the most overlooked aspect of mead making, tannin provides the mouthfeel that sets apart good meads from not so good ones.

Episode 93 Jul 25, 2018

In this episode, Mary Izett, co-owner of Fifth Hammer Brewing Co. in New York and author of Speed Brewing is our guest. Brewing to completion in a matter of days in order to drink in a matter of weeks is our topic. What's in the hopper - the crew discusses different projects each has brewing and we tackle a couple questions from various social media outlets.

Episode 92 Jul 19, 2018

In this episode, Jill Clark from Dutch Gold Honey returns to talk honey & share the story about Dutch Gold Honey and the infamous Honeybear. JD has a couple projects about ready to launch and requests some interaction with our listeners on one of them,

Episode 91 Jul 12, 2018

In this episode, John Blichmann, president of Blichmann Engineering™ is our guest, he has over 25 years of brewing experience, started Blichmann Engineering over 16 years ago and is now the industry leader in quality, support, and innovation.

Episode 90 Jul 04, 2018

"People and planet ahead of profit.." Kiley Gwynn from Mountain Rose Herbs featuring high-quality herbs and spices, teas and much more stops by the Mead House this week. She talks about tinctures, teas and decoctions using herbs and spices in mead making and brewing. JD is considering deydrated fruits in place of whole fruits in a re-do of a coconut mango braggot, Ryan talks about not wasting the byproducts of your brewing, including bread making with grains to composting the trub.

Episode 89 Jun 27, 2018

In this episode, Jill Clark from True Source Honey joins us, do you know where your honey really comes from? Jill will tell us how we can be sure it comes from reliable sources. Also, what were the boys up to during their hiatus, and more Facebook Friends where we discuss questions gathered from various Facebook mead groups. Featured Products mentioned in this episode: Dutch Gold Honey Omega Yeast

Episode 88 Jun 06, 2018

Show Notes: “I have good ideas!” Joe Kurowski, head brewer at White Labs, visits The Mead House. We talk discuss fermenting under pressure (not fermenting while listening to the Queen/David Bowe 1981 hit), yeast autolysis when bottle conditioning, using yeast found on fruit trees in Denmark and more. Bill Quirk stops by

Episode 87 May 30, 2018

Lance Shaner, founder and owner of Omega Yeast is our guest at The Mead House this episode. Lance shares information about several heat resistant yeasts that could alleviate temp control issues some have in warmer climates. Facebook friends always produce some interesting discussions, Ryan found one involving a carrot mead,

Episode 86 May 24, 2018

Ryan crashes the Minnesota Mead Up last weekend and caught up with a couple mead House celebrities! Sour meads find a rare competition in Tampa Bay, Florida, sponsored by Special Hoperations , if you have a sour mead ready to be judged, you have until June 8th to submit your entry! We cover a few Facebook Friends, and wrap with Jeff's review of a couple beverages brewed by Ryan. Hey, thanks for listening! Make sure and rate us 5 stars on your favorite podcast player, iTunes, & Stitcher Radio!

Episode 85 May 16, 2018

This week, award-winning meadmaker, Matt Weide returns to The Mead House. Scoring a silver for a Carolina Reaper mead, he describes the process as well as a project he’s working on to determine if people can actually tell if a mead has been backsweetened or has been stopped to leave

Episode 84 May 09, 2018

In this episode, Ryan and Jeff critique JD’s H1 & H2 braggot offerings, (recipe for H1 is below), Facebook Friends, the crew tackles a few questions posted by our friends in a few facebook mead groups. In the interest in promoting mead, the introduction of mead to people who have

Episode 83 May 02, 2018

Mazer Cup gold medalist, Josh Mahoney, returns to The mead House and sticks around for the whole show! He talks about his Double 50 award winner, a little on bee keeping, Jeff discovers an accidental infection that leads to a tasty sour mead. So you’re a mead maker and now

Episode 82 Apr 11, 2018

JD, what's HTO?! Listen for it! Kyle Peterson from WineHaven joins us to talk mead while we enjoy a few glasses of his award-winning Stinger mead! The son of a long time bee keeper talks about his effort to produce Stinger, making mead in general, and a bit of advice for JD's Mead Port project. Do you have a batch of mead you're just not wild about? Wait before you toss it, Ryan leads a discussion on blending, a way to salvage a mead thast just isn't up to par. Facebook Friends, William from Main has a braggot project he's working on and Alex Haag discover's a new use for Anova's Sous Vide machine!

Episode 81 Apr 04, 2018

Slam the door open & hit the lights! Welcome to The Mead House! This episode we cover a number of Facebook Friends, including using Oxy-Clean, a Blueberry Melomel, bread yeast and much more! JD has a couple projects he’s working on, particularly a Blackberry/Cherry mead Port. His concern is leaving

Episode 80 Mar 28, 2018

Chrissie Manion Zaerpoor, author of The Art of Mead Tasting and Food Pairing, joins the show this episode. If you're into the culinary culture, love to cook and make mead at home, this is a "must-have" book to go with your best cookbooks.

Episode 79 Mar 20, 2018

Celebrating 2 years here at The Mead House, episode 79 includes a report from co-host Jeff Shouse on his trip to 2018 Mazer Cup International. Jeff talks a bit about his experience as a judge, and gives some insight on the entry and scoring process. JD runs through a bourbon barrel cyser recipe with a twist, adding oak chips during fermentation, and using honey malt to add some mouthfeel and more honey character. See his recipe below! Thank for listening, we appreciate all our listeners, and please, rate us 5 stars on your favorite podcast player!

Episode 78 Mar 15, 2018

JD and Ryan at the table this episode, Jeff is getting ready for his trip to the Mazer Cup in Colorado. In this episode, Facebook Friends looks at several issues including a recipe by Shawn Larson using Shagbark! Ryan leads a discussion about using alternative bottle carbing sugars, and aging. Modern mead making implies make it fast so you can drink it now, but are we overlooking what JD calls, "time does a bottle good?" Thanks for listening, and be sure and rate us 5 stars on your favorite listening player, iTunes and Stitcher radio!

Episode 77 Mar 08, 2018

Test batches, how do you handle yours? JD says all his batches are test batches! What do you do with 80 gallons of expired organic apple juice that has started to ferment, and Jeff talks about allergies and clearing agents using shellfish. Thanks for listening, we appreciate all our listeners and be sure to rate us 5 stars on your favorite listening venue, iTunes, and Stitcher Radio!

JD & Jeff Feb 26, 2018

It's just JD and Jeff this episode and Jeff has a new experiment going on!

Episode 76 Feb 08, 2018

Award wining, longtime mead maker and brewer, Pat McNealy, joins The Mead House crew for this episode. We review a few facebook posts, and JD talks about making labels. Thanks for listening, we appreciate all of out listeners! Make sure and give us 5 stars on your favorite listening venue, iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or your favorite podcast player!

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